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S 2651Extracurricular Activities

Education - Student Cultural Exchange Program

This bill creates a two-year pilot program for 12th graders to participate in a one-week out-of-state cultural exchange.

Held for study
Population
Affected
8
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Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee Senate Education

Plain-English Summary

This legislation establishes a two-year pilot program known as the "Student Cultural Exchange Program," beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. Administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the program allows 12th-grade students to travel to another state for one week to stay with a host family. The objective is for students to explore political, socioeconomic, and cultural differences. The bill creates a dedicated fund supported by categorical education aid and private donations to cover costs and provide student grants. The program is set to sunset in August 2029 unless extended by the General Assembly.

For younger readers

This law creates a special travel program for students who are in their last year of high school (12th grade). For two years, the state will pick students from different schools to travel to a different state for one whole week. While they are there, the students will stay with a host family to see how other people live. The goal is to help students learn about different places and cultures. The government will set aside money to pay for these trips and help students who might not be able to afford it on their own.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
12th Grade StudentsDepartment of Elementary and Secondary EducationSchool AdministratorsParents of High SchoolersTaxpayers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Promotes equity by providing grants to students, ensuring that low-income youth have access to enriching travel experiences that might otherwise be available only to wealthy families.
  • Fosters cultural competency and open-mindedness by exposing students to diverse political and socioeconomic environments, helping to combat prejudice and insulation.
  • Invests in the holistic education of students by valuing experiential learning and social development alongside traditional classroom instruction.
  • Diverts funds from "categorical education aid," which could potentially reduce resources available for essential in-school services, special education, or infrastructure in underfunded districts.
  • Allows for the contracting of the program to private entities, which risks the privatization of educational functions and a lack of public accountability.
  • The program is limited only to 12th graders in a small number of schools (5 to 10), failing to provide systemic benefits to the broader student population.
For Conservatives
  • Includes a strict sunset clause, ensuring the program expires automatically in 2029 rather than becoming a permanent, unchecked government entitlement.
  • Allows for private funding and donations to support the program, potentially reducing the direct burden on taxpayers for these activities.
  • Encourages students to visit other states, potentially exposing Rhode Island youth to different American values and governance models found outside of the Northeast.
  • Expands the scope of the Department of Education into non-academic areas, using tax dollars for what could be considered state-subsidized vacations rather than core instruction like math and reading.
  • Creates a mechanism for potential political indoctrination under the guise of exploring "socioeconomic and political features" of other states.
  • Redistributes existing education aid to a niche program, potentially taking money away from the general student body to benefit a select few.

Votes

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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.