---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO LIBRARIES -- THE FREEDOM TO READ ACT"
description: "Promotes free expression and access of information by prohibiting the censorship of library materials."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "SB 238"
citation: "Rhode Island SB 238 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Bissaillon", "Britto", "DiMario", "Euer", "Gallo", "Gu", "Lauria", "Lawson", "Mack", "McKenney"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 24
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2025-02-13"
last_action: "2025-07-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/a90ea1f5-433d-44d1-a81b-87539ec23bf8"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "a6150101424ffe9f1f147ca62eaaf499a64445775271bfa43bfc5e6f545a0258"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ri"]
---

# Rhode Island SB 238 (2025) — AN ACT RELATING TO LIBRARIES -- THE FREEDOM TO READ ACT

Promotes free expression and access of information by prohibiting the censorship of library materials.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **238 SUB B** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/SenateText25/S0238B.pdf)

## Votes

- Passage — **31–5** (pass) · upper
- Passage — **30–4** (pass) · upper
- PASSAGE — **60–11** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Bissaillon — primary (person)
- Britto — primary (person)
- DiMario — primary (person)
- Euer — primary (person)
- Gallo — primary (person)
- Gu — primary (person)
- Lauria — primary (person)
- Lawson — primary (person)
- Mack — primary (person)
- McKenney — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-02-13** 02/13/2025 Introduced, referred to Senate Education `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2025-03-07** 03/07/2025 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/12/2025)
- **2025-03-12** 03/12/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study `committee-failure`
- **2025-04-18** 04/18/2025 Scheduled for consideration
- **2025-04-21** 04/21/2025 Meeting postponed (04/23/2025)
- **2025-04-25** 04/25/2025 Scheduled for consideration
- **2025-04-30** 04/30/2025 Meeting postponed (04/30/2025)
- **2025-04-29** 04/29/2025 Proposed Substitute `substitution`
- **2025-04-30** 04/30/2025 Meeting postponed (04/30/2025)
- **2025-05-02** 05/02/2025 Scheduled for consideration (05/07/2025)
- **2025-05-06** 05/06/2025 Proposed Substitute `substitution`
- **2025-05-07** 05/07/2025 Committee recommends passage of Sub A `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-07** 05/07/2025 Placed on Senate Calendar (05/13/2025) `reading-3`
- **2025-05-13** 05/13/2025 Senate passed Sub A `passage`
- **2025-05-14** 05/14/2025 Referred to House State Government & Elections `referral-committee`
- **2025-06-14** 06/14/2025 Scheduled for consideration (06/16/2025)
- **2025-06-14** 06/14/2025 Proposed Substitute `substitution`
- **2025-06-16** 06/16/2025 Committee recommends passage of Sub B `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-06-16** 06/16/2025 Placed on House Calendar (06/18/2025) `reading-3`
- **2025-06-18** 06/18/2025 House passed Sub B `passage`
- **2025-06-18** 06/18/2025 Placed on Senate Calendar (06/20/2025) `reading-3`
- **2025-06-20** 06/20/2025 Senate passed Sub B in concurrence `passage`
- **2025-06-27** 06/27/2025 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-07-02** 07/02/2025 Signed by Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/a90ea1f5-433d-44d1-a81b-87539ec23bf8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).