# Rhode Island S2787: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS . Rhode Island S2787, AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS ., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Melissa A. Murray (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-06-18 (Signed by Governor — Chapter 116); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-S2787-2026 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Rhode Island S2787 - State: Rhode Island - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- ESTABLISHMENT OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS . - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-03-04 - Last action: 2026-06-18, Signed by Governor — Chapter 116 - Sponsor: Melissa A. Murray (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 8 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 2 (64 yes, 8 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Half of charters for at-risk students: benefit, medium. At least half of all charter schools are reserved for applications that expand opportunities for educationally disadvantaged, at‑risk students. This aims to increase access to charter seats for those pupils across the state. - Rules for students at mayoral academies: benefit, low. Mayoral academy applications must include an education plan with a clear mission and measurable goals. Schools must provide at least 180 instructional days each year and explain how student learning will be measured. They must describe health and safety procedures, enrollment rules with outreach to… - Charter growth paused and capped through 2029: cost, medium. The state caps total charter schools at 25. The council cannot approve new or expanded charters that would start in school years 2026–27, 2027–28, or 2028–29. For those years, the state also will not fund any new charter or expansion unless it was approved before July 1, 2025. This limits new chart… - Mayoral academy governance and finances: mixed, low. Mayoral academy proposals are due to the commissioner by December 1 of the prior school year. Applications must show how the school will be governed, include bylaws, and identify the building and its terms. They must list services from sending districts and third‑party vendors, spell out any laws o… - More local say on network charters: mixed, low. A network charter must get written support from each sending district’s town or city council after a public hearing. Where state law requires it, applications must include those local council approvals. Existing charters operating on July 13, 2016 do not need local written support to expand or rene… - Pay and retirement options for staff: mixed, low. Teachers and administrators in mayoral academies must be state‑certified, and applications must explain job terms. A mayoral academy can elect in writing to provide prevailing public‑school wages and benefits, let staff join the state teachers’ retirement system, and count that work for service cre… - Stronger oversight and five-year terms: mixed, low. Charter approvals last up to five years, then must be reviewed. The state can revoke a charter for major violations, weak results, fiscal failures, legal breaches, or not being high‑performing after three straight years. These rules aim to protect students and public funds. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Melissa A. Murray (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Jacob Bissaillon (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Frank A. Ciccone, III (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Mark P. McKenney (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Todd M. Patalano (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Ryan W. Pearson (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Brian J. Thompson (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lori Urso (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Samuel D. Zurier (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-06-04 | Senate | OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS Approval of Amendment Passage | pass | 33 | 2 | | | 2026-06-04 | Senate | OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS Passage as Amended Passage | pass | 31 | 6 | | ## Actions (15) - 2026-06-18: Signed by Governor — Chapter 116 (Governor) - 2026-06-16: Transmitted to Governor (Governor) - 2026-06-10: House passed Sub A as amended in concurrence (House) - 2026-06-08: Placed on House Calendar (06/10/2026) (House) - 2026-06-08: Committee recommends passage of Sub A as amended in concurrence - 2026-06-06: Scheduled for consideration (06/08/2026) - 2026-06-05: Referred to House Education (House) - 2026-06-04: Senate passed Sub A as amended (floor amendment) (Senate) - 2026-06-02: Placed on Senate Calendar (06/04/2026) (Senate) - 2026-06-02: Committee recommends passage of Sub A - 2026-06-01: Proposed Substitute - 2026-05-29: Scheduled for consideration (06/02/2026) - 2026-05-13: Committee recommended measure be held for further study - 2026-05-08: Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (05/13/2026) - 2026-03-04: Introduced, referred to Senate Education (Senate) ## Bill text - S2787 - As Introduced, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787.htm), [PDF](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787.pdf) - S2787 - Substitute, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787A.htm), [PDF](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787A.pdf) - S2787 - Substitute As Amended, 2026-03-04: [HTML](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787Aaa.htm), [PDF](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787Aaa.pdf) ## Related bills - S3047: AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- DISTRICT COURT PRACTICE . (became law) - H8605: JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO PAY CERTAIN CLAIMS . (became law) - H8580: AN ACT RELATING TO THE NORTH TIVERTON FIRE DISTRICT . (became law) - H8586: AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY . (became law) - H8525: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES . (became law) - H8506: AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELATING TO CENTRAL FALLS PENSION PLAN . (became law) ## Sources - [S2787 - As Introduced (HTML)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787.htm) - [S2787 - As Introduced (PDF)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787.pdf) - [S2787 - Substitute (HTML)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787A.htm) - [S2787 - Substitute (PDF)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787A.pdf) - [S2787 - Substitute As Amended (HTML)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787Aaa.htm) - [S2787 - Substitute As Amended (PDF)](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/SenateText26/S2787Aaa.pdf) ## Related - [S3047: AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- DISTRIC…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-S3047-2026) - [H8605: JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO PAY CERTAIN CLAIMS .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8605-2026) - [H8580: AN ACT RELATING TO THE NORTH TIVERTON FIRE DISTRICT .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8580-2026) - [H8586: AN ACT RELATING TO HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8586-2026) - [H8525: AN ACT RELATING TO TAXATION -- LEVY AND ASSESSMENT OF LOCAL TAXES .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8525-2026) - [H8506: AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- RELATING TO CENTRAL FALLS PENSION PLAN .](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-H8506-2026) - [Rhode Island bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/rhode-island/bills) - [Rhode Island state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/rhode-island) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/RI-S2787-2026 (as of 2026-11-01).