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H 7653Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure - Domestic Violence Prevention Act

This bill requires police to electronically submit detailed domestic violence and sexual assault reports to the state courts.

Signed into law36 Yea0 Nay1 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation updates the procedures for how law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island report domestic violence incidents. It renames the required documentation to the "domestic violence/sexual assault reporting form" and mandates that these forms, along with the detailed police report narratives, be submitted electronically to the administrative office of state courts. The bill also expands the data collected to include information on language barriers and felony enhancement notations. Furthermore, it establishes specific deadlines for submitting these reports, requiring most to be sent by the end of each month.

For younger readers

This law changes how police officers share information about fights in families. When police help with a situation where people in a family are hurting each other, they have to fill out a special form. This law says they must send that form and the story of what happened using a computer instead of paper. It also asks the police to check if the people involved speak a different language. This helps the people in charge understand what is happening so they can try to stop it better.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Law Enforcement OfficersDomestic Violence VictimsCourt AdministratorsPolice DepartmentsNon-English Speakers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Mandates the collection of data regarding language barriers, which helps identify gaps in services for non-English speakers and immigrant communities.
  • Modernizes the reporting system by requiring electronic submission, ensuring more accurate and timely data to track domestic violence trends and allocate resources effectively.
  • Expands the scope of reporting to include police narratives and incidents where arrests didn't happen, providing a more comprehensive view of systemic issues surrounding domestic abuse.
  • Includes a "felony enhancement notation" requirement, which could be used to support harsher sentencing practices that contribute to mass incarceration rather than restorative justice.
  • Centralizes detailed police narratives and personal data within the court system, raising potential privacy concerns for vulnerable individuals involved in these incidents.
  • Relies heavily on police reporting to define the scope of domestic violence, potentially overlooking incidents where victims do not trust or wish to involve law enforcement.
For Conservatives
  • Modernizes government processes by mandating electronic submission, potentially reducing administrative waste and increasing efficiency within the court system.
  • Enhances the ability of the justice system to track serious offenders through the inclusion of felony enhancement notations, supporting a "tough on crime" approach.
  • Ensures law enforcement agencies are held accountable for timely reporting of domestic violence incidents, improving the overall management of public safety data.
  • Imposes additional administrative burdens and mandates on local law enforcement agencies by requiring specific electronic reporting procedures and narrative submissions.
  • Expands the size and scope of the administrative office of state courts by increasing the volume and type of data they must process and monitor.
  • Mandates the collection of demographic data such as language barriers, which some may view as identity politics interfering with standard police work.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 21 additions · 10 deletions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 12-29-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-29 entitled "Domestic Violence Prevention Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 12-29-8. Domestic violence reports.

(a) A law enforcement officer who responds to or investigates a domestic violence incident shall complete a domestic violence report/sexual assault reporting form, whether or not an arrest occurs.

(b) For the purpose of establishing accurate data on the extent and severity of domestic violence in the state and on the degree of compliance with the requirements of § 12-29-3, the domestic violence training and monitoring unit of the court system within the administrative office of state courts shall prescribe a form and process for making submitting domestic violence reports information to the unit. The form shall include, but is not limited to, the following information:

(1) Name of the parties;

(2) Relationship of the parties;

(3) Sex of the parties;

(4) Date of birth of the parties;

(5) Time and date of the incident;

(6) Whether children were involved or whether the alleged act of domestic violence was committed in the presence of children;

(7) Type and extent of the alleged abuse;

(8) Number and types of weapons involved;

(9) Existence of any prior court order; and

(10) Existence of any language barriers;

(11) Felony enhancement notation; and (10)(12) Any other data that may be necessary for a complete analysis of all circumstances leading to the arrest of an incident subject to reporting under this section.

(c) Each police law enforcement department shall forward copies of electronically submit the domestic violence/sexual assault reporting forms and the reports corresponding police report narratives to the unit at the end of each month. For those cases that were still under investigation or for which an arrest warrant had been issued, but not yet executed in a given month, the responsible law enforcement department shall electronically submit the domestic violence/sexual assault reporting forms and the corresponding police report narratives as soon as practicable, but not later than the end of the calendar year in which the incident occurred.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.