Rhode Island 2026 Session Status: Passed House Bipartisan · 8 D · 2 R cosponsors

HB 7115 — AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- HEALTH AND SAFETY OF PUPILS

Last action — 06/09/2026 Referred to Senate Education

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

This bill has passed the House. Introduced January 15, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 74% · high confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Passed House

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 10 sponsors

    10 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (8 D · 2 R) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

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.

In plain language

Requires padded helmet covers for high school football players in Rhode Island.

The bill mandates that students playing football in Rhode Island schools must use a soft-shell helmet cover to increase safety. This change is aimed at enhancing the protection offered by traditional football helmets.

What this means for you
  • Families: This means families with children in high school football will see enhanced safety measures for their kids during games.

Summary

Mandates the use of a soft-shell helmet cover device that adds a padded, soft-shell layer to the outside of a traditional football helmet, for students participating in Rhode Island interscholastic league football

Bill Text

Action History

  1. 06/09/2026 Referred to Senate Education

  2. 05/28/2026 House read and passed

  3. 05/22/2026 Placed on House Calendar (05/28/2026)

  4. 05/19/2026 Committee recommends passage

  5. 05/15/2026 Scheduled for consideration (05/19/2026)

  6. 03/10/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  7. 03/06/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/10/2026)

  8. 01/15/2026 Introduced, referred to House Education

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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10 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 104 not signed on

Sponsors (10)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (104)

104 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 104 →

"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

Votes

PASSAGE

Passed 63 Yea · 0 Nay · 12 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democratic 500011
Independent 1000
Republican 9001
Unaffiliated 3000
Total 630012
% of votes cast 84%0%0%16%
How each member voted (75)
Member Party Vote
Mr. Speaker — Yea
O'Brien — Yea
ShallcrossSmith — Yea
Alex Finkelman Democratic Not Voting
Alex Marszalkowski Democratic Yea
Anthony J. DeSimone Democratic Yea
Arthur Handy Democratic Yea
Arthur J. Corvese Democratic Yea
Brandon C. Potter Democratic Yea
Brandon T. Voas Democratic Yea
Brian Patrick Kennedy Democratic Not Voting
Carol Hagan McEntee Democratic Yea
Charlene M. Lima Democratic Yea
Cherie L. Cruz Democratic Yea
David A. Bennett Democratic Yea
David Morales Democratic Not Voting
Deborah A. Fellela Democratic Yea
Earl A. Read, III Democratic Yea
Edith H. Ajello Democratic Yea
Enrique George Sanchez Democratic Yea
Evan P. Shanley Democratic Yea
Grace Diaz Democratic Yea
Gregory J. Costantino Democratic Yea
Jacquelyn M. Baginski Democratic Yea
Jason Knight Democratic Yea
Jenni A. Furtado Democratic Yea
Jennifer A. Stewart Democratic Yea
Jennifer Smith Boylan Democratic Yea
John G. Edwards Democratic Yea
John J. Lombardi Democratic Yea
Jose F. Batista Democratic Not Voting
Joseph J. Solomon, Jr. Democratic Yea
Joseph M. McNamara Democratic Yea
Joshua J. Giraldo Democratic Yea
Julie A. Casimiro Democratic Yea
June Speakman Democratic Yea
Justine A. Caldwell Democratic Yea
K. Joseph Shekarchi Democratic Not Voting
Karen Alzate Democratic Not Voting
Katherine S. Kazarian Democratic Not Voting
Kathleen A. Fogarty Democratic Yea
Lauren H. Carson Democratic Yea
Leonela Felix Democratic Not Voting
Marvin L. Abney Democratic Yea
Mary Duffy Messier Democratic Yea
Matt S. Dawson Democratic Yea
Megan L. Cotter Democratic Yea
Mia A. Ackerman Democratic Not Voting
Michelle E. McGaw Democratic Yea
Nathan W. Biah Democratic Not Voting
Patricia A. Serpa Democratic Not Voting
Ramon A. Perez Democratic Yea
Raymond A. Hull Democratic Yea
Rebecca M. Kislak Democratic Yea
Robert D. Phillips Democratic Yea
Robert E. Craven, Sr. Democratic Yea
Samuel A. Azzinaro Democratic Yea
Scott A. Slater Democratic Yea
Stephen M. Casey Democratic Yea
Susan R. Donovan Democratic Yea
Teresa Ann Tanzi Democratic Yea
Terri Cortvriend Democratic Yea
Thomas E. Noret Democratic Yea
Tina L. Spears Democratic Yea
Jon D. Brien Independent Yea
Brian C. Newberry Republican Yea
Christopher G. Paplauskas Republican Yea
David J. Place Republican Yea
George A Nardone Republican Yea
Marie A. Hopkins Republican Yea
Michael W. Chippendale Republican Not Voting
Paul M. Santucci Republican Yea
Richard R. Fascia Republican Yea
Robert J. Quattrocchi Republican Yea
Sherry Roberts Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety education
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 7115 do?
Mandates the use of a soft-shell helmet cover device that adds a padded, soft-shell layer to the outside of a traditional football helmet, for students participating in Rhode Island interscholastic league football
Who sponsors HB 7115?
HB 7115 is sponsored by Richard R. Fascia (Republican), Christopher G. Paplauskas (Republican), Earl A. Read, III (Democratic), Thomas E. Noret (Democratic), Stephen M. Casey (Democratic), David A. Bennett (Democratic), Julie A. Casimiro (Democratic), Mia A. Ackerman (Democratic), Susan R. Donovan (Democratic), and Joseph M. McNamara (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 7115?
This bill has passed the House. Introduced January 15, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track HB 7115?
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