H8296 • 2026

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, AND BRIDGE POLICE (Provides any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between railroad employees not be made public. Additionally, it makes a violation of this section a misdemeanor.)

Crime Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Read, Noret, Casey, Casimiro, Paplauskas, Voas
Last action: 2026-03-31
Official status: Committee recommended measure be held for further study
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, AND BRIDGE POLICE (Provides any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between railroad employees not be made public. Additionally, it makes a violation of this section a misdemeanor.)

What This Bill Does

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, AND BRIDGE POLICE (Provides any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between railroad employees not be made public.
Additionally, it makes a violation of this section a misdemeanor.)

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-31 Committee
Committee recommended measure be held for further study
2026-03-27 Rhode Island General Assembly
Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/31/2026)
2026-03-13 Rhode Island General Assembly
Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections

Official Summary Text

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, AND BRIDGE POLICE (Provides any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between railroad employees not be made public. Additionally, it makes a violation of this section a misdemeanor.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

H8296

2026 -- H 8296
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LC006080
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, AND BRIDGE
POLICE

Introduced By:
Representatives Read, Noret, Casey, Casimiro, Paplauskas, and Voas

Date Introduced:
March 13, 2026

Referred To:
House State Government & Elections
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Chapter 12-2 of the General Laws entitled "Railroad, Steamboat, and Bridge
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Police" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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12-2-9. Privacy protections for railway employees.

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(a) Any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between police
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officers and railroad crew members involved in such fatality, shall not be made public and shall be
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maintained by the police department that responds to such fatality, in a manner that shall ensure
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confidentiality; provided, however, that all such reports shall be accessible at all reasonable times,
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upon written request, to:
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(1) The host railroad;
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(2) The railroad of employ of any employee mentioned in such reports; and
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(3) Any other person authorized by judicial order to obtain such information, if access to
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such report is necessary in the performance of their duties; and provided, further, that all such
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reports shall be accessible at all reasonable times, upon written or electronic mail request to law
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enforcement officers, or the office of attorney general.
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(b) Communications between police officers and railroad employees concerning any
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railroad fatality incident may be shared with any person listed in subsection (a) of this section, if
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such access is necessary to the performance of their duties.
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(c) A violation of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than one

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year or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, AND BRIDGE
POLICE
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This act would provide any police report and all communications between railroad
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employees involving a railroad fatality not be made public. Additionally, this act would make a
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violation of this section a misdemeanor.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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