Bill > H5665

This bill updates Rhode Island's Homeless Bill of Rights by expanding protections and adding new provisions for individuals experiencing homelessness. The bill adds the right to access trash receptacles and toilet facilities to ensure clean and sanitary living conditions, and explicitly extends privacy rights to include temporary housing like tents. It introduces new requirements for police and public works departments to create written policies that respect homeless individuals' rights, including protections against unreasonable searches of tents. The bill also establishes specific protocols for relocating homeless encampments, mandating a 60-day notice period before any enforcement action, requiring reasonable relocation alternatives, and ensuring that personal property is preserved for at least 30 days after an enforcement action. Additionally, the bill creates a potential enforcement mechanism by allowing civil actions and imposing fines of $2,500 per violation for intentional rights infringements, with collected fines to be used for housing stabilization services. These changes aim to provide more comprehensive legal protections and dignity for homeless individuals, recognizing their rights to public space, personal property, and humane treatment.

Housing and Urban Affairs, Justice

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