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SB 2940

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

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jonathon Acosta and 9 co-sponsors

Creates a statewide coordinator to steer juvenile hearing boards/teen courts, diverting first-time misdemeanor cases from formal court to education and community-service paths.

06/08/2026 Proposed Substitute
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Bill Summary · SB 2940

Purpose and intent

  • SB 2940 proposes to establish and support a statewide framework for juvenile diversion and accountability through municipal juvenile hearing boards and teen courts within Rhode Island’s Family Court system.
  • The main goal is to provide first-time misdemeanor offenders with an alternative pathway to resolve youth offenses, emphasizing education, community service, and coordinated support services rather than traditional formal adjudication.

Key provisions and changes

  • Statewide juvenile hearing board coordinator

    • Creates a full-time, statewide juvenile hearing board coordinator appointed by the chief judge of the family court.
    • The coordinator is responsible for education, training, data collection and analysis, coordination, and assistance to cities/towns in establishing and maintaining juvenile hearing boards and teen courts.
    • The coordinator will coordinate with municipal police, establish a statewide community service program, provide training, collect and report data, and partner with NGOs in juvenile services.
    • One full-time equivalent position is established to support all municipal boards statewide.

  • Referral and jurisdiction for first-time misdemeanor offenders

    • Any juvenile charged for the first time with a misdemeanor offense shall be referred to the juvenile hearing board of the municipality where the offense occurred, unless the parent/guardian and juvenile refuse participation.
    • Applies to individual juveniles and not to offenses committed jointly or collectively.
    • Juvenile hearing boards or teen courts may not hear or dispose of offenses that constitute felonies (as committed by an adult) without express written consent of the chief justice of the family court.
    • If a charge is amended from felony to misdemeanor, consent of the chief justice is required to hear the matter in a juvenile hearing board/teen court.
    • Referral location: generally to the board in the city/town where the offense occurred; if unavailable, the board in the juvenile’s municipality of residence; if that is unavailable, referrals may be to a neighboring or nearest municipality with an established board, per family court determination.

  • Statewide community service program

    • The statewide hearing board coordinator is responsible for establishing a community service program that can be used by any hearing board/teen court.

  • Pilot program and duration (historical reference within text)

    • The language notes a pilot coordinator position initially from 1998–2001; however, the act itself (as introduced) will take effect upon passage (no separate sunset is stated in the enacted text).

  • Municipal reporting

    • Each municipal police department and/or juvenile hearing board must provide an annual report by January 31 to the family court and state legislators.
    • Reports must include: number of juveniles referred, offenses charged, outcomes of referred cases, age, gender, race/ethnicity of referred juveniles, number of re-arrests, and number of board meetings.
    • Names or other identifying information must not be included.

Who would be affected

  • Juveniles charged with first-time misdemeanor offenses (potentially reducing formal court processing for qualified cases).
  • Municipalities and police departments, which will participate in referrals, reporting, and coordination with the statewide coordinator.
  • Municipal juvenile hearing boards and teen courts (existing or newly formed), which would operate under the statewide coordinator’s guidance and reporting requirements.
  • Family Court system, which would oversee the coordinator role, approve certain actions (e.g., consent for handling felonies as misdemeanors), and receive annual municipal data.
  • The general public, through increased transparency via annual reporting and a standardized statewide program.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Effective date: The act takes effect upon passage.
  • Implementation framework: Establishment of a statewide juvenile hearing board coordinator and a statewide community service program.
  • Reporting deadlines: Municipal entities must submit annual reports by January 31 each year.
  • Consent thresholds: Chief Justice of the Family Court’s written consent is required for handling certain felony-to-misdemeanor cases in juvenile hearing boards or teen courts.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Could reduce formal juvenile court exposure for many first-time misdemeanor offenders by channeling them into hearing boards or teen courts.
  • Enhanced consistency and data-driven oversight through a centralized coordinator and standardized annual reporting.
  • Increased collaboration between police, municipalities, nonprofits, and the Family Court to support juvenile diversion and services.
  • Safeguards remain in place to prevent inappropriate handling of felonies, requiring chief justice consent.

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

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