S2981 • 2026

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- COMPUTER CRIME (Makes it unnecessary to prove that a person's transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharassment.)

Crime

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Valverde, McKenney, DiMario, Lauria, Murray
Last action: 2026-05-12
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 OFFENSES -- COMPUTER CRIME (Makes it unnecessary to prove that a person's transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharassment.)

What This Bill Does

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- COMPUTER CRIME (Makes it unnecessary to prove that a person's transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharassment.)

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

2026-05-12 Committee
Committee recommended measure be held for further study
2026-05-08 Rhode Island General Assembly
Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (05/12/2026)
2026-03-04 Rhode Island General Assembly
Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary

Official Summary Text

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- COMPUTER CRIME (Makes it unnecessary to prove that a person's transmission of electronic communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking or cyberharassment.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

S2981

2026 -- S 2981
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LC005462
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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 OFFENSES -- COMPUTER CRIME

Introduced By:
Senators Valverde, McKenney, DiMario, Lauria, and Murray

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 11-52-4.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-52 entitled "Computer
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Crime" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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11-52-4.2. Cyberstalking and cyberharassment prohibited.
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(a) Whoever transmits any communication by computer or other electronic device to any
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person or causes any person to be contacted for the
sole
purpose of harassing that person or his or
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her family is guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred
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dollars ($500), by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. For the purpose of this section,
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“harassing” means any knowing and willful course of conduct directed at a specific person which
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seriously alarms, annoys, or bothers the person, and which serves no legitimate purpose. The course
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of conduct must be of a kind that would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emotional
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distress, or be in fear of bodily injury. “Course of conduct” means a pattern of conduct composed
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of a series of acts over a period of time, evidencing a continuity of purpose. Constitutionally
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protected activity is not included within the meaning of “course of conduct.”
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(b) A second or subsequent conviction under subsection (a) of this section shall be deemed
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a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, by a fine of not more than
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six thousand dollars ($6,000), 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 OFFENSES -- COMPUTER CRIME
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This act would make it unnecessary to prove that a person's transmission of electronic
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communications be for the sole purpose of harassment before being found guilty of cyberstalking
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or cyberharassment.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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