Mandates arming campus police at public higher educational institutions and includes campus police in the definition of "law enforcement officer" for the purposes of the "Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights."

# Summary of Rhode Island Bill: Arming Campus Police at Public Colleges and Universities

This bill would require campus police officers at Rhode Island's public colleges and universities to be armed. Under current law, the decision about whether campus police carry firearms may be left to institutional policy, but this bill would make it mandatory. This means that campus police at schools like the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the Community College of Rhode Island would be required to carry weapons as part of their duties.

In addition to the arming requirement, the bill would officially include campus police officers in the definition of "law enforcement officer" under Rhode Island's "Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights." This is a state law that provides certain protections and procedural rights to law enforcement officers, particularly when they face internal investigations or disciplinary actions. By expanding this definition, campus police would receive the same workplace protections that municipal and state police officers already have.

The bill primarily affects campus police officers at public higher education institutions in Rhode Island, as well as the students, faculty, and staff on those campuses. It would also affect the administrations of these schools, which would need to ensure compliance with the arming requirement and any associated training or policy changes. The bill was introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has recommended holding it for further study.