Bill Sponsors
Pearson, and Thompson
Committee
Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar
Summary
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This bill gives the Cumberland Lodge #14 of the Fraternal Order of Police an extension until December 31, 2026, to file its missing annual corporate reports dating back to 1977. If the organization files all the required past-due reports, pays the associated filing fees to the Secretary of State, and pays a penalty fee determined by the Attorney General, the state will cancel the revocation of its corporate charter. This restores the organization's corporate status as if it had never been revoked.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Restoring corporate status allows the organization to operate transparently and be held legally accountable under standard corporate laws rather than operating informally.
- Requires the organization to pay decades of past-due fees and penalties, ensuring that the state government receives owed funds that can be used for public services.
- Upholds the administrative rights of unions and labor-affiliated organizations to maintain their legal standing, aligning with progressive support for organized labor.
Cons for Progressives
- Grants special legislative favors to a police organization (Fraternal Order of Police), which may conflict with progressive goals of police accountability and systemic reform.
- Allows an organization that has ignored state filing laws for nearly fifty years to bypass standard consequences, representing unequal treatment under the law.
- Diverts legislative time and resources to address the administrative failures of a single specific entity rather than addressing broader community welfare or systemic issues.
Pros for Conservatives
- Supports law enforcement by restoring the legal status of a Fraternal Order of Police lodge, aligning with conservative values of backing the police.
- Provides a reasonable pathway for an organization to correct administrative errors without facing the permanent destruction of its corporate charter.
- Generates revenue for the state through the collection of past-due fees and penalties without raising taxes on the general public.
Cons for Conservatives
- Gives a specific organization special treatment through legislation, which goes against the conservative principle that the rule of law should apply equally to everyone without political favors.
- Empowers the attorney general to arbitrarily decide the compromise penalty amount, potentially leading to government overreach or a lack of standardized accountability.
- Rewards an entity that has failed to comply with basic corporate legal requirements for decades, undermining personal and corporate responsibility.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely. This is a standard administrative bill granting a specific corporate entity an extension to file past-due annual reports and pay penalties to reinstate its charter. Such legislative acts of corporate reinstatement are common and do not typically implicate free speech, due process, or unreasonable searches and seizures.
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- Cumberland Lodge #14 Members
- Fraternal Order of Police
- Rhode Island Secretary of State
- Rhode Island Attorney General
- Rhode Island General Treasurer
Towns Affected
Cumberland
Cost to Taxpayers
None
Revenue Generated
Amount unknown
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 04/03/2026 Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar (04/07/2026)
• 04/07/2026 Senate read and passed
• 04/08/2026 Referred to House Corporations
• 04/10/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/14/2026)
• 04/14/2026 Committee recommends passage in concurrence
• 05/01/2026 Placed on House Calendar (05/12/2026)
• 05/12/2026 House passed in concurrence
• 05/12/2026 Transmitted to Governor
• 05/20/2026 Effective without Governor's signature
• 04/07/2026 Senate read and passed
• 04/08/2026 Referred to House Corporations
• 04/10/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/14/2026)
• 04/14/2026 Committee recommends passage in concurrence
• 05/01/2026 Placed on House Calendar (05/12/2026)
• 05/12/2026 House passed in concurrence
• 05/12/2026 Transmitted to Governor
• 05/20/2026 Effective without Governor's signature
Bill Text
SECTION 1. The time within which the Cumberland Lodge #14, Fraternal Order of Police incorporated on March 1, 1976, shall file the reports for the years 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 as required under the provisions of Chapter 6 of Title 7 of the General Laws, 1956, is hereby extended to the 31st day of December, A.D., 2026, if said corporation shall file in the office of the secretary of state before December 31, 2026, the reports which it should have filed in the said years and shall pay to the secretary of state the filing fees therefor, having previously thereto paid to the general treasurer for the use of the state such sum as the attorney general shall decide should be paid by said corporation as a compromise for the penalty or penalties for its failure to file such reports then the forfeiture or revocation of the charter of said corporation shall thereupon, to wit, upon the filing of said reports and the payment of said fees, be vacated and said corporation shall thereupon be entitled to all of the privileges, benefits and powers and subject to the same duties and liabilities as though no forfeiture or revocation of its said charter had taken place.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.