2026 Pro-Gun Enforcement Bills: Stolen Firearms, Disarming Police, Campus Police, Gun-Free Zone Liability
2026 Pro-Gun Enforcement Bills: Stolen Firearms, Disarming Police, Campus Police, Gun-Free Zone Liability
Several pro-gun bills address enforcement gaps: S2285 increases stolen firearm penalties, H7753/S2292 create a felony for disarming police, H7128/S2053 mandate armed campus police, and S2283 creates civil liability for gun-free zone operators.
The 2026 session includes several bills focused on enforcement and expanding firearms rights in specific contexts[1].
S2285: Stolen Firearm Penalties
Senate Bill 2285 (Sens. Raptakis, Famiglietti, Appollonio, and seven others) would increase mandatory penalties for using stolen firearms in violent crimes and for possession of stolen firearms. The bill expands no-parole and no-probation minimum sentences.
H7753 / S2292: Disarming a Peace Officer
House Bill 7753 (Reps. Read, Chippendale, Santucci, and others) and Senate Bill 2292 (Sens. DiPalma, LaMountain, Burke, and others) would create a felony offense for knowingly removing or attempting to remove a firearm, weapon, or communication device from a peace officer.
H7128 / S2053: Armed Campus Police
House Bill 7128 (Reps. O'Brien, McEntee, Dawson, and others) and Senate Bill 2053 (Sens. Appollonio, Tikoian, Ciccone, and others) would require campus police at public higher education institutions to carry firearms with appropriate training requirements. The bills also include campus police in the law enforcement officers' bill of rights protections.
S2283: Gun-Free Zone Civil Liability
Senate Bill 2283 (Sens. de la Cruz, Rogers, Patalano, and others) would create civil liability for property owners or entities that prohibit firearms on their premises. If a licensed gun owner is harmed in a location where they were prohibited from carrying, the property owner could face a lawsuit claiming the harm could have been prevented with firearm access. This is one of the more novel pro-gun proposals nationally.
Current Status
All bills are in their respective Judiciary Committees with no hearings scheduled[2].
Sources
[1] RI General Assembly — 2026 Session Bills
S2285, H7753, S2292, H7128, S2053, S2283 (2026 Session)
LegiScan bill tracker for RI S2285 (2026)
Related
- 2026 Criminal Penalty Bills: Felon Possession, Under-18 Prohibition, and Minor Provisions
- H7647 (2026): Juvenile Records for Firearm Background Checks
- H8081/S3108 (2026): Expunged Records for Pistol Permit Decisions
- S2156 (2026): Carjacking Self-Defense Presumption
- H7755 / S2726 (2026): Responsible Firearm Purchasing Act -- Mandatory Safety Training
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