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HB 7785

AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS -- GENERAL STATE OFFICES-NON-PARTISAN ELECTION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mike Chippendale and 3 co-sponsors

Starting 2030, Rhode Island’s attorney general will be elected in a nonpartisan election with no party label or party nomination.

04/30/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 7785

Summary of HB 7785 (Rhode Island, 2026)

Purpose and main intent

  • This act proposes that the Rhode Island Attorney General (AG) be elected in a non-partisan election beginning with the 2030 general election. In other words, starting in 2030, the AG would not be nominated or elected as a member of any political party or under a party label.

Key provisions and changes

General officers and terms

  • Section 17-2-1 (General Officers): Existing general officers (governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, general treasurer) remain elected at the general election for four-year terms, beginning the first Tuesday of January after election.
  • Add-on: Commencing in 2030, the attorney general shall be elected in a non-partisan election, without any party label, and shall not be nominated or elected as an official representative of a political party.

Party conventions and candidate declarations

  • Section 17-12-13 (State Conventions): States that parties hold conventions for various offices. Commencing in 2030, the attorney general shall be elected in a non-partisan election and not nominated or elected as a party representative.
  • Section 17-14-1 (Declarations of candidacy): Details the declaration of candidacy process for primaries, including required information on forms, signatures, and certifications (felony status, mental competency, party affiliation declarations, criminal history, etc.). Crucially, starting 2030, the attorney general would follow the non-partisan/multi-candidate declaration framework rather than partisan nomination procedures.

Attorney General department structure

  • Section 42-9-1 (Department of the Attorney General): Establishes the AG as head of the department with authority to appoint assistants and special assistants.
  • Commencing in 2030, the AG’s election would be non-partisan, with no party label, and no party nomination/election as party representatives.

Effective date

  • The act takes effect on January 1, 2030.

Who/what would be affected

  • The Attorney General’s office and its election process in Rhode Island.
  • Political party nomination and convention procedures as they relate to the AG position (beginning 2030, AG is non-partisan).
  • Voters seeking the AG office, party committees, and local or state election administrators who administer candidate filings and declarations.
  • The overall framework for general state officers, with a shift in the AG’s partisan status beginning in 2030.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Initiation: Bill introduced February 12, 2026; referred to House State Government & Elections.
  • Action history shows committee activity in 2026 with a recommendation to hold for further study as of April 30, 2026.
  • Effective date: January 1, 2030.
  • Transition: The act envisions a formal transition to non-partisan AG elections starting with the 2030 election cycle, including changes to nomination, declaration, and party-relationship provisions.

Notes and considerations

  • The bill would not alter the four-year term length for the AG, but would remove party affiliation from the AG race beginning 2030.
  • Other general state officers (governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer) remain subject to partisan elections, unless additional reforms are enacted.
  • The change could affect campaign dynamics, party strategies, and voter information campaigns for the AG race starting in 2030.

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

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