Rhode Island 2026 Session Status: In Committee 5 D cosponsors

SB 2137 — AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT

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

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  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 January 16, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

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

Prognosis

Stalled 24% · 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.

  • 5 sponsors

    5 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (5 D).

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

Prohibits handcuffing children 12 and under during initial police contact, except for safety reasons.

This bill prevents police from handcuffing children aged 12 or under at their first contact unless necessary for safety. It aims to protect young children during police encounters.

Summary

Prohibits handcuffing children twelve (12) or under at initial police contact unless needed for public safety or if the child is using or threatening physical force against an officer.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends existing law to prohibit the handcuffing of children twelve years or younger at the point of initial police contact, except under specific circumstances.

  • 14-1-25

    Beginning at the point of initial contact with a police officer, no preadjudicated child known by the police officer to be twelve (12) years of age or under may be restrained using handcuffs, except when necessary for purposes of public safety or because the child is using or threatening to use physical force on a police officer who is engaging with such child. → Beginning at the point of initial contact with a police officer, no preadjudicated child known by the police officer to be twelve (12) years of age or under may be restrained using handcuffs, except when necessary for purposes of public safety or because the child is using or threatening to use physical force on a police officer who is engaging with such child.

    This change clarifies the conditions under which handcuffs may be used on children twelve and under, emphasizing the need for public safety.

  • 14-1-26.1

    Beginning at the point of initial contact with a police officer, no preadjudicated child known by the police officer to be twelve (12) years of age or under may be restrained using handcuffs, except when necessary for purposes of public safety or because the child is using or threatening to use physical force on a police officer who is engaging with such child. → Beginning at the point of initial contact with a police officer, no preadjudicated child known by the police officer to be twelve (12) years of age or under may be restrained using handcuffs, except when necessary for purposes of public safety or because the child is using or threatening to use physical force on a police officer who is engaging with such child.

    This change reaffirms the prohibition against handcuffing children twelve and under in police encounters, except in specific safety circumstances.

  • 14-1-25

    No child twelve(12) years ofage or under may be arrested or adjudicated as delinquent, except if probable cause exists that the child has committed a felony offense punishable by a term of up to life imprisonment. → No child twelve(12) years ofage or under may be arrested or adjudicated as delinquent, except if probable cause exists that the child has committed a felony offense punishable by a term of up to life imprisonment.

    This change clarifies the legal framework regarding the arrest and adjudication of children twelve and under, limiting it to serious felony offenses.

  • 14-1-26.1

    No child twelve(12) years ofage or under may be arrested or adjudicated as delinquent, except if probable cause exists that the child has committed a felony offense punishable by a term of up to life imprisonment. → No child twelve(12) years ofage or under may be arrested or adjudicated as delinquent, except if probable cause exists that the child has committed a felony offense punishable by a term of up to life imprisonment.

    This change maintains the prohibition on arresting and adjudicating children twelve and under for less severe offenses.

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. 01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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5 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 109 not signed on

Sponsors (5)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (109)

109 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 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 2137 do?
Prohibits handcuffing children twelve (12) or under at initial police contact unless needed for public safety or if the child is using or threatening physical force against an officer.
Who sponsors SB 2137?
SB 2137 is sponsored by Matthew L. LaMountain (Democratic), Samuel W. Bell (Democratic), Lammis J. Vargas (Democratic), Jonathon Acosta (Democratic), and Jacob E. Bissaillon (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 2137?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 16, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 2137?
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