Rhode Island legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Rhode Island H7389: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT (Appropriates nine hundred and fifty thousand
Status: Failed, May 12, 2026
AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT (Appropriates nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($950,000) to establish a bilingual education support fund within the department of elementary and secondary education and provides for implementation of support and access to bilingual education.)
What the bill says
From the introduced text, January 28, 2026:
2026 -- H 7389 ======== LC003702 ======== STATEOFRHODEISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ ANACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Felix, Giraldo, Alzate, Batista, Stewart, Carson, Speakman, Diaz, and Kislak Date Introduced: January 28, 2026 Referred To: House Finance It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Legislative findings. The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: (1) Consistent with Rhode Island's vision for education, every Rhode Island student deserves access to the highest quality education possible in order to thrive, graduate, and step into college or a career ready to succeed. (2) Consistent with § 42-5.1-1 (c) and (d), the economic well-being of the state depends on foreign trade and international exchange. To compete effectively, Rhode Island requires a multilingual and multicultural workforce, and proficiency in one or more additional languages is a key driver of economic growth and global competitiveness. (3) Consistent with § 42-5.1-1(j), the state both affirms the right of every resident to nurture their native language and also encourages all citizens to become proficient in English to facilitate full participation in society and promote cross-cultural communication. (4) Consistent with § 42-5.1-1(j) and (k), native language instruction facilitates the development of English proficiency with multilingual learners and boosts their overall …
Sponsors
- David Morales (D, HD-007) · primary sponsor
- Leonela Felix (D, HD-061)
- Joshua Giraldo (D, HD-056)
- Karen Alzate (D, HD-060)
- Jose Batista (D, HD-012)
- Jennifer Stewart (D, HD-059)
- Lauren Carson (D, HD-075)
- June Speakman (D, HD-068)
- Grace Diaz (D)
- Rebecca Kislak (D, HD-004)
Latest actions
- : Committee recommended measure be held for further study
- : Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration
- : Introduced, referred to House Finance
Subjects: EDUCATION
Common questions
- What is H7389?
- H7389 is a bill in the Rhode Island Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT (Appropriates nine hundred and fifty thousand .
- What does H7389 do?
- AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- THE SUPPORT AND ACCESS TO BILINGUAL EDUCATION ACT (Appropriates nine hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($950,000) to establish a bilingual education support fund within the department of elementary and secondary education and provides for implementation of support and access to bilingual education.)
- What is the status of H7389?
- Failed as of May 12, 2026. Latest action: Committee recommended measure be held for further study (May 12, 2026).
- Who sponsored H7389?
- David Morales (D, HD-007), with 9 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H7389?
- On the Rhode Island Legislature website: http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H7389.pdf
Source: official Rhode Island record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.