Policy

Our priority bill passed - unanimously - in its first year of introduction.

PASSED: Abusive Litigation bill protects survivors from post-separation abuse.

We also worked on a variety of other legislation with coalitions across the state. Read on to learn more about our other legislative work.

Bills that passed:

• PASSED: The EACA!
  We advocated alongside partner coalitions, including the RI Coalition for Reproductive Freedom and The Womxn Project, for the passage of the Equality in Abortion Coverage Act (EACA). This bill ensures that all Rhode Islanders - regardless of health insurance plan, whether they receive Medicaid, or whether they work for the state government - have equitable access to reproductive health care and the freedom to make their own family planning choices.
• PASSED: Much-needed housing legislation!
  We advocated along with our Homes RI partners to pass much-needed affordable and fair housing legislation, including prohibiting fees for tenant rental applications, extending foreclosure protections for homeowners, and providing a process for the sealing of public court records in eviction proceedings to protect against discrimination when tenants had previously stood up for their legal rights to safe and healthy housing in court. 

Bills with more work to do:

• Equity Impact Campaign
  We worked in partnership with RI’s Economic Progress Institute and other advocacy organizations as members of the RI Equity Impact Campaign to support the Equity Impact Statement Act. While it did not pass this session, we will continue to work with our partners toward a more equitable future for all Rhode Islanders by ensuring policies, programs, and the state budget correct historic disparities and design new policies centered in equity.
• Gun Safety Legislation
  The gun safety bills that we supported with our partners at RICAGV and Moms Demand Action did not pass and need to pass next session. This legislation includes the Assault Weapons Ban and the Safe Firearm Storage bill.
• Bail Reform
  We worked with our community partners at D.A.R.E. (Direct Action for Rights and Equality) on an agreement that would add a DV survivor-safety amendment to their important probation violation bail reform bill that is needed to ensure that release and bail considerations are based on violence and dangerousness risk assessments and not one’s ability to pay cash bail. The bill did not pass, so we will continue this dialogue and advocacy with our partners on social justice and critical criminal legal system reforms.

PASSED: Fight for $15 and Fair Pay

PASSED: Safety & Health Care Confidentiality for Survivors

PASSED: Raising RI Social Safety Net Benefits

PASSED: Increasing Access to Safe, Healthy, Affordable Homes

PASSED: Safe Staffing for Equity and Elder Justice

PASSED: A bill to criminally prohibit nonconsensual pornography, also known as "revenge porn"

PASSED: A gun safety law to provide another option for firearm surrender for individuals who present an imminent risk of harm to themselves or others

PASSED: A bill to rename the Domestic Violence Prevention Fund after Deborah DeBare in honor of our long-serving former executive director

In 2016, the RI General Assembly passed legislation to establish a Domestic Violence Prevention Fund—Rhode Island's first dedicated state funding that will support strategies for stopping the cycle of domestic violence before it starts.

The Prevention Fund was created through an additional $200,000 in the state budget, rather than the proposed increase to the state's marriage license fee.

To learn more about how the fund is being implemented, click here. Domestic Violence Prevention Fund

After years of budget cuts to state services, the program, which serves over 8,000 victims annually, had endured a 70% decrease in funding by 2013 and was forced to close its offices on Mondays. This closure was the first time in the program's 25-year history that advocates were not available when court was in session.

The RICADV led our member agencies, SOAR, allied organizations and community supporters in the effort to convince our legislators to restore funding.

It was an amazing victory when the Rhode Island legislature agreed to restore $100,000 to the program, a much-needed lifeline for domestic violence victims. Special thanks are due to Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, Senator Maryellen Goodwin, and former Representative Elaine A. Coderre for their support.

In the summer of 2005, the Homicide Prevention Act became law (R.I.G.L. §8-8.1-3 and §15-15-3), and Rhode Island became the 41st state to restrict the possession of firearms when a restraining order has been issued.

In September 2006, the RICADV had the opportunity to bring together representatives from the criminal justice field and domestic violence advocates to attend a national summit addressing the issue of firearms and domestic violence.

The group returned from the conference and established the Firearms and Domestic Violence Taskforce (FADVTF). Their goal was to develop and recommend policies, protocols and procedures that would strengthen the judicial, law enforcement and advocate response for cases of domestic abuse involving firearms.

Their first project was to create a uniform model protocol for law enforcement agencies to use when responding to domestic violence calls involving firearms, which resulted in the report Domestic Violence and Firearms: A Model Protocol.

The information presented in this report explains the research process and findings and provides recommendations to ensure that the protections provided by R.I.G.L. §8-8.1-3 and §15-15-3 will help save the lives of those victims whose abusers own firearms.

For more information about domestic violence and firearms, view our fact sheet here.