Skip to main content
H 7730Extracurricular Activities

Education - Student Cultural Exchange Program

Creates a pilot program allowing high school seniors to travel out-of-state for a week-long cultural exchange with host families.

Held for study
Population
Affected
8
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 12, 2026Committee House Education

Plain-English Summary

This legislation establishes a "Student Cultural Exchange Program" as a two-year pilot overseen by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. The program allows 12th-grade students to travel to another state and stay with a host family for one week to experience different political, socioeconomic, and cultural environments. The bill creates a specific fund to finance the program, utilizing monies transferred from categorical education aid and private donations. The program aims to include a diversity of schools and provides grants to assist participating students. It is set to sunset on August 1, 2029.

For younger readers

This new law creates a special trip for students in 12th grade. If they sign up, they can travel to a different state for one week. While they are there, they will stay with a family who lives in that state, like an exchange student. The goal is for students to see how people live in other parts of the country and learn about different cultures. The state will set up a special fund to help pay for these trips. This is a test program that will last for two years to see if it works well.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Grade 12 StudentsDepartment of Elementary and Secondary EducationPublic School AdministratorsParents of High School SeniorsTaxpayers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Promotes cross-cultural understanding and empathy by exposing students to diverse political and socioeconomic environments, potentially reducing prejudice and fostering a more inclusive worldview.
  • Mandates that the department ensure participation from a diversity of schools and districts to the greatest extent practicable, helping ensure the opportunity is not limited to wealthy communities.
  • Includes provisions for awarding grants to assist students, which helps mitigate financial barriers and ensures that low-income students have equitable access to the program.
  • Diverts funds from "categorical education aid," which arguably should be prioritized for underfunded core needs like school infrastructure, teacher salaries, or special education services.
  • Allows the program to be operated under a contract with a private entity, raising concerns about the privatization of educational programming and the potential lack of direct public oversight.
  • The program is limited to a very small number of schools (5 to 10) during the pilot, meaning the vast majority of students in the state will receive no benefit from the allocated public funds.
For Conservatives
  • Includes a strict sunset clause, ensuring the program expires automatically in 2029 unless the legislature actively votes to extend it, preventing the creation of a permanent bureaucratic fixture without review.
  • Allows for the solicitation and acceptance of private gifts and grants to fund the program, potentially reducing the direct burden on the taxpayer.
  • Participation is voluntary for students and families, avoiding government mandates on student activities or travel.
  • Redistributes taxpayer money from "categorical education aid" to fund out-of-state travel, which may be viewed as a misuse of funds that should be dedicated to core academic instruction.
  • Sends students to stay with strangers in other states to explore "political" and "socioeconomic" differences, raising concerns about potential ideological influence or safety away from parental supervision.
  • Expands the scope and administrative burden of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, creating more government oversight and regulation within the school system.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 59 additions

SECTION 1. Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 16-117-1. Program oversight.

(a) There is hereby established within the department of elementary and secondary education a student cultural exchange program. The department of elementary and secondary education ("department") may provide oversight of a two (2) year pilot program ("program") commencing with the 2027-2028 school year. This program may be operated under a contract between the department and a public or private entity that coordinates a national cultural exchange program for students of this state.

(b) The program provided for by this section shall enable students in grade twelve (12) to register to travel to a location in another state to stay with a host family in that state for a week of experiences that allow students to explore similarities and differences in the political, socioeconomic and cultural features of their place of residence and the location of the exchange.

(c) The department shall ensure that, to the greatest extent practicable, students representing a diversity of schools from a diversity of school districts participate in the program.

(d) The department may award grants to encourage students to participate in the program and to assist students who are participating in the program. 16-117-2. Participation.

(a) The department of elementary and secondary education shall ensure participation by students to the greatest extent practicable, by July 1, 2029. The first year of the program shall commence August 1, 2027, and the second year of the program shall commence August 1, 2028. The targeted goal of participation shall be at least five (5) schools within the first year of the program, and up to ten (10) schools in the second year. The further targeted goal is to establish the program such that is able to continue beyond the two (2) year pilot period and become a continuously and permanently funded program, if so extended by the general assembly pursuant to § 16-117-7.

(b) No later than September 1, 2029, the department shall submit an initial report to the education committees of the house and senate on the number of students, school districts and schools that participated in the program. The report may recommend to the general assembly legislative changes related to the program. 16-117-3. Cultural exchange program fund.

(a) The cultural exchange program fund (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “fund”) shall be established by the state treasurer, separate and distinct from the general fund. Interest earned on the cultural exchange program fund shall be credited to the fund.

(b) Monies in the cultural exchange program fund shall be continuously allocated to the department of elementary and secondary education on a rolling basis for the purpose of providing funding for the program described in this chapter, including the awarding of grants.

(c) The department, on behalf of the state, may solicit and accept gifts, grants and donations from public and private sources including, but not limited to, charitable foundations and grantmaking foundations, for the purpose of the program described in this chapter. Monies received under this subsection shall be deposited into the cultural exchange program fund.

(d) The cultural exchange program fund shall consist of monies transferred from the categorized education aid, other monies appropriated or transferred to the fund by the general assembly, monies deposited as provided by this section, and any other monies deposited into the fund from any source, including private entities. 16-117-4. Use of cultural exchange program funds. The department of elementary and secondary education shall use monies in the statewide cultural exchange program fund account only to provide funding for the national cultural exchange program described in this chapter, and to fund costs incurred by the department in implementing the provisions of this chapter. 16-117-5. Regulations. The council on elementary and secondary education shall adopt rules necessary for the distribution of monies pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. 16-117-6. Initial funding. For the years 2026 through 2029, the department of elementary and secondary education shall transfer a sum sufficient from the categorical education aid to the cultural exchange program fund established under this chapter to implement the provisions of this chapter. The fund shall be eligible to receive funds starting in 2026. 16-117-7. Sunset. The provisions of this chapter shall sunset and expire August 1, 2029, unless extended by the general assembly.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.