Bill Sponsors
O'Brien, McEntee, Dawson, Noret, Roberts, Biah, Read, Corvese, Diaz, and Hull
Committee
House Judiciary
Summary
Select
This legislation changes the rules for campus police officers at Rhode Island state colleges and universities. Previously, these officers generally did not carry firearms unless given special permission. This bill mandates that campus police officers carry firearms, provided they complete specific training requirements by October 1, 2026. Additionally, the bill officially classifies campus police as "law enforcement officers" under state law. This classification grants them the same rights and due process protections during disciplinary investigations that are currently afforded to municipal and state police officers under the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Mandates standardized training for campus police, ensuring they meet the same professional and safety standards as municipal officers, which may reduce negligence.
- Extends due process protections and worker rights to campus police officers through inclusion in the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights.
- Clarifies the oversight role of the Board of Education, potentially creating a clearer chain of accountability for police conduct on public campuses.
Cons for Progressives
- Increases the presence of lethal weapons in educational environments, which many progressives fear could lead to escalation of force or accidental violence.
- Extends the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights to more officers, a system often criticized by progressives for shielding police from accountability and making it difficult to discipline misconduct.
- Prioritizes funding and focus on armed policing for campus safety rather than investing in mental health services, de-escalation teams, or non-violent conflict resolution.
Pros for Conservatives
- Ensures that campus police are armed and capable of effectively responding to active shooter threats or violent crimes, protecting students and property.
- Standardizes police training and authority, reinforcing the rule of law and professionalizing security forces at state institutions.
- Eliminates the bureaucratic hurdle of requiring special board authorization for officers to carry firearms, streamlining security operations.
Cons for Conservatives
- Increases taxpayer burdens to pay for mandatory firearms training, equipment, and potentially higher legal costs associated with disciplinary hearings.
- Expands the Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights, which functions similarly to strong union protections, making it harder to fire ineffective government employees.
- Centralizes more regulatory control under the state Board of Education rather than allowing individual university presidents to determine the best security posture for their specific campuses.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Campus police officers
- State college and university students
- University faculty and staff
- Rhode Island Board of Education
- Rhode Island Police Officers Commission on Standards and Training
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
BillBuddy Impact Ratings
Importance
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Freedom Impact
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Public Services
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Regulatory
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Clarity of Bill Language
How clear the language of the bill is. Higher ambiguity equals a lower score.
Enforcement Provisions
Measures enforcement provisions and penalties for non-compliance (if applicable).
Environmental Impact
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Privacy Impact
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/15/2026 Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 16-52-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-52 entitled "Maintenance of Order on Campus [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
16-52-2. Appointment of campus police.
(a) The board ofgovernors for higher education may appoint one or more persons who may act as police officers upon the property and highways of state colleges and universities subject to the control of the board. The campus police officers shall protect the property of each college or university, suppress nuisances and disturbances and breaches of the peace, and enforce laws and regulations for the preservation of good order. They shall have the same powers and authority as that conferred upon municipal police officers, including the power to arrest persons for violations of state criminal statutes or for violations of city or town ordinances of the city or town in which the institution is located. They shall not carry firearms unless expressly authorized by the board of governors subject to the training requirements of this section. Additionally, any campus police officer observing the violation of any rule or regulation of the board adopted pursuant to this chapter, including but not limited to parking and traffic regulations, may issue a summons in the manner and form set forth in § 31-27-12 or § 31-41.1-1 returnable to the district court, the police court of the city or town where the violation occurs, or the traffic tribunal as provided by law.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all fines and penalties recovered for violation of rules and regulations made under authority of this section shall be accounted for by the appropriate authority, which shall forward all fines or penalties for nonmoving traffic violations to the general treasurer for use by the college or university on whose campus the citation or violation was issued in accordance with § 16-32-27.
(c) Campus police and peace officers shall, prior to October 1, 2026, complete a course of firearm instruction as provided by the Rhode Island police officers commission on standards and training, with approval of the director of public safety and shall be subject to in service training requirements of chapter 28 of title 42, the standardized training requirements of § 42-28.2-8.3, and shall be afforded all rights, duties and responsibility of chapter 28.6 of title 42 ("law enforcement officers' bill of rights").
(d) The board of education shall adopt rules and regulations for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this chapter.
SECTION 2. Section 42-28.6-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-28.6 entitled "Law Enforcement Officers’ Due Process, Accountability, and Transparency Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
42-28.6-1. Definitions — Payment of legal fees.
As used in this chapter, the following words have the meanings indicated:
(1) “Course of training in police discipline” means a course or courses of instruction approved by the Rhode Island police officers commission on standards and training (“commission”) which shall be taught by instructors approved by the commission regarding the provisions of this chapter and the applicable procedure, evidence and rules that apply to police discipline as provided pursuant to § 42-28.6-1.2.
(2) “Hearing” means any meeting in the course of an investigatory proceeding, other than an interrogation at which no testimony is taken under oath, conducted by a hearing committee for the purpose of taking or adducing testimony or receiving evidence.
(3)(i) “Hearing committee” means a committee acting as a deliberative body which is authorized to hold a hearing on a complaint against a law enforcement officer and which consists of five (5) members: one member appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court who shall be a retired justice or judge of the supreme, superior, or district court; one member appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court, who is a practicing attorney in good standing with the supreme court, in consultation with the court’s committee on racial and ethnic fairness and the Rhode Island Bar Association and its committee on diversity, equity, and inclusion; and three (3) active or retired qualified law enforcement officers employed by or retired from the state police or a municipal law enforcement agency from within the state of Rhode Island, who shall be selected at random by the Rhode Island police officers commission on standards and training from the certified officer pool LC003651 - Page 2 of 4 established pursuant to § 42-28.6-1.1 at an open meeting pursuant to chapter 46 of this title. No law enforcement officer shall be selected that is employed by or retired from the same law enforcement agency that employs the accused law enforcement officer or who is employed by or retired from the charging law enforcement agency. The retired justice or judge appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court shall serve as chairperson of the hearing committee. Upon written application by a majority of the hearing committee, the chairperson, in their discretion, may also appoint legal counsel to assist the hearing committee.
