Rhode Island 2026 Session Status: In Committee 1 D cosponsors

SB 3217 — AN ACT RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION

Last action — 05/19/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

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

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

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

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 D).

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

Allows courts to award household pets to plaintiffs in domestic abuse cases.

This bill permits family courts to grant possession of household pets to individuals filing domestic abuse complaints. It also includes the option for restraining orders or other forms of judicial relief.

What this means for you
  • Workers: If you're a worker facing domestic abuse, you may be able to retain possession of your pets through family court.

Summary

Permits the family court to award possession of household pets to the plaintiff in a domestic abuse complaint, including the enforcement remedy of a restraining order or other injunctive relief.

Bill Text

Action History

  1. 05/19/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study

  2. 05/15/2026 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (05/19/2026)

  3. 04/14/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 113 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (113)

113 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 113 →

"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 civil-rights
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 SB 3217 do?
Permits the family court to award possession of household pets to the plaintiff in a domestic abuse complaint, including the enforcement remedy of a restraining order or other injunctive relief.
Who sponsors SB 3217?
SB 3217 is sponsored by Samuel W. Bell (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 3217?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced April 14, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 3217?
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Last checked for changes about 2 months ago · updated continuously

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