AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION (Amends the definition of "domestic violence" to include the coercive control of another resulting in a pattern of behavior that in purpose or effect unreasonably interferes with another person's free will or personal liberty.)

S2489

2026 -- S 2489
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LC004934
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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 DOMESTIC RELATIONS – DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION

Introduced By:
Senators Felag, Raptakis, McKenney, LaMountain, Famiglietti, Dimitri,
Patalano, Lauria, and Tikoian

Date Introduced:
February 06, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 15-15-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 15-15 entitled "Domestic
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Abuse Prevention" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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15-15-1. Definitions.
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The following words as used in this chapter have the following meanings:
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(1) “Course of conduct” means a pattern of conduct composed of a series of acts over a
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period of time, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally protected activity is not
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included within the meaning of “course of conduct.”
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(2) “Courts” means the family court.
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(3) “Cyberstalking” means transmitting any communication by computer to any person or
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causing any person to be contacted for the sole purpose of harassing that person or his or her family.
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(4) “Domestic abuse” means:
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The occurrence of one or more of the following acts between present or former family
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members, parents, stepparents, a plaintiff parent’s minor child(ren) to which the defendant is not a
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blood relative or relative by marriage, adult plaintiffs who are or have been in a substantive dating
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or engagement relationship within the past one year and who are (either individually or together)
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parents of minor children, or persons who are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement
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relationship within the past one year in which at least one of the persons is a minor:
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(i) Attempting to cause or causing physical harm;
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(ii) Placing another in fear of imminent serious physical harm;

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(iii) Causing another to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat of force, or
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duress;
or
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(iv) Stalking or cyberstalking
; or
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(v) Coercive control of another, which is a pattern of behavior that in purpose or effect
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unreasonably interferes with a person's free will and personal liberty. "Coercive control" includes,
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but is not limited to, unreasonably engaging in any of the following:
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(A) Isolating another from friends, relatives or other sources of support;
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(B) Depriving another of basic necessities;
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(C) Controlling, regulating or monitoring another's movements, communications, daily
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behavior, finances, economic resources or access to services;
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(D) Compelling another by force, threat or intimidation including, but not limited to, threats
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based on actual or suspected immigration status, to:
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(I) Engage in conduct from which such individual has a right to abstain; or
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(II) Abstain from conduct that such individual has a right to pursue;
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(E) Committing or threatening to commit cruelty to animals that intimidates another; or
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(F) Forced sex acts, or threats of a sexual nature including, but not limited to, threatened
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acts of sexual conduct, threats based on another's sexuality or threats to release sexual images.
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(5) “Harassing” means following a knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a
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specific person with the intent to seriously alarm, annoy, or bother the person, and which serves no
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legitimate purpose. The course of conduct must be such as would cause a reasonable person to
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suffer substantial emotional distress, or be in fear of bodily injury.
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(6) “Parents” mean persons who together are the legal parents of one or more children,
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regardless of their marital status or whether they have lived together at any time.
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(7) “Present or former family member” means the spouse, former spouse, minor children,
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stepchildren, a plaintiff parent’s minor child(ren) to which the defendant is not a blood relative or
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relative by marriage, minor children of substantive dating partners, or persons who are related by
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blood or marriage.
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(8) “Sexual exploitation” means the occurrence of any of the following acts by any person
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who knowingly or willfully encourages, aids, or coerces any child under the age of eighteen (18)
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years:
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(i) Recruiting, employing, enticing, soliciting, isolating, harboring, transporting, providing,
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persuading, obtaining, or maintaining, or so attempting, any minor for the purposes of commercial
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sex acts or sexually explicit performances; or selling or purchasing a minor for the purposes of
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commercial sex acts.

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(A) “Commercial sex act” means any sex act or sexually explicit performance on account
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of which anything of value is given, promised to, or received, directly or indirectly, by any person.
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(B) “Sexually explicit performance” means an act or show, intended to arouse, satisfy the
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sexual desires of, or appeal to the prurient interests of patrons or viewers, whether public or private,
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live, photographed, recorded, or videotaped.
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(9) “Stalking” means harassing another person or willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly
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following another person with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of bodily injury.
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(10) “Substantive dating” or “engagement relationship” means a significant and
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personal/intimate relationship that shall be adjudged by the court’s consideration of the following
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factors:
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(i) The length of time of the relationship;
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(ii) The type of relationship; and
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(iii) The frequency of interaction between the parties.
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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 DOMESTIC RELATIONS – DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION
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This act would amend the definition of “domestic violence” to include the coercive control
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of another, resulting in a pattern of behavior that in purpose or effect unreasonable interferes with
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another person’s free will or personal liberty.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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