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3/24/2026
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Senate passes DiPalma’s student health and safety bills
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STATE HOUSE – The Senate today passed two bills sponsored by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis P. DiPalma that will enhance student health and safety at Rhode Island’s schools.
The first bill (2026-S 2873) would require inspections and evaluations of the indoor air quality of each school building, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The Department of Health would also establish guidelines for indoor air quality in schools, including recommended thresholds and rates for environmental conditions that directly affect health and learning.
“How are our children expected to have a productive day at school if the air they are breathing is bad? This issue becomes even more pressing when we consider the age of some of our schools and what kinds of mold or other contaminants are floating around and being inhaled by our students. This bill is about the health, safety and well-being of Rhode Island’s children, who deserve educational environments with clean and safe air to breathe,” said Chairman DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton).
The second bill (2026-S 2350) would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Health to adopt policies, rules and regulations for the administration of seizure rescue medications to students who have been medically identified as having epilepsy/seizure disorder.
“Seizures in children are critically serious events that can rapidly become life or death situations. It’s imperative that school staff have the knowledge and ability to administer life-saving medicine in the event of a student having a seizure in school. This bill will ensure that our students who suffer from seizures can receive the vital care that they need immediately in a school setting,” said Chairman DiPalma.
Both pieces of legislation now head to the House for consideration.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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