Prohibits law enforcement agencies from hiring individuals who were hired as a sworn officer of the US Immigration and Customs enforcement Agency on or after January 20, 2025, and applies prospectively to an individual hired on or after October 1, 2026.
Allows for the electronic filing of domestic violence/sexual assault reporting forms by law enforcement agencies, enhances the information to be included on the reporting forms, and clarifies that the reporting forms should be submitted monthly.
SB 2607 creates a legal remedy for Rhode Island residents harmed by government entities violating their constitutional rights. It allows individuals or the Attorney General to sue state or local governments (including municipalities and quasi-governmental bodies) directly for civil rights violations, waiving sovereign immunity for these cases. Key provisions set a $500,000 cap on compensatory damages (adjusted annually for inflation), prohibit punitive damages against the state, and remove the cap for intentional, willful, or malicious violations. The law provides for remedies like injunctive relief, attorney fees, and a three-year statute of limitations for filing claims.
Prohibits a peace officer, as defined in § 12-7-21, from employing threats, physical harm, deprivation, deception, coercion, or psychologically manipulative interrogation tactics during the custodial interrogation of a juvenile.
Provides that the statute of limitations for second-degree sexual assault shall be 10 years from the date of the offense, or, in the case of a victim who is under the age of 18, ten years from the victim’s eighteenth birthday, whichever is later.
Bars state and local police from joining federal immigration enforcement programs, limits holding people on detainer without judicial warrants, and requires tracking and reporting of requests.
Establishes the fair chance in housing credit reports act to provide standards for which a credit report can be used in considering a rental application.
Gives statewide juvenile hearing boards the authority to refer a juvenile offender to a rehabilitative driving course, as part of a disposition of an offense before the board. The order may be enforced by the traffic tribunal.
HB 8067 would prevent people with prior felony convictions from buying or owning firearms. This bill directly affects individuals who have been convicted of a felony offense, disqualifying them from firearm transactions. The key provision creates a new legal barrier for these individuals, requiring them to be excluded from purchasing or possessing firearms under state law. The bill, introduced on February 27, 2026, proposes this restriction as a change to existing criminal offense regulations.
SB 2719 prohibits life imprisonment without parole for individuals aged 21 or younger convicted of homicide. It directly affects young adults (21 and under) sentenced for homicide crimes, requiring courts to consider alternative sentencing options instead. The bill mandates that any homicide conviction involving a defendant under 21 cannot result in a life sentence without parole. This pending legislation, introduced on February 27, 2026, is currently under review in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
