Enlarges definitions of prohibited acts that constitute hazing, make principals, coaches, athletic directors and others responsible for knowingly failing to take reasonable measures to prevent hazing and punishes serious injury.

Rhode Island Hazing Bill: Plain-English Summary

This bill strengthens Rhode Island's existing laws against hazing by expanding what counts as hazing in the first place. Under current law, hazing has a narrower definition, but this bill would broaden that definition to cover a wider range of harmful acts that are used to initiate, admit, or affiliate someone with a group — whether that's a sports team, fraternity, sorority, or other organization. Essentially, more types of harmful or dangerous behavior would officially be considered hazing under the law.

One of the most significant changes in this bill is that it places new legal responsibilities on school officials and other adults in positions of authority. Principals, coaches, and athletic directors could be held legally accountable if they *knowingly* failed to take reasonable steps to prevent hazing from happening. This means that looking the other way or ignoring warning signs would no longer be legally acceptable for people in these roles. The bill also creates stronger punishments when hazing results in serious physical injury to a victim.

Overall, this bill affects students, athletes, school employees, and administrators across Rhode Island. Students and young people participating in group activities would have stronger legal protections, while adults in supervisory roles would have clearer legal duties to act when they become aware of hazing. The bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process, having been introduced and referred to the House Judiciary Committee for review.