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SB 2405

AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- HAZING

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Bissaillon and 9 co-sponsors

Expands hazing definition and penalties, holding organizers, schools, and officials accountable with stricter fines, possible imprisonment, and protection for medical aid seekers.

05/12/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · SB 2405

Summary of SB 2405 (Rhode Island, 2026)

Purpose and intent

  • An act to strengthen Rhode Island’s hazing statutes by expanding definitions, increasing penalties, and clarifying responsibilities for school officials and organizations.
  • The bill aims to deter hazing by widening what constitutes hazing, raising fines and potential imprisonment, and holding organizers and responsible adults more accountable.

Key provisions and changes

1) Penalty for hazing (11-21-1)
- Hazardous activity by organizers or participants in hazing is a misdemeanor.
- Penalties upon conviction: fine up to $500 and/or imprisonment for 30 days to up to 1 year, or both.
- Defines hazing to include conduct endangering physical or mental health, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced calisthenics, exposure to weather, forced consumption of substances, extreme mental stress, or extended sleep/rest deprivation.

2) Penalty for school officials permitting hazing (11-21-2)
- Applies to teachers, principals, superintendents, coaches, and other supervisory figures at public, private, parochial, or military schools, colleges, or student organizations.
- If they knowingly permit hazing or fail to take reasonable preventive measures, they face a misdemeanor.
- Penalties: fine between $10 and $1,000 and/or imprisonment up to 1 year, or both.

3) Tattooing or permanent disfigurement (serious bodily injury) (11-21-3)
- If a hazing act results in tattooing or permanent disfigurement of a fellow student or attendee using substances or other means, the offender commits a crime of the degree of mayhem.
- Penalty: imprisonment for 1 to 10 years.

4) Definitions (new section 11-21-4)
- Hazing: Expands the definition to include acts by initiation, affiliation, or maintenance of membership into any student organization that creates an elevated risk beyond the institution’s normal risk and endangers physical or mental health.
- Includes examples: whipping, beating, tattooing, forced calisthenics, exposure to weather, forced consumption of substances, brutal treatment, extreme mental stress, and extended deprivation of sleep or isolation.
- Serious injury: Injury that creates a substantial risk of death, causes serious disfigurement or long-term impairment, or causes significant mental damage.
- Student: Any person regularly enrolled in an educational institution.
- Student organization: Any student-affiliated group at or in conjunction with an educational institution.

5) Consent not a defense (11-21-5)
- Implied or express consent to hazing is not a defense in hazing actions.

6) Immunity for seeking medical assistance (11-21-6)
- Protections for individuals who, in good faith and without malice, seek medical assistance for someone experiencing harm from hazing.
- Such individuals shall not be charged or prosecuted for crimes related to hazing, provided there is no evidence of intent to defraud.

7) Effective date
- The act would take effect upon passage.

Who is affected

  • Students and participants in hazing activities within any student organization or educational setting.
  • Organizers and participants of hazing activities.
  • School officials and adults in supervisory roles (teachers, coaches, administrators) who permit hazing or fail to intervene.
  • Institutions and student organizations operating at public, private, parochial, or military schools, colleges, and related groups.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Introduced January 30, 2026, and referred to the Senate Judiciary committee.
  • Scheduled for hearing/consideration on May 12, 2026.
  • Takes effect immediately upon passage (no future date required).

Potential impact and considerations

  • Higher clarity and broader scope for what constitutes hazing, including tattooing and disfigurement.
  • Increased accountability for school personnel and organizational leaders who fail to prevent hazing.
  • Stronger penalties for hazing-related serious injuries, up to 10 years imprisonment for mayhem-level injuries.
  • Clear protection for individuals who seek medical help in hazing incidents.
  • Potential impacts on campus culture, enforcement practices, and hazing prevention programs.

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

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