H 7193Police & Prisons

State Affairs and Government - Police Officers - Commission on Standards and Training

Mandates police training on developmental disabilities and broadens the definition of such disabilities to include those starting at any age.

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Introduced Jan 21, 2026Committee House Health & Human Services

Plain-English Summary

This bill mandates that the Commission on Standards and Training develop and implement mandatory training for all Rhode Island police officers regarding interactions with individuals who have developmental disabilities. This training will cover identification, response, and investigation protocols and applies to both new recruits and current officers. Additionally, the legislation expands the legal definition of "developmental disability" by removing the requirement that the disability must manifest before age twenty-two, thereby allowing the definition to apply to impairments that manifest at any age.

For younger readers

This new law changes how police officers are trained. It says that all police officers must go to special classes to learn how to help and talk to people who have developmental disabilities. A developmental disability is a condition that can make it harder for someone to learn, speak, or take care of themselves. The law also changes the rules about who is considered to have this disability. Before, it only counted if it happened before a person turned 22 years old. Now, it counts even if it happens when they are older.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Police officersPolice recruitsPeople with developmental disabilitiesDepartment of Behavioral HealthcareTaxpayers

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Expands the legal definition of developmental disability to include onset at any age, ensuring that individuals who acquire disabilities later in life are not excluded from necessary protections and services.
Mandates specific police training for interacting with the disabled community, which may reduce instances of excessive force, misunderstanding, and criminalization of medical or behavioral crises.
Promotes systemic reform within law enforcement by emphasizing de-escalation and understanding of diverse mental and physical conditions over traditional enforcement tactics.
Continues to rely on police officers as the primary responders to health and behavioral crises rather than shifting funding toward social workers or specialized non-police crisis response teams.
The expansion of the definition without explicit additional funding for support services could strain existing resources, potentially diluting the quality of care for the currently served population.
Lacks specific language regarding oversight or the involvement of disability rights advocates in the creation of the curriculum, which could result in training that is superficial or ineffective.

For Conservatives

Provides police officers with better tools and knowledge to handle complex situations, potentially increasing officer safety and effectiveness during calls involving individuals with disabilities.
May reduce liability and costly lawsuits against municipalities and police departments arising from mishandled interactions with disabled individuals.
Clarifies legal definitions and training standards, providing a more structured and predictable legal framework for law enforcement operations.
Expands the definition of developmental disability to "any age," which could significantly widen the pool of individuals eligible for state services, potentially leading to increased government spending and taxpayer burden.
Imposes additional state-mandated training requirements on local police departments, which could be viewed as a bureaucratic burden that takes officers away from active patrol duties.
Represents an expansion of the administrative state by giving the Commission on Standards and Training more authority to dictate local police operations.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 8 additions · 1 deletion

SECTION 1. Chapter 42-28.2 of the General Laws entitled "Police Officers — Commission on Standards and Training" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 42-28.2-8.6. Educational requirements -- Development disability recognition training. The commission on standards and training shall prepare and publish mandatory training standards to provide instruction for police officers in identifying, responding to, handling, investigating and reporting all incidents involving any person with a "developmental disability" as defined in § 40.1-1-8.1. The commission shall include this training in all curricula for recruits and in-service trainees, and in all police academies operated or certified by the commission.

SECTION 2. Section 40.1-1-8.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 40.1-1 entitled "Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals" is hereby amended to read as follows: 40.1-1-8.1. “Developmental disability” defined. The term “developmental disability” means a severe, chronic disability of a person that:

(1) Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments;

(2) Is manifested ~~before the person attains age twenty-two (22)~~ at any age;

(3) Is likely to continue indefinitely;

(4) Results in substantial functional limitations in three (3) or more of the following areas of major life activity:

(i) Self-care;

(ii) Receptive and expressive language;

(iii) Learning;

(iv) Mobility;

(v) Self-direction;

(vi) Capacity for independent living; and

(vii) Economic self-sufficiency; and

(5) Reflects the person’s need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or generic care, treatment, or other services that are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.