Prohibits participation in federal school voucher tax credit for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations unless both the general assembly and the governor approve such participation.
SB 2182 removes the fee for drivers education classes at Rhode Island's community colleges for youth living in foster or adoptive homes. This directly affects young people in these care settings who would otherwise pay the standard fee to complete required driver's education. The bill's key provision exempts these individuals from the fee requirement, making the program more accessible. This change reduces a financial barrier to obtaining driver's education, which is a prerequisite for a driver's license in Rhode Island.
Requires the department of elementary and secondary education and DOH to adopt policies, rules and regulations for the administration of seizure rescue medications for children who have been medically identified as having epilepsy/seizure disorder.
Authorizes the City of Central Falls to issue bonds and notes in an amount not exceeding $25,000,000 to finance the construction, renovation, improvement, alteration, repair furnishing and equipping of schools and school facilities in the city.
Ends transaction fees for school lunches in all districts. This act requires at least one no-fee payment method for school lunches and a full disclosure whether fees will be charged by a payment platform.
This bill creates a special legislative commission to study how Rhode Island school districts can share services to address funding and operational challenges. The commission will consist of thirteen members, including legislators, state officials, education leaders, business representatives, and a student, who will meet without pay to investigate potential shared service models. State agencies are required to provide necessary information to the commission, which must submit its findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives by April 30, 2027, before the group expires.
Provides that any schools days a public school is closed due to a declared state of emergency be deemed excused for purposes of compliance with minimum school days calendar requirements.
HB 7114 permits schools to assign special community service as a disciplinary measure for students who bully others based on religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or ethnicity. This policy directly affects students who commit such bullying and school administrators implementing disciplinary actions. The key provision replaces traditional punishments (like suspension) with community service for these specific types of bullying incidents. The bill does not define bullying but offers an alternative consequence for violations targeting these protected characteristics. It is currently under review by the House Education committee.
This bill allows the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Parent-Teacher Organization to regain its legal status if it files overdue annual reports and pays associated fees by December 31, 2026. The organization, which was previously facing charter forfeiture due to failure to submit required filings from 1983 through 2026, would be restored to full legal privileges upon completing these requirements. The legislation extends the deadline for submitting these reports and requires payment of both filing fees and a penalty amount determined by the attorney general. Once these conditions are met, the organization will be treated as if the charter revocation never occurred.
Redefines dyslexia to mean a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography.
