Changes the term of drug court to recovery court.

Rhode Island Bill Summary: Renaming "Drug Court" to "Recovery Court"

This bill proposes a simple but meaningful change to Rhode Island law: replacing the term "drug court" with "recovery court" throughout the state's legal statutes related to the Superior Court. The change is purely one of terminology — the bill does not alter how the court operates, who is eligible to participate, or what services are provided.

The court being renamed handles cases involving individuals whose criminal charges are connected to substance use issues. Instead of going through the traditional court process, eligible participants can enter a supervised program that focuses on treatment and rehabilitation. The name change would apply to how this program is officially referred to in state law.

This bill primarily affects how the court system is described in legal documents and official communications. Supporters of similar name changes elsewhere have argued that the word "recovery" better reflects the program's goal of helping people overcome addiction, and may feel less stigmatizing to participants. However, this bill itself makes no policy arguments — it simply updates the language used in the law.

The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island House of Representatives and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which will review it before deciding whether to move it forward. Because it involves only a name change and no structural reforms, it is considered a relatively minor administrative update to existing law.