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3/17/2025
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MEDIA ADVISORY: Senate Judiciary Committee to hear human trafficking bills Tuesday, election bills Thursday
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STATE HOUSE — The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday and Thursday to hear testimony on several bills related to human trafficking and elections respectively.
The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday, March 18, at the rise of the Senate (about 5 p.m.) in Room 313 on the third floor of the State House.
The committee will hear testimony on several bills, including the following:
§ (2025-S 0132) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston), would require that all monies received from the payment of fines under the Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking be deposited into the violent crimes indemnity account within the general fund.
§ (2025-S 0207) — this bill, introduced by Sen. John Burke (D-Dist. 9 West Warwick), would amend the statute punishing child pornography by replacing the term “child pornography” with the term “child sexual abuse material.”
§ (2025-S 0278) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Melissa A. Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield), would under certain circumstances, provide immunity from arrest and prosecution for prostitution, procurement of sexual conduct for a fee, loitering for prostitution and soliciting from motor vehicles for indecent purposes.
§ (2025-S 0810) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Tiara T. Mack (D-Dist. 6, Providence), would decriminalize certain commercial sexual activity. It would also include human trafficking as a racketeering activity and would allow expungements of certain convictions after one year.
§ (2025-S 0549) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Andrew R. Dimitri (D-Dist. 25, Johnston), would require hotel employees and short-term rental property operators to annually receive human trafficking awareness training.
§ (2025-S 0515) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Todd M. Patalano (D-Dist. 26, Cranston), would make it a felony for any person required to register as a sex offender to live within 300 feet of a school.
The committee will also meet on Thursday, March 20, at the rise of the Senate in Room 313 to hear testimony on several bills including the following:
§ (2025-S 0152) — this bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Valarie J. Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence), would spell out rules and regulations for the presidential preference primary elections, and would also establish rules for ranked choice voting tabulation and results reporting by the secretary of state.
§ (2025-S 0282) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Elaine J. Morgan (R-Dist. 34, Hopkinton, Charlestown, Exeter, Richmond, West Greenwich), would require verification of an applicant’s date of birth and either a Rhode Island driver’s license number or state identification number on all applications seeking mail ballots and emergency mail ballots.
§ (2025-S 0283) — this bill, introduced by Senator Morgan, would require that only the mail ballot voter/spouse/court-appointed guardian/cohabitant/or adult person related to the voter by blood or marriage, be allowed to physically mail the voted mail ballot.
§ (2025-S 0513) — this bill, introduced by Senator Patalano, would increase the maximum number of voters that a polling place can accommodate from 3,000 to 3,500 and provide for existing polling places that exceed the maximum number of voters, not be required to be changed until the next decennial redistricting.
§ (2025-S 0517) — this bill, introduced by Senator Mack, would allow citizens of a city or town who are at least 16 years of age to register to vote and to vote in school committee elections in municipalities where school committees are elected entities.
§ (2025-S 0520) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Jacob Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence), would modernize and streamline the existing processes for getting on the permanent mail ballot application list.
§ (2025-S 0208) — this bill, introduced by Sen. Mark McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick), would propose a state constitutional amendment to provide that no person could hold office as a general officer unless that person was a resident and a registered voter in the State of Rhode Island for at least two years, continuously, prior to taking office.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is chaired by Senator LaMountain. The meeting will be livestreamed at https://capitoltvri.cablecast.tv.
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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