Title 16, Title 16 Title 16

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Rhode Island Promise Scholarship Act.”

(a) The general assembly finds and declares that: (1) Education is critical for the state’s young people to achieve their dreams and develop their talents; (2) The state’s economic success depends on a highly educated and skilled workforce; and (3) The state’s future prosperity d…

Beginning with the high school graduating class of 2017, there is hereby established the Rhode Island promise scholarship program. The general assembly shall annually appropriate the funds necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter. Additional funds beyond the scholarshi…

When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) “ADA” means the American with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., as may be amended from time to time; (2) “FAFSA” means the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form; (3) “Mandator…

(a) The financial aid office, in conjunction with the office of enrollment management or their respective equivalent offices, at the community college of Rhode Island, shall administer the scholarship program for state residents seeking associate degrees who meet the eligibility …

(a) Beginning with the students who enroll at the community college of Rhode Island in the fall of 2017, to be considered for the scholarship, a student: (1) Must qualify for in-state tuition and fees pursuant to the residency policy adopted by the council on postsecondary educat…

(a) On or before November 10 and May 10 of each fiscal year following fiscal year 2017, the community college of Rhode Island shall submit a report to the director of the office of management and budget, the state budget officer, the house fiscal advisor, the senate fiscal adviso…

The council on postsecondary education is hereby authorized to promulgate rules to effectuate the purposes of this chapter and the community college of Rhode Island shall establish appeal procedures for the award, denial, or revocation of funding under the scholarship program. Th…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “All Students Count Act.”

The following words and phrases, as used in this chapter, shall have the following meanings: (1) “Entity” means the Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education, its subagencies and state agency(s) and local municipalities from which it collects demographic data.…

(a) Whenever the department of elementary and secondary education collects demographic data as to the ancestry or ethnic origins of students for a report that includes educational proficiencies, graduation rates, attendance rates, and access to educational resources, the entity s…

This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Student Journalists’ Freedom of Expression Act.”

As used in this section: (1) “School-sponsored media” means any material that is prepared, substantially written, published, or broadcast by a student journalist at an institution under the supervision of the council on elementary and secondary education and the council on postse…

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a student journalist has the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the press in both school-sponsored media and non-school-sponsored media, regardless of whether the media is supported financially by the school, local…

The General Assembly hereby finds and declares that: (1) Rhode Island holds a unique place in history with the establishment of its Royal Charter on July 8, 1663, that marked the first time that a sovereign leader signed a charter guaranteeing that individuals within a society we…

For the purpose of this chapter, the following words shall have the following meanings: (1) “African Diaspora” means the term commonly used to describe the mass dispersion of peoples from Africa during the Transatlantic Slave Trades, from the 1500s to the 1800s. (2) “African Heri…

The state shall adhere to the following procedures: (1) The department of education shall collect and disseminate to every school district, private school, mayoral academy, and charter school, and make available currently on its website at https://www.ride.ri.gov/InstructionAsses…

The department of elementary and secondary education shall promulgate rules and regulations concerning the necessary requirements for first aid certification for any person who coaches in any athletic program in any school supported wholly or in part by public money.

Prior to the start of each sport’s season, the head coach of a team which regularly competes against a school which receives public funds shall give or sponsor a lecture to his or her team as regards the long-term health effects of substance abuse, including, but not limited to, …

As used in this chapter. (1) “Educational entity” or “educational entities” means all Rhode Island school districts, including a single school district, regional school district, multiple school districts, any public or private school grades kindergarten through twelve (K-12), an…

(a) On or after January 1, 2022, and every three (3) years thereafter, every educational entity shall coordinate and cooperate with the Rhode Island resource recovery corporation (RIRRC) for the purpose of conducting school waste audits. These audits shall produce waste managemen…

It shall be the policy of the state, the department of education, and any educational entity to require that any request for proposal (RFP) to select a food service company (vendor) to provide food services to an educational entity shall include, as part of its proposal, assuranc…

It shall be the policy of the state, the department of education, and any educational entity to encourage that any request for proposal (RFP) to a food service company (vendor) to provide food services to an educational entity encourage the use of a vendor that purchases ten perc…

(a) It shall be the policy of the state, the department of education, and any educational entity to require that any request for proposal (RFP) to select a food service company (vendor) to provide food services to an educational entity shall require the vendor to donate any unser…

An educational entity, person, or vendor who or that donates food as permitted by law shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability or penalty for any violation of any laws, regulations, or ordinances regulating the labeling or packaging of the donated product or, with resp…

The commissioner is hereby authorized to promulgate whatever rules and regulations may be required to implement this chapter and shall annually provide notice to all educational entities of the department’s school waste disposal and refuse disposal policies.

