2025 Legislative Session Dashboard

This dashboard is designed to gives you the tools needed to take action in support of civil liberties during the 2025 Legislative Session. Use the resources and template below to advocate for or against a bill at a hearing (submit written testimony or attend the hearing and speak) or to contact your state legislators (by phone or email). 

NOTE: In the dashboard below, if a status is highlighted yellow, it means the bill is going to be heard and/or voted on this week. This is the time we urge you to contact your legislator, submitting written testimony, or testify in person, by using the template and resources provided!

How to use this dashboard (click to expand/reduce)

If you scroll down, you can find a searchable table of a selection of ACLU of RI's priority bills this 2025 Legislative Session.

  • The position column indicates whether the ACLU of RI supports or opposes the legislation.
  • Click the bill number to read a longer summary of the bill, and find the ACLU of RI's written testimony on the bill.
  • Read the bill summary to get the shortest version of what the bill will do, if passed, and use that information to write your message to your legislator. (Click the bill number for more information about it!)
  • The "status" columns indicate where in the law-making process the House or Senate bill is, respectively, and what committee is will be or has been heard in.

Click Draft email or phone script below to see an outline of what you can say to your state senator or representative to share your position on a bill, and urge them to support or oppose it. 

Draft email or phone script (click to expand/reduce)


Hi [Senator/Representative],

My name is [your name] and I am a resident of [city/town]. I am writing to express my strong [support of/opposition to] [bill number].

I am in support of this legislation because [add a few sentences about the legislation]. I hope you will vote in [support of/opposition to] this bill.

Thank you for your consideration.
 

Resources for advocating for/against a bill (click to expand/reduce)

Not sure where to start?
Read our a short guide on the different ways you can contact your legislators.
Also, you can read about how a bill becomes law in Rhode Island, if you need a refresher or quick 101.

If you're contacting your state legislators:

  • Find your elected officials and their contact information at the Secretary of State's website here.
  • Read about how to write emails and letters to your legislators. (This includes examples!)
  • Use the same tips as writing to your legislators, and instead call them. In Rhode Island, state legislators don't have staff, so the phone number on the Secretary of State's website may be their personal phone number. Be concise, courteous, and leave a message if you get a voicemail box.

If you're testifying in front of a committee at the State House:

  • Check the dashboard's status column to see what committee the bill will be heard in, and on what day. Know you'll have to arrive at the State House early to sign up to speak, usually after 4pm, and will likely have a long wait before it's your turn.

  • Read our 10 tips for testifying before a legislative committee at a hearing.

  • Read our explanation of how to navigate the RI State House before going to testify in person. This includes information about finding what room the committee hearing will be held in.

If you're submitting written testimony to a committee:

  • Check the dashboard's status column to see what committee the bill will be heard in, and on what day.
  • Go to the Committee Calendar page on the General Assembly's website and find the calendar for the committee/date that the bill will be heard.
  • Click PDF or HTML under the "view" columm.
  • Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the committee email address that you should send your written testimony to.
  • In your email, include your name, the bill number, and whether you support or oppose the passage of the bill, along with any additional information about why you support or oppose the bill.

Please Note: All written testimony submitted to a House or Senate committee is published on the General Assembly's website. Do not include any personal information you do not want available to the public and searchable online, including personal contact information. If you do not want your email published, send a PDF document of your testimony to be uploaded. This does apply to emails or letters you send directly to your legislators as a constituent.

For a larger selection of bills that we have testified on this session, and in previous years, please click here.