Criminal Justice (Policing)

died · Rhode Island · House Feb 11, 2026

HB 7353: AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-- POLICE RELATIONSHIP ACT OF 2015

HB 7353 amends Rhode Island's 2015 Comprehensive Community-Police Relationship Act to require police departments to collect detailed data during traffic stops (including officer-perceived race/ethnicity, stop reasons, and outcomes) and submit it monthly to the Department of Transportation's Office of Highway Safety. It mandates an annual external study analyzing this data for racial disparities in traffic stops and searches, to be conducted by a qualified independent agency chosen by the Office of Highway Safety. The study's findings, along with quarterly public summary reports showing racial and demographic breakdowns of stops, must be released annually. This directly affects all Rhode Island municipal police departments and the state police, requiring them to implement new data collection and reporting procedures. The law aims to provide transparent, data-driven insights into policing practices without speculating on outcomes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates data collection on race/ethnicity during traffic stops and annual studies to analyze racial disparities, enhancing police accountability and addressing civil rights concerns in law enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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died · Rhode Island · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 7439: AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS’ DUE PROCESS, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY ACT -- ICE OUT ACT

Prohibits law enforcement agencies from hiring individuals who was hired as a sworn officer of the US Immigration and Customs enforcement Agency on or after January 20, 2025 and would apply prospectively to an individual hired on or after October 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits hiring ICE officers to enhance law enforcement accountability and transparency, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationProhibits state hiring of ICE officers, limiting state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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died · Rhode Island · House Mar 24, 2026

HB 7128: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- MAINTENANCE OF ORDER ON CAMPUS

Mandates arming campus police at public higher educational institutions and includes campus police in the definition of "law enforcement officer" for the purposes of the "Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights."

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates arming campus police and includes them in law enforcement protections, strengthening law enforcement within criminal justice.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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died · Rhode Island · Senate May 19, 2026

SB 2137: AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT

Prohibits handcuffing children twelve (12) or under at initial police contact unless needed for public safety or if the child is using or threatening physical force against an officer.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits handcuffing children under 12 at initial contact, protecting minors' rights and enhancing police accountability - directly aligns with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice Policing

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died · Rhode Island · House Apr 16, 2026

HB 7037: AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT

Prohibits handcuffing children twelve (12) or under at initial police contact unless needed for public safety or if the child is using or threatening physical force against an officer.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts police handcuffing of children under 12, protecting civil rights and advancing juvenile justice reform within law enforcement practices.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice Policing

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died · Rhode Island · Senate May 12, 2026

SB 2303: AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY-- POLICE RELATIONSHIP ACT OF 2015

SB 2303 amends Rhode Island's 2015 Comprehensive Community-Police Relationship Act to require all state and municipal police departments to collect detailed data on every routine traffic stop and vehicle search, including the officer's perception of the driver's race/ethnicity, reason for the stop, and outcome (e.g., citation, arrest, or search). This data must be submitted monthly to the Department of Transportation's Office of Highway Safety for a 48-month period starting in 2027. An independent outside agency chosen by the Department will then conduct an annual statistical study analyzing the data for racial disparities in policing, with findings and quarterly summary reports made public. The bill also mandates police agencies to review data monthly for compliance and annually to address any identified disparities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates data collection on traffic stops including race/ethnicity to monitor police accountability, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators like enhanced oversight and bias reduction.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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died · Rhode Island · House Mar 4, 2026

HB 7211: AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE RHODE ISLAND COMMUNITY PROTECTION ACT

Bars police from wearing masks or disguises when interacting with the public, require visible ID, allow limited safety and undercover exceptions, and impose criminal penalties and civil liability for violations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires visible police ID during public interactions, enhancing transparency and accountability in law enforcement, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing

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died · Rhode Island · Senate Mar 10, 2026

SB 2127: AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- IDENTIFICATION AND APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS

Requires superior court clerk to automatically seal cases/individual counts of a criminal complaint/indictment that were dismissed, upon request of defendant and serve it upon bureau of criminal identification, police department and counsel of record.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAutomatically seals dismissed cases, reducing barriers for defendants and aligning with criminal justice reform goals to protect civil rights and lower recidivism.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Policing

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