---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE -- DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE"
description: "Directs the governor to order the lowering of flags to half-mast on any state buildings to honor the passing of first responders annually on October 28."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2024"
identifier: "SB 2696"
citation: "Rhode Island SB 2696 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Burke", "Felag", "Gu", "Lauria", "Lawson", "Lombardi"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 15
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2024-03-01"
last_action: "2024-06-17"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9737dac3-3a62-4dda-a016-96682bb7b9b5"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "27872f338e526eec02e5c2fa9d7e048d8ab1303b8997369264995c40d9980842"
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 2696 (2024) — AN ACT RELATING TO HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE -- DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE

Directs the governor to order the lowering of flags to half-mast on any state buildings to honor the passing of first responders annually on October 28.

## Version chain

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

1. **2696 SUB A** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText24/SenateText24/S2696A.pdf)

## Votes

- IN CONCURRENCE — **69–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage — **37–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Burke — primary (person)
- Felag — primary (person)
- Gu — primary (person)
- Lauria — primary (person)
- Lawson — primary (person)
- Lombardi — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-03-01** 03/01/2024 Introduced, referred to Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2024-03-22** 03/22/2024 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/27/2024)
- **2024-03-27** 03/27/2024 Committee recommended measure be held for further study `committee-failure`
- **2024-04-26** 04/26/2024 Scheduled for consideration (04/30/2024)
- **2024-04-29** 04/29/2024 Proposed Substitute `substitution`
- **2024-04-30** 04/30/2024 Committee recommends passage of Sub A `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-05-01** 05/01/2024 Placed on Senate Calendar (05/09/2024) `reading-3`
- **2024-05-09** 05/09/2024 Senate passed Sub A `passage`
- **2024-05-10** 05/10/2024 Referred to House Special Legislation `referral-committee`
- **2024-05-24** 05/24/2024 Scheduled for consideration (05/29/2024)
- **2024-05-29** 05/29/2024 Committee recommends passage of Sub A in concurrence `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2024-06-04** 06/04/2024 Placed on House Calendar (06/06/2024) `reading-3`
- **2024-06-06** 06/06/2024 House passed Sub A in concurrence `passage`
- **2024-06-12** 06/12/2024 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2024-06-17** 06/17/2024 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/9737dac3-3a62-4dda-a016-96682bb7b9b5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).