Adds school superintendents, central office officials, school principals, and all other school employees, to the definition of a “public official” for purposes of the criminal prohibition against making threats to public officials.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would expand the legal definition of "public official" in Rhode Island's criminal code to include school employees — specifically superintendents, central office administrators, principals, and all other school staff. Under current law, making threats against public officials is a criminal offense. This bill would extend that same legal protection to people who work in public schools.

In practical terms, if this bill becomes law, anyone who threatens a school employee — whether it's a teacher, a principal, a superintendent, or other school staff — could face criminal charges under the same law that already protects elected officials and other government workers. The goal is to give school employees a stronger layer of legal protection from threatening behavior they may encounter on the job.

This bill would affect anyone who interacts with public school employees in Rhode Island, including parents, students, and community members. It would also affect school employees themselves, who would gain additional legal protections. Law enforcement and prosecutors would use this expanded definition when deciding whether to bring criminal charges in cases involving threats made to school staff.

As of now, the bill has been introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, with a hearing scheduled for February 2026. The committee has recommended holding the bill for further study, meaning it is still under review and has not yet been voted on or passed into law.