Legislative Guidance for March 26th
We’ve received several emails requesting guidance on the legislation scheduled for the March 26th hearings. Since RI Gun Rights is strictly an information and communication hub, we felt it was important to gather input from Rhode Island gun rights organizations. To achieve this, we sent out a survey and received several responses.
Please visit and, more importantly, share the March 26th Rally landing page for event details and updates. You’ll find information on the schedule, how to submit testimony, where to get yellow t-shirts, parking details, and other important updates. You can also RSVP on the page to let us know if you’ll be attending, which will help us better anticipate the number of
If you’re part of a gun rights organization and were left out of this email list but would like to collaborate on future surveys, please reach out. We also recognize that the broader community should have a voice, and we’ll address this in upcoming surveys, subscribe to our newsletter and join the RI Gun Rights Community Forum to stay informed.
Color Code for Legislation:
- Red: Recommend opposition — these bills significantly restrict the rights of responsible gun owners.
- Yellow: Mixed feedback — we suggest researching these bills and using your own judgment.
- Grey: Neutral — we recommend researching these bills and using your own judgment.
- Green: Recommend support — these bills are favorable to responsible gun owners.
Note: Survey participants provided the included remarks. We’ve also included links to the PDF for each bill so that you can read them yourself.
HB 5436 – Rhode Island Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2025 : Establishes the Rhode Island Assault Weapons Ban Act of 2025.
Sponsors:
Knight, Caldwell, Boylan, Speakman, McEntee, Ajello, Kazarian, Craven, Dawson, Felix
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
Blatant Infringement on our Rights. Bans thousands of Semi-automatic Firearms.
HB 5443 – Suicide Prevention – Voluntary Firearm Restrictions Act : Creates process for individual to voluntarily be either temporarily or indefinitely added to a list restricting their rights to purchase or possess firearms.
Sponsors:
Boylan, Ajello, Knight, McEntee, Craven, Caldwell, Dawson, Batista, Cruz, Felix
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
No clear firearm return process; background check concerns
HB 5651 – Juvenile Records Access for Firearm Background Checks : Allows access to juvenile criminal records in order to conduct firearm background checks.
Sponsors:
McEntee, Fogarty, Caldwell, Spears, Boylan, Carson, Tanzi, Dawson, Knight
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
None
HB 5652 – Weapons – Hate Crime Sentencing Enhancement Restrictions : Precludes a person who pled nolo contendere or convicted of a misdemeanor offense and sentenced in accordance with the hate crime sentencing enhancement act for such misdemeanor, from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting or having possession firearm.
Sponsors:
Boylan, Tanzi, Knight, Dawson, Craven, Batista, Felix, Caldwell, Ajello, McEntee
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
Disproportionate impact on minorities, legal access issues
HB 5653 – Weapons – Licensing Authority Restrictions : Prohibits the licensing authority from imposing additional or stricter requirements than the department of attorney general as well as prohibiting said licensing authorities from imposing any fees, other than the fee required in 11-47-12.
Sponsors:
Corvese
Organizational Input:
75% Support,
25% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
Concerns that the AG sets the bar for the standard.
HB 5654 – Weapons – Concealed Carry Permit Restrictions for Out-of-State Residents : Prohibits local licensing authorities from issuing a concealed carry permit to out of state residents based on permits issued by authorities from other states or subdivisions.
Sponsors:
Fogarty, McEntee, Spears, Boylan, Carson, Donovan, Tanzi, Dawson, Kislak, Knight
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
Issues for out-of-state residents (military, retirees, workers)
HB 5666 – Education – Mandating Arming of Campus Police : Mandates arming campus police at public higher educational institutions and includes campus police in the definition of ‘law enforcement officer’ for the purposes of the ‘Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights.’
Sponsors:
O’Brien
Organizational Input:
75% Neutral,
25% Support
Remarks:
None
HB 5667 – Education – Mandating Ballistic Body Armor for Campus Police : Requires that all campus police officers be equipped with ballistic body armor.
Sponsors:
O’Brien
Organizational Input:
100% Neutral
Remarks:
None
HB 5889 – Expungement of Criminal Records – Consideration in Firearm Licensing : Allows a law enforcement agency to consider expunged records when issuing a license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver.
Sponsors:
Craven
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
None
HB 5890 – Weapons – Prohibition on Firearm Possession Under 18 : Specifies that it is unlawful for any person under the age of eighteen (18) to possess a firearm.
Sponsors:
Boylan, Knight, Caldwell, Dawson, Tanzi, Fogarty, Furtado, Kislak, Noret, Hull
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
Negative impact on junior shooting programs.
HB 5891 – Weapons – Felony Conviction Firearm Possession Ban : Disqualifies individuals with prior felony convictions from purchasing or possessing a firearm.
Sponsors:
Ajello, Donovan, Knight
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
None
HB 5933 – Weapons – Stun Gun Carry for Licensed Individuals (18+) : Provides that any person eighteen (18) years of age who is issued a license or permit may carry a stun gun.
Sponsors:
Lima, Casey, J. Brien, Place, Corvese, Serpa, Bennett, Edwards
Organizational Input:
50% Neutral,
25% Strongly Support,
25% Support
Remarks:
This Bill is similar to HB 5934, some sponsors are different.
HB 5934 – Weapons – Stun Gun Carry for Licensed Individuals (18+) : Provides that any person eighteen (18) years of age who is issued a license or permit may carry a stun gun.
Sponsors:
Casey, Lima, Phillips, Solomon, Noret, Costantino, Chippendale, Place, Corvese, Roberts
Organizational Input:
50% Support,
25% Strongly Support,
25% Neutral
Remarks:
This Bill is similar to HB 5933, some sponsors are different.
HB 5935 – Weapons – Concealed Carry Reform and Out-of-State Permit Recognition : Expands firearm rights to recognize out of state carry permits, authorizes weapons carried during emergency evacuation and establishes an appeal process for permit denied.
Sponsors:
Fascia, Place, Chippendale, Paplauskas, Quattrocchi, Santucci, Casey
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Support
Remarks:
None
HB 5936 – Weapons – Review and Appeal Process for Handgun Permits : Provides the review and appeal process for individuals applying for a permit or license to carry a handgun with the licensing authority or attorney general.
Sponsors:
Noret, Place, Corvese, Chippendale, Dawson, Phillips, Bennett, J. Brien, Casey, Read
Organizational Input:
100% Strongly Support
Remarks:
None
HB 5652 – Weapons – Hate Crime Sentencing Enhancement Restrictions : Precludes a person who pled nolo contendere or convicted of a misdemeanor offense and sentenced in accordance with the hate crime sentencing enhancement act for such misdemeanor, from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting or having possession firearm.
Sponsors:
Hull, Casey
Organizational Input:
75% Neutral,
25% Strongly Oppose
Remarks:
None
