Rhode Island 2026 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 5 D · 1 R cosponsors

HB 8296 — AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- RAILROAD, STEAMBOAT, AND BRIDGE POLICE

Last action — 03/31/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 6 sponsors

    6 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (5 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Provides any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between railroad employees not be made public. Additionally, it makes a violation of this section a misdemeanor.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. 03/31/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  2. 03/27/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/31/2026)

  3. 03/13/2026 Introduced, referred to House State Government & Elections

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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6 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 108 not signed on

Sponsors (6)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (108)

108 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety transportation
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 8296 do?
Provides any police report involving a railroad fatality and all communications between railroad employees not be made public. Additionally, it makes a violation of this section a misdemeanor.
Who sponsors HB 8296?
HB 8296 is sponsored by Brandon T. Voas (Democratic), Christopher G. Paplauskas (Republican), Julie A. Casimiro (Democratic), Stephen M. Casey (Democratic), Thomas E. Noret (Democratic), and Earl A. Read, III (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 8296?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced March 13, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 8296?
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Last checked for changes about 2 months ago · updated continuously

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