| Chapter 216 |
| 2026 -- H 7731 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/19/2026 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS |
Introduced By: Representatives Read, Noret, Fascia, Corvese, Santucci, Donovan, McNamara, Casey, Serpa, and Solomon |
| Date Introduced: February 12, 2026 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 16-21-23 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21 entitled "Health and |
| Safety of Pupils" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 16-21-23. School safety teams, school crisis response teams, and school safety |
| assessments. |
| (a) Each school district of each town, city, and regional school department shall conduct a |
| school safety assessment in conjunction with local police, fire, school safety team pursuant to the |
| provisions of this section and any other expert said school department deems necessary. The |
| assessment shall examine the current status of each school building’s safety and shall be performed |
| within thirty (30) days of passage of this act, and every three (3) years thereafter. |
| (1) There shall be a Rhode Island school safety committee whose functions shall include, |
| but not be limited to, providing training to law enforcement, school administrators, and teachers; |
| collecting and reviewing all hazard safety security assessments; and offering recommendations and |
| assistance to each school district of every town, city, and regional school department, in an effort |
| to increase the safety of students and faculty. The committee shall be comprised of twelve (12) |
| thirteen (13) members as follows: the superintendent of the Rhode Island state police or designee, |
| who shall serve as chairperson of the committee; the president of the Police Chiefs’ Association, |
| or designee; a representative from the Rhode Island School Resource Officer Association, to be |
| selected by the association; the director of the Rhode Island emergency management agency, or |
| designee; the commissioner of the department of elementary and secondary education, or designee; |
| a representative from the Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association, to be selected by the |
| association; the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and |
| hospitals, or designee; the state fire marshal, or designee; a representative of the Rhode Island |
| Association of School Maintenance Directors, to be selected by the association; a representative |
| from the Rhode Island Association of School Principals, to be selected by the association; a |
| representative from the Rhode Island Association of School Committees, to be selected by the |
| association; a representative from the National Education Association of Rhode Island (“NEARI”), |
| who shall be a full-time classroom teacher, to be selected by the president of NEARI; and one |
| representative from the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals |
| (“RIFTHP”), who shall be a full-time classroom teacher, to be selected by the president of the |
| RIFTHP. |
| (2) Each school department of each town, city, and regional school district shall complete |
| the emergency action plan and shall submit the all hazards site safety survey report to the Rhode |
| Island school safety committee every three (3) years for the committee’s review and |
| recommendation. |
| (3) The assessment shall be completed by November 1 of the year mandated, and by |
| December 31 of that year, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall report to |
| the speaker of the house, the senate president, and the governor that the assessments have been |
| completed. Assessments performed within a year of the date of passage of this act shall satisfy this |
| requirement. |
| (4) All meetings regarding the school safety assessment are not subject to the open |
| meetings law pursuant to chapter 46 of title 42, and documents produced including, but not limited |
| to, meeting minutes and the school safety assessment are not subject to the access to public records |
| law pursuant to chapter 2 of title 38. |
| (b) The school committee of each town, city, and regional school department shall review |
| and adopt in executive session a comprehensive school safety plan regarding crisis intervention, |
| emergency response, and management. The plan shall be developed by a school safety team |
| comprised of representatives of the school committee; representatives of student, teacher, and |
| parent organizations; school safety personnel; school administration; and members of local law |
| enforcement, fire, and emergency personnel. Members of the school safety team shall be appointed |
| by the school committee and/or school superintendent of the town, city, or regional school district. |
| In creating the school safety plan, the school safety team(s) shall consult the model school safety |
| plan developed by the department of elementary and secondary education pursuant to § 16-21-23.1. |
| (c) The school crisis response team shall be comprised of those selected school personnel |
| willing to serve as members of a psychological response team to address the psychological and |
| emotional needs of the school community, and may seek mental health resources from the |
| department of elementary and secondary education. Members of the school crisis response team |
| may coordinate mental health services for those students and school employees affected by acts of |
| violence in the schools, using resources available through the department of elementary and |
| secondary education. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005131/SUB A |
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