| R 379 |
| 2026 -- H 8345 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/02/2026 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE USE AND IMPACT OF DIGITAL AND ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ON MENTAL HEALTH |
Introduced By: Representatives Caldwell, Cotter, and Spears |
| Date Introduced: March 25, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, The use of digital and electronic technology in public education has |
| increased significantly over the past decade; and |
| WHEREAS, This increased use has taken place in areas that rely on digital and electronic |
| technology, and the extent or depth to which teachers, students, and parents/responsible adults are |
| learning and interacting with this technology has also increased; and |
| WHEREAS, Along with the increased breadth and depth of use of digital and electronic |
| technology, there has been even greater advancements, enhancements and updates to this |
| technology, which in many ways outpaces the ability of schools to fully vet, review, and analyze |
| these changes, and for parents/responsible adults to be aware of the technologies their children |
| are accessing and utilizing; and |
| WHEREAS, The increased use of this technology has impacted the way classes are |
| taught, the way students learn, and the way schools are administered; and |
| WHEREAS, While this increased use of such items as third-party digital platform |
| technologies, social media, and the machine learning commonly referred to as “Artificial |
| Intelligence” potentially give third-party vendors and providers, social media content creators, |
| and others who operate in “cyberspace” great influence in the way education is delivered in |
| Rhode Island and the way children learn, there has been little study of the impact and changes the |
| use of these platforms and technologies might have on public education in Rhode Island; and |
| WHEREAS, These same concerns about the use of technology and its possible effects on |
| children in education can also arise as an issue in mental health care, particularly on persons who |
| may be in a vulnerable position; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission to study the use and impact of digital |
| and electronic technology in public education and on mental health is hereby created consisting of |
| fourteen (14) members: |
| Four (4) of whom shall be members of the House of Representatives, not more than three |
| (3) from the same political party, of whom three (3) shall be appointed by the Speaker of the |
| House and one of whom shall be appointed by the Minority Leader; one of whom shall be the |
| Rhode Island Attorney General, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the State Police |
| computer crimes unit, appointed by the Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police; one of |
| whom shall be the Director of the Rhode Island Foundation, or designee; two (2) of whom shall |
| be public school teachers, one currently teaching in a municipality with a population greater than |
| eighty thousand (80,000) persons and one currently teaching in a municipality with a population |
| of less than eighty thousand (80,000) persons, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one |
| of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Association of School Principals, or designee; |
| one of whom shall be an expert in children’s behavioral health, to be appointed by the Speaker of |
| the House; one of whom shall be an expert in digital media, to be appointed by the Speaker of the |
| House; one of whom shall be a parent of a child currently enrolled in a public school in Rhode |
| Island, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; and one of whom shall be the President of |
| the Rhode Island Society for Technology in Education, or designee. |
| The purpose of said commission shall be to undertake a comprehensive study of the |
| following: |
| (1) The use and impact of third-party digital platforms in Rhode Island public education |
| including, but not limited to, the use of these platforms, and the ways that these platforms could |
| be used more effectively, as well as potential harms from the use of these platforms and ways to |
| mitigate those harms; |
| (2) Exploring options to provide protections to children using online platforms, including |
| those involving financial transactions on gaming and social media sites; |
| (3) The use and availability of age-appropriate school digital content, and exploring ways |
| to ensure the use of safe software in schools, with a special emphasis on technologies which have |
| addictive design elements, provide exposure to inappropriate conduct, or incorporate predatory |
| data collection; |
| (4) Ways and best practices to ensure creators of online services, products, or features |
| that children are likely to access, shall consider the best interests of children when designing and |
| developing such online services, products, or features; |
| (5) The use of artificial intelligence in mental healthcare treatments, and the need for |
| regulation thereof; |
| (6) The use of artificial intelligence companion technology and its potential impact on |
| suicidal ideation, physical harm, or financial harm; and |
| (7) Additional issue raised by and when a minor is an account holder on a social media |
| platform. |
| The study commission shall consult with other individuals who have relevant expertise as |
| needed. |
| Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at |
| the call of the Speaker of the House and shall select, from among the legislators, a chairperson. |
| Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. |
| The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. |
| All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, |
| documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or |
| desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. |
| The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters |
| for said commission; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the |
| Education Committee of the House of Representatives no later than April 23, 2027, and said |
| commission shall expire on May 28, 2027. |
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| LC005716/SUB A |
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