---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- OFFENSES PERTAINING TO SCHOOLS"
description: "Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race by expanding the definition of race to include traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protected hairstyles."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2025"
identifier: "HB 5841"
citation: "Rhode Island HB 5841 (2025)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Alzate", "Casimiro", "Cruz", "Felix", "Kazarian", "Kislak", "Lombardi", "Potter", "Shallcross Smith", "Stewart"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 14
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2025-02-28"
last_action: "2025-07-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/45a38608-fe7c-43aa-a197-1ebdf04364a0"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "46b16ffb86d95925fc13c0792f3dd5d856b3cea868d3ec730a332064424c820e"
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 HB 5841 (2025) — AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- OFFENSES PERTAINING TO SCHOOLS

Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race by expanding the definition of race to include traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protected hairstyles.

## Version chain

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

1. **5841** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText25/HouseText25/H5841.pdf)

## Votes

- PASSAGE — **65–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Alzate — primary (person)
- Casimiro — primary (person)
- Cruz — primary (person)
- Felix — primary (person)
- Kazarian — primary (person)
- Kislak — primary (person)
- Lombardi — primary (person)
- Potter — primary (person)
- Shallcross Smith — primary (person)
- Stewart — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-02-28** 02/28/2025 Introduced, referred to House Education `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2025-04-04** 04/04/2025 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (04/08/2025)
- **2025-04-08** 04/08/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study `committee-failure`
- **2025-04-18** 04/18/2025 Scheduled for consideration (04/22/2025)
- **2025-04-22** 04/22/2025 Committee recommends passage `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-05-16** 05/16/2025 Placed on House Calendar (05/22/2025) `reading-3`
- **2025-05-22** 05/22/2025 House read and passed `passage`
- **2025-05-23** 05/23/2025 Referred to Senate Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2025-06-16** 06/16/2025 Scheduled for consideration (06/18/2025)
- **2025-06-18** 06/18/2025 Committee recommends passage in concurrence `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-06-18** 06/18/2025 Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar (06/20/2025) `reading-3`
- **2025-06-20** 06/20/2025 Senate passed in concurrence `passage`
- **2025-06-25** 06/25/2025 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2025-07-01** 07/01/2025 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/45a38608-fe7c-43aa-a197-1ebdf04364a0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).