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5/11/2026
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MEDIA ADVISORY: Senate Judiciary Committee to hear testimony on bills related to burglary, trespassing, other crimes
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STATE HOUSE — The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to hear testimony on bills related to various crimes.
The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday, May 12, 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 several bills, including:
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2026-S 2291 — by Sen. Melissa Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield), which would grant tenants that are the victim of various forms of abuse including, but not limited to, sexual and domestic abuse and stalking, the right to terminate a lease agreement early without penalty or liability for rent.
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2026-S 2058 — by Senate Majority Whip David P. Tikoian (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, Lincoln, North Providence), which would change the community service requirements of a sentence related to a violation relating to defacing private residences, offices, businesses or commercial property.
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2026-S 2156 — by Senate Minority Whip Gordon E. Rogers (R-Dist. 21, Foster, Scituate, Coventry, West Greenwich), which would add a rebuttable defense if any person shall die or sustain a personal injury while committing robbery of the owner, lessor or occupant of a motor vehicle and that the owner or occupant of the vehicle acted in self-defense.
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2026-S 2287 — by Sen. Samuel W. Bell (D-Dist. 5, Providence), which would increase the number of members of state crime laboratory commission to nine, changes makeup of commission to include individuals with expertise in law enforcement, criminal defense, scientific research, and makes chair of department of physics the executive secretary.
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2026-S 2296 — by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, West Greenwich), which would criminalize and set mandatory minimum sentences for the unlawful interference with traffic upon the federal and state highways of this state.
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2026-S 2307 — by Senate Minority Whip Gordon E. Rogers (R-Dist. 21, Foster, Scituate, Coventry, West Greenwich), which would provide a rebuttable defense if a person dies or sustains a personal injury while committing any violent criminal offense of a person.
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2026-S 2405 — by Sen. Mark McKenney (D-Dist. 30, Warwick), which would enlarge definitions of prohibited acts that constitute hazing, make principals, coaches, athletic directors and others responsible for knowingly failing to take reasonable measures to prevent hazing and punishes serious injury.
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2026-S 2481 — by Senate Majority Whip David P. Tikoian (D-Dist. 22, Smithfield, Lincoln, North Providence), which would define “squatter” as a person occupying a dwelling unit who is not authorized by the property owner, landlord or tenant to occupy the unit and provides remedies for property owner including police assistance to remove a squatter.
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2026-S 2719 — by Sen. Jacob Bissaillon (D-Dist. 1, Providence), which would prohibit the imposition of a sentence of life without parole upon any person 21 years of age or younger.
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2026-S 2981 — by Sen. Bridget Valverde (D-Dist. 35, North Kingstown, East Greenwich, South Kingstown), which would make it unnecessary to prove that a person’s transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharassment.
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2026-S 3037 — by Sen. Todd M. Patalano (D-Dist. 26, Cranston), which would prohibit individuals who operate a recreational vehicle in a reckless or negligent manner which hinders the movement of other vehicles with a group of two or more vehicles be guilty of felony, punishable by imprisonment up to 2.5 years and fine up to $2,000.
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2026-S 3167 — by Sen. Todd M. Patalano (D-Dist. 26, Cranston), which would provide that when two or more individuals associate to accomplish the crime of shoplifting, that they would be deemed to be associated for the particular purpose of shoplifting and be guilty of a felony.
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2026-S 3263 — by Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston), which would permit victims of stalking to recover for expenses related to relocation or home modification under the crime victim compensation program.
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2026-S 2159 — by Sen. Meghan E. Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence), which would require one elector of the parole board to be a person directly impacted by the criminal justice system who has completed the probation/parole process three or more years prior to selection with a professional background in certain enumerated areas.
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2026-S 2308 — by Sen. Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence), which would provide that prisoners who committed offenses prior to age 18 and were sentenced as adults be eligible for parole after completing 15 years of their sentence.
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2026-S 2977 — by Sen. Jonathon Acosta (D-Dist. 16, Central Falls, Pawtucket), which would establish the restrictive housing oversight committee for the purpose of monitoring the use of restrictive housing, as well as disciplinary and administrative confinement at the Department of Corrections.
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2026-S 2984 — by Sen. Meghan E. Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence), which would repeal 42-56-38.1 and require the Department of Corrections to provide free communication services to inmates and juveniles held in residential placement or detention centers and require that those facilities provide in-person contact visits.
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2026-S 2990 — by Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston), which would designate certain program workers and shift coordinators at the training school as peace officers while on duty.
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2026-S 2991 — by Sen. Tiara T. Mack (D-Dist. 6, Providence), which would mandate all Department of Corrections staff with direct supervision roles to wear body cameras while on duty in their assigned facility.
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2026-S 2993 — by Sen. Tiara T. Mack (D-Dist. 6, Providence), which would create an 11 member commission to analyze the impact and potential economic benefits of bail reforms on Black Rhode Islanders, and would report back by Feb. 5, 2027, and expire on April 5, 2027.
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2026-S 3046 — by Sen. Todd M. Patalano (D-Dist. 26, Cranston), which would prohibit individuals from conveying items to or from the training school for youth without prior consent by the executive director of the Division of Youth Development at the Department of Children, Youth and Families.
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2026-S 2055 — by Sen. Leonidas P. Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, Coventry, West Greenwich), which would allow vehicles owned and operated by the Rhode Island Disaster Medical Assistance Team Inc. and/or its affiliates or subsidiaries to operate with forward facing red and white emergency lights.
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2026-S 2303— by Sen. Ana B. Quezada (D-Dist. 2, Providence), which would amend the comprehensive community-police relationship act of 2015 to require an annual study by an outside agency chosen by the department.
The committee will also meet Thursday, May 14, at 3 p.m. in Room 313 to hear testimony on a resolution (2026-S 3275) introduced by Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) that would request that the Supreme Court provide a written opinion on matters related to Senate bill (2026-S 2616), which would amend what is considered sexual abuse for purposes of limitations on actions based on sexual abuse or exploitation of a child and would amend the provisions for when a cause of action may be brought.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is chaired by Sen. Matthew L. LaMountain (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston). The meeting will be broadcast live on Channel 75 for Cox customers. It will also be livestreamed at capitoltvri.cablecast.tv.
For more information, contact:
Daniel Trafford, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-1922
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