(ii) The law enforcement agency and the accused law enforcement officer under investigation shall each be responsible to pay fifty percent (50%) of the legal fee of the appointed legal counsel for the hearing committee; provided, however, that on motion made by either party, the chair of the hearing committee shall have the authority to make a different disposition as to what each party is required to pay toward the appointed legal counsel’s legal fee.
(4) “Law enforcement officer” means any permanently employed city or town police officer, state police officer, permanent law enforcement officer of the department of environmental management, campus police officer as set forth in § 16-52-2, or those employees of the airport corporation of Rhode Island who have been granted the authority to arrest by the president and CEO of said corporation. However this shall not include the chief of police and/or the highest ranking sworn officer of any of the departments including the president and CEO of the airport corporation of Rhode Island.
(5) “Qualified law enforcement officer” means:
(i) A sworn law enforcement officer who:
(A) Has a minimum of five (5) years’ active service as a law enforcement officer with a law enforcement agency within the state;
(B) Has successfully completed a course(s) of training in police discipline pursuant to this chapter and has maintained a current certification of completed training; and
(C) Has not achieved the rank of chief, colonel, deputy chief, or lieutenant colonel;
(ii) A retired law enforcement officer who has qualified prior to retirement or during retirement and has met the criteria set out herein.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
16-52-2. Appointment of campus police.
(a) The board of
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all fines and penalties recovered for violation of rules and regulations made under authority of this section shall be accounted for by the appropriate authority, which shall forward all fines or penalties for nonmoving traffic violations to the general treasurer for use by the college or university on whose campus the citation or violation was issued in accordance with § 16-32-27.
(c) Campus police and peace officers shall, prior to October 1, 2026, complete a course of firearm instruction as provided by the Rhode Island police officers commission on standards and training, with approval of the director of public safety and shall be subject to in service training requirements of chapter 28 of title 42, the standardized training requirements of § 42-28.2-8.3, and shall be afforded all rights, duties and responsibility of chapter 28.6 of title 42 ("law enforcement officers' bill of rights").
(d) The board of education shall adopt rules and regulations for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this chapter.
SECTION 2. Section 42-28.6-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-28.6 entitled "Law Enforcement Officers’ Due Process, Accountability, and Transparency Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
42-28.6-1. Definitions — Payment of legal fees.
As used in this chapter, the following words have the meanings indicated:
(1) “Course of training in police discipline” means a course or courses of instruction approved by the Rhode Island police officers commission on standards and training (“commission”) which shall be taught by instructors approved by the commission regarding the provisions of this chapter and the applicable procedure, evidence and rules that apply to police discipline as provided pursuant to § 42-28.6-1.2.
(2) “Hearing” means any meeting in the course of an investigatory proceeding, other than an interrogation at which no testimony is taken under oath, conducted by a hearing committee for the purpose of taking or adducing testimony or receiving evidence.
(3)(i) “Hearing committee” means a committee acting as a deliberative body which is authorized to hold a hearing on a complaint against a law enforcement officer and which consists of five (5) members: one member appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court who shall be a retired justice or judge of the supreme, superior, or district court; one member appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court, who is a practicing attorney in good standing with the supreme court, in consultation with the court’s committee on racial and ethnic fairness and the Rhode Island Bar Association and its committee on diversity, equity, and inclusion; and three (3) active or retired qualified law enforcement officers employed by or retired from the state police or a municipal law enforcement agency from within the state of Rhode Island, who shall be selected at random by the Rhode Island police officers commission on standards and training from the certified officer pool LC003651 - Page 2 of 4 established pursuant to § 42-28.6-1.1 at an open meeting pursuant to chapter 46 of this title. No law enforcement officer shall be selected that is employed by or retired from the same law enforcement agency that employs the accused law enforcement officer or who is employed by or retired from the charging law enforcement agency. The retired justice or judge appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court shall serve as chairperson of the hearing committee. Upon written application by a majority of the hearing committee, the chairperson, in their discretion, may also appoint legal counsel to assist the hearing committee.
(ii) The law enforcement agency and the accused law enforcement officer under investigation shall each be responsible to pay fifty percent (50%) of the legal fee of the appointed legal counsel for the hearing committee; provided, however, that on motion made by either party, the chair of the hearing committee shall have the authority to make a different disposition as to what each party is required to pay toward the appointed legal counsel’s legal fee.
(4) “Law enforcement officer” means any permanently employed city or town police officer, state police officer, permanent law enforcement officer of the department of environmental management, campus police officer as set forth in § 16-52-2, or those employees of the airport corporation of Rhode Island who have been granted the authority to arrest by the president and CEO of said corporation. However this shall not include the chief of police and/or the highest ranking sworn officer of any of the departments including the president and CEO of the airport corporation of Rhode Island.
(5) “Qualified law enforcement officer” means:
(i) A sworn law enforcement officer who:
(A) Has a minimum of five (5) years’ active service as a law enforcement officer with a law enforcement agency within the state;
(B) Has successfully completed a course(s) of training in police discipline pursuant to this chapter and has maintained a current certification of completed training; and
(C) Has not achieved the rank of chief, colonel, deputy chief, or lieutenant colonel;
(ii) A retired law enforcement officer who has qualified prior to retirement or during retirement and has met the criteria set out herein.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.