Legislation

In February, the ACLU testified before the House Judiciary committee in opposition to legislation addressing the electronic dissemination of sexually explicit material, often referred to as “revenge porn.”

Currently, the state Board of Elections is virtually the only major state agency exempt from the Administrative Procedures Act, which requires state agencies to adopt rules and regulations through an open, public process.

Statewide, Internet filters used by school districts block considerably more information than is required by federal law, often without prior warning, derailing classroom lessons and hindering the ability of students to complete homework.

The ACLU testified in support of legislation to rectify the issue of prison gerrymandering and require all prisoners to be counted, for voting purposes only, at their last known address.

Nationwide, women have historically been charged more for the same health insurance as men. This practice, known as gender rating, became illegal for certain health care plans under the federal Affordable Care Act, but gaps in Rhode Island law may allow the practice to continue.

In March, the ACLU testified before the House and Senate Judiciary committees in support of legislation to strengthen the state’s limitation on shackling pregnant incarcerated women.

The General Assembly considered, but did not act on, revisions to the state's law governing public records. The Access to Public Records Act dictates when public entities can keep documents from public view, and the rights of the public to view or obtain other documents.

The federal E-Verify program remains dependent on a system plagued with errors and misinformation, leaving nearly 10% of foreign-born citizens incorrectly deemed ineligible to work. The ACLU testified in opposition to legislation requiring most RI employers to participate in the E-Verify program.