The term “teacher assistant” as used in this chapter is deemed to include any person employed to provide instructional or other direct services to students (and/or their parents/legal guardian) under the supervision and direction of the classroom teacher or other appropriately-ce…

No person shall be employed as a teacher assistant in any school supported in whole or in part by public funds unless he or she shall: (1) Be of good character as verified by the employer; (2) Hold a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma; (3) For any person hired aft…

(a) As a condition of continued employment every person employed as a teacher assistant shall participate in ongoing professional development. (b) Each school district or institution employing teacher assistants shall maintain records on a teacher assistant’s completion of: (1) T…

Any person employed as a teacher assistant on August 5, 1996 shall not be required to meet the requirement set forth in § 16-11.2-2(2) and (3), but shall meet all other requirements imposed by this section no later than August 5, 1996.

Except as provided in § 16-11.2-2, no person shall be deemed not qualified to be a teacher assistant under this chapter solely because of his or her score on any standardized teacher assistant’s examination. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to require standard…

Any teacher assistant hired after July 1, 2002 who substitutes as a teacher assistant for more than twenty (20) days during any school year shall be required to meet the general qualifications of teacher assistant as provided in § 16-11.2-2.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Apprenticeship Pathways to Earning a Bachelor’s Degree Act.”

As used in this section: (1) “Apprenticeship” means an apprenticeship program that meets the standards established in the National Apprenticeship Act, 29 C.F.R. Part 29, and that is registered with the department of labor and training. (2) “Board” means the board of education.

(a) By January 1, 2024, each state public higher education institution shall adopt policies establishing nontraditional pathways to earning a bachelor’s degree at the state’s public higher education institutions through the inclusion of credits earned through apprenticeships, as …

No later than August 1, 2025, the board shall provide the governor, the president of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives a plan for increasing the number of students who earn credit towards and/or complete bachelor’s degrees from a Rhode Island public inst…

The department of elementary and secondary education shall convene an early reading success panel composed of elementary school teachers, school administrators, national experts in the field of reading research, and early childhood and higher education experts knowledgeable in th…

The department of elementary and secondary education shall develop, within available appropriations, a state-wide early reading success institute for educators based on the review completed by the early reading success panel pursuant to § 16-11.3-1.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Rhode Island Hope Scholarship Pilot Program Act”.

The Rhode Island hope scholarship pilot program shall be funded from July 1, 2023, through and including June 30, 2030. There shall be no further funding of the pilot program without further action of the general assembly. Any final reports due pursuant to this chapter shall be f…

(a) The general assembly finds and declares that: (1) Education is critical for the state’s young people to achieve their aspirations and develop their talents; (2) The state’s economic success depends on a highly educated and skilled workforce; (3) The state’s future prosperity …

There is hereby established the Rhode Island hope scholarship pilot program. The general assembly shall annually appropriate the funds necessary to implement the purposes of this chapter for the periods of the pilot program. Additional funds beyond the scholarships may be appropr…

When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings: (1) “ADA” means the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq., as may be amended from time to time. (2) “Certificate” means any certificate program with labor market value as define…

(a) The financial aid office at Rhode Island college, in conjunction with the admissions office or their respective equivalent offices at Rhode Island college, shall administer the scholarship program for state residents seeking bachelor’s degrees and/or certificates who meet the…

(a) Beginning with the students who enrolled at Rhode Island college in the fall of 2023, a student: (1) Must qualify for in-state tuition and fees pursuant to the residency policy adopted by the council on postsecondary education, as amended, supplemented, restated, or otherwise…

(a) On or before November 10, 2023, and on or before November 10 and May 10 thereafter for every year through and including calendar year 2030, Rhode Island college shall submit a report to the director of the office of management and budget, the state budget officer, the house f…