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SB 2982

AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- FAMILY COURT

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 5 co-sponsors

Creates a statewide juvenile hearing board system with a coordinator, enabling rehabilitative driving courses as dispositions and enforcing compliance through the traffic tribunal.

05/19/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · SB 2982

Bill Summary: SB 2982 (Rhode Island) – Family Court Juvenile Hearing Boards and Rehabilitative Driving Courses

Main purpose and intent

  • Establish and empower a statewide juvenile hearing board system within Rhode Island’s Family Court framework.
  • Authorize the statewide juvenile hearing board coordinator to develop education, training, data collection/analysis, and coordination to support juvenile hearing boards and teen courts.
  • Allow juvenile hearing boards and teen courts to refer juveniles to rehabilitative driving courses as part of dispositions, with enforcement mechanisms through the traffic tribunal.

Key provisions and changes

  • Statewide juvenile hearing board coordinator

    • The chief judge of the Family Court would appoint a statewide juvenile hearing board coordinator.
    • Qualifications include education, training, relevant experience in social welfare, and suitability for the role.
    • Duties: provide education/training, data collection/analysis, coordination, and assistance to cities/towns for establishing and maintaining juvenile hearing boards and teen courts.
    • Requires reporting of data deemed necessary by the Family Court.

  • Authority and limitations of juvenile hearing boards/teen courts

    • Juvenile hearing boards and teen courts may not hear or dispose of offenses that constitute felonies if committed by an adult, except with express written consent of the chief justice of the Family Court.
    • If a case is amended from a felony to a misdemeanor, hearing boards/teen courts may not hear it without express written consent of the chief justice.
    • Juveniles must be referred to the hearing board/teen court in the city or town where the offense was committed; if that locality lacks a board, the juvenile is referred to the board in the juvenile’s residence town.

  • Statewide community service program

    • The statewide hearing board coordinator is responsible for setting up a statewide community service program that may be used by any hearing board or teen court.

  • Rehabilitative driving course option

    • The statewide juvenile hearing board may order a juvenile to attend a rehabilitative driving course operated under the jurisdiction of a college or university accredited by Rhode Island, if beneficial given the offense.
    • The order can include a provision to pay reasonable tuition.
    • The order must include findings of fact and a copy submitted to the chief magistrate of the traffic tribunal.
    • If the juvenile fails to comply after notice and a hearing, a show-cause hearing may be held before the traffic tribunal to determine whether grounds exist for suspension or revocation of a driver’s license or registration.
    • Notice/hearings before the traffic tribunal follow the provisions of chapter 41.1 of title 31.

  • Effective date

    • The act takes effect upon passage.

Who/what is affected

  • Juveniles referred to Rhode Island juvenile offenses, and the localities that administer juvenile hearing boards and teen courts.
  • Local governments and municipalities that operate or establish juvenile hearing boards/teen courts.
  • Juvenile traffic offenders who may be directed to rehabilitative driving courses as part of dispositions.
  • The Rhode Island traffic tribunal, which would enforce driving-course-related orders and potential license/registration actions.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Establishment and operation
    • The act envisions a pilot/long-term statewide coordinator position, with duties to support local boards and teen courts. The text describes coordination and data reporting requirements but does not specify detailed rollout dates beyond general implementation.
  • Felony/misdemeanor restrictions
    • Clear procedural guardrails: felonies (as charged) and felony-to-misdemeanor amendments can only be heard by juvenile boards with the chief justice’s written consent.
  • Rehabilitative driving course process
    • Court-ordered attendance; tuition payment provisions; documented findings; enforcement through traffic tribunal with potential license/registrations consequences for noncompliance.

Practical impact and considerations

  • Expands Rhode Island’s juvenile justice options by formalizing a statewide coordinator role and supporting local juvenile hearing boards and teen courts.
  • Creates a structured pathway for non-traditional dispositions (e.g., rehabilitative driving courses) that can be used in juvenile cases, potentially diverting some youths from traditional criminal proceedings.
  • Establishes enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with driving-course orders, linking juvenile dispositions to driver licensing consequences.
  • Maintains felony jurisdiction safeguards by requiring consent from the chief justice for handling felonies or amended felony-to-misdemeanor cases in juvenile boards.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law or draft a briefing note for stakeholders.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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