AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS (Strengthens school security measures/established 8 member school emergency response committee/rapid response teams/SWAT teams/requires annual appropriation of $1,000,000 to achieve these goals.)

S2209

2026 -- S 2209
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

Introduced By:
Senators Dimitri, Patalano, Famiglietti, Thompson, Ciccone, Tikoian,
Burke, Appollonio, de la Cruz, and Rogers

Date Introduced:
January 23, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-21-23 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21 entitled "Health and
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Safety of Pupils" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-21-23. School safety teams, school crisis response teams, and school safety
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assessments.
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(a) Each school district of each town, city, and regional school department shall conduct a
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school safety assessment in conjunction with local police, fire, school safety team pursuant to the
7
provisions of this section and any other expert said school department deems necessary. The
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assessment shall examine the current status of each school building’s safety and shall be performed
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within thirty (30) days of passage of this act, and every
three (3) years

year
thereafter
, on or before
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September 1
.
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(1) There shall be a Rhode Island school safety committee whose functions shall include,
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but not be limited to, providing training to law enforcement, school administrators, and teachers;
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collecting and reviewing all hazard safety security assessments; and offering recommendations and
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assistance to each school district of every town, city, and regional school department, in an effort
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to increase the safety of students and faculty. The committee shall be comprised of twelve (12)
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members as follows: the superintendent of the Rhode Island state police or designee, who shall
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serve as chairperson of the committee; the president of the Police Chiefs’ Association, or designee;
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the director of the Rhode Island emergency management agency, or designee; the commissioner of
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the department of elementary and secondary education, or designee; a representative from the

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Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association, to be selected by the association; the director
2
of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, or designee;
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the state fire marshal, or designee; a representative of the Rhode Island Association of School
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Maintenance Directors, to be selected by the association; a representative from the Rhode Island
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Association of School Principals, to be selected by the association; a representative from the Rhode
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Island Association of School Committees, to be selected by the association; a representative from
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the National Education Association of Rhode Island (“NEARI”), who shall be a full-time classroom
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teacher, to be selected by the president of NEARI; and one representative from the Rhode Island
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Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals (“RIFTHP”), who shall be a full-time classroom
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teacher, to be selected by the president of the RIFTHP.
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(2) Each school department of each town, city, and regional school district shall complete
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the emergency action plan and shall submit the all hazards site safety survey report to the Rhode
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Island school safety committee every
three (3) years

year
for the committee’s review and
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recommendation.
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(3) The assessment shall be completed by
November

September
1
of the

each
year
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mandated, and by December 31 of that year,
the commissioner of elementary and secondary
17
education shall report to the speaker of the house, the senate president, and the governor that the
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assessments have been completed. Assessments performed within a year of the date of passage of
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this act shall satisfy this requirement.
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(4) All meetings regarding the school safety assessment are not subject to the open
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meetings law pursuant to chapter 46 of title 42, and documents produced including, but not limited
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to, meeting minutes and the school safety assessment are not subject to the access to public records
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law pursuant to chapter 2 of title 38.
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(b) The school committee of each town, city, and regional school department shall review
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and adopt in executive session a comprehensive school safety plan regarding crisis intervention,
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emergency response, and management
as recommended by the safety committee
. The plan shall be
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developed by a school safety team comprised of representatives of the school committee;
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representatives of student, teacher, and parent organizations; school safety personnel; school
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administration; and members of local law enforcement, fire, and emergency personnel. Members
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of the school safety team shall be appointed by the school committee and/or school superintendent
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of the town, city, or regional school district. In creating the school safety plan, the school safety
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team(s) shall consult the model school safety plan developed by the department of elementary and
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secondary education pursuant to § 16-21-23.1.
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(c) The school crisis response team shall be comprised of those selected school personnel

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willing to serve as members of a psychological response team to address the psychological and
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emotional needs of the school community, and may seek mental health resources from the
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department of elementary and secondary education. Members of the school crisis response team
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may coordinate mental health services for those students and school employees affected by acts of
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violence in the schools, using resources available through the department of elementary and
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secondary education.
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(d) There shall be established a Rhode Island school emergency response committee whose
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principal function shall include, but not be limited to, developing and reporting to the Rhode Island
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general assembly each January 31, school facility security measures, which need legislation for
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implementation. This committee shall facilitate providing of armed security personnel and security
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for all kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) schools, along with additional security devices
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and plans.
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(1) Said committee shall be comprised of eight (8) members as follows: the superintendent
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of the Rhode Island state police, or designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the committee; the
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president of the police chiefs' association, or designee; the director of the Rhode Island emergency
16
management agency, or designee; the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary
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education, or designee; a representative from the Rhode Island School Superintendents'
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Association, to be selected by the association; the state fire marshal, or designee; two (2)
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representatives from the firearms community with certifications chosen by the NRA state
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association.
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(2) The committee shall report on the creation and implementation of a five (5) year plan,
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which shall include the following school security measures:
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(i) The limiting and securing of primary access to all school facilities, including, but not
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limited to, employee, visitor and student ID access cards, bullet resistant film and/or glass, along
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with surveillance and camera systems.
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(ii) Secondary classroom security measures, including, but not limited to, breach resistant
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doors and devices, ballistic film on glass along with alarm systems.
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(iii) The mandating and scheduling of armed police coverage for the schools.
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(3) The committee shall coordinate with the Rhode Island state police and local police
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departments to develop a schedule for armed police coverage for the schools.
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(4) The committee shall meet every three (3) months and shall report to the Rhode Island
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general assembly, every January 31, the additional cost per year to add additional needed armed
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security.
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(5) There shall be included in the state budget a recurring yearly sum of five hundred

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thousand dollars ($500,000) to be specifically utilized for armed police coverage.
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(i) Any additional armed police coverage costs shall be split between the Rhode Island state
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police and the local city or town police department.
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(6) All meetings regarding the school security committee are not subject to the open
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meetings law, pursuant to chapter 46 of title 42, and documents produced including, but not limited
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to, meeting minutes and the school security measures are not subject to the access to public records
7
law pursuant to chapter 2 of title 38.
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(e) There shall be established a rapid response team/SWAT team for each city or town
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police department, whose principal function shall include, but not be limited to, active shooter
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training, sniper training, and securing SWAT team equipment and body armor.
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(1) The rapid response team/SWAT team shall be created and administered by the Rhode
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Island state police along with local police departments.
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(2) The rapid response team/SWAT team shall develop active shooter training and
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emergency response drills.
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(3) Each local city and town police department rapid response team/SWAT team shall
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consist of a minimum of six (6) officers.
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(4) Each local city and town police department shall execute emergency response drills at
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least three (3) times per year.
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(5) There shall be included in the state budget a recurring yearly sum of five hundred
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thousand dollars ($500,000) to be specifically utilized for the procurement of rapid response
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team/SWAT team weapons and equipment, along with training of the officers.
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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 EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS
***
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This act would strengthen school security measures, including the establishment of an eight
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(8) member Rhode Island school emergency response committee to develop additional
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recommendations for school security measures and requiring an annual school safety assessment
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by all school districts. The act would also establish a rapid response team/SWAT team for each city
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or town police department, whose principal function shall include, but not be limited to, active
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shooter training, sniper training, and securing SWAT team equipment and body armor. The act
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would appropriate the annual sums of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the
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strengthening of school security measures, as well as the rapid response teams/SWAT teams.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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