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6/13/2025
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Sen. Patalano’s legislation to clarify sex offender residency requirement near schools approved in Senate
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate has approved legislation from Sen. Todd M. Patalano that would make it a felony for any person required to register as a sex offender to live within 300 feet of a school.
“This bill closes a loophole in state law regarding sex offenders to ensure those considered the most dangerous and likely to reoffend are prohibited from living in close proximity to the schools that are nestled in our communities – and that are often only separated from backyards by chain-link fences. I am proud to sponsor this important measure to safeguard our children and our neighborhoods,” said Sen. Patalano (D-Dist. 26, Cranston).
The legislation (2025-S 0515A) amends the state law governing sexual offender registration and community notification to clarify that Level III sex offenders, in addition to Level I and Level II offenders, are prohibited from living within 300 feet of a school. It also states that the 300 foot distance is to be measured “in a straight line, without regard for intervening structures or objects, from the nearest portion of the property on which the person subject to this section resides, to the nearest property line of the premises of any school.” Violation of the law would be a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
The need for the clarification stems from a 2023 U.S. District Court ruling that deemed a state law prohibiting Level III sex offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school to be unconstitutional.
The bill, which was approved in the Senate on June 12, now heads to the House of Representatives, where Rep. Richard Fascia (D-Dist. 42, Johnston, Cranston) has introduced similar legislation (2025-H 5925).
For more information, contact:
Greg Pare, Director of Communications for the Senate
State House Room 112
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 276-5558
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