Bill > S2236

This joint resolution appropriates $100,000 to the Rhode Island Commission on Prejudice and Bias for the fiscal year 2026-2027, to be distributed through its fiscal agent, the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The Commission on Prejudice and Bias, established in 1981, is a seventeen-member body composed of legislators, community leaders, and law enforcement representatives tasked with studying and addressing all forms of prejudice, bias, and hatred in Rhode Island. The resolution highlights the commission's crucial role in fostering communication and trust between law enforcement and communities, providing mandated hate crime training for law enforcement academies and current officers, educating victim advocates and community groups, reporting hate crimes, directing victims to resources, and advising state officials on relevant laws and policies. Despite its proven success and expanded scope of work, the commission has faced diminishing federal and state funding, making this appropriation necessary to ensure the thorough execution of its duties.

Budget and Finance

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