Establishes a statewide "healthy school meals for all" universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools phased in over 3 years.
HB 7729 prohibits the unlawful use of designated seclusion rooms in Rhode Island public pre-K, elementary, and secondary schools, meaning students cannot be left alone in isolated rooms without freedom to leave. The bill specifically excludes physical prompts, restraints, and time-outs from this prohibition. School staff must follow positive behavioral interventions instead, and the education commissioner must handle complaints about violations through investigations and published procedures. This law directly affects all public school students, staff, and administrators in Rhode Island’s K-12 system.
HB 7501 allocates $100,000 in the 2026-2027 budget to support mental health and emotional well-being for K-12 students in out-of-school time (OST) programs, such as after-school and summer programs. It provides funding for staff training in trauma-informed practices, peer support groups, mental health resources, and culturally responsive activities designed by local communities. The funds will be distributed competitively through Rhode Island’s Afterschool Network to prioritize programs serving high-need youth across urban, suburban, and rural areas. This policy directly affects community-based OST programs and their staff, enabling flexible support for youth mental health needs.
HB 8114 requires the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) director to share a child’s school enrollment information with the child’s school nurse when that child is placed in foster care. This directly affects school nurses, DCYF staff, and children in foster care who attend public schools. The key provision mandates DCYF to proactively provide this enrollment detail to school nurses to ensure continuity of care. The bill aims to improve communication between child welfare and school staff for foster youth.
Mandates public schools (K-12) have one full-time certified social worker for every 250 students and allocates $2 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget for school districts and municipalities to hire additional social workers.
Establishes a statewide “Healthy School Meals for all” universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools phased in over 3 years.
Mandates all insurance contracts, plans or policies provide insurance coverage for the expense of diagnosing and treating infertility, for women between the ages of twenty-five (25) and forty-two (42) years.
Provides that a student's enrollment in Medicaid would be included in calculating and determining the student success factor for use in the foundation education-aid formula.
Provides that a student's enrollment in Medicaid would be included in calculating and determining the student success factor for use in the foundation education-aid formula.
Expands the requirement that all high schools and middle schools, whether they are publicly or privately run to maintain on site a functional AED while establishing and implementing a cardiac emergency response plan in these schools.
