Update on Rhode Island Sex Buyer Accountability Bill: Senate Votes to Approve, Now Under HouseJudiciary Committee Consideration
April 2, 2026
On March 31, Rhode Island’s State Senate voted to pass legislation that would increase fines for arrested sex buyers and use most of that revenue to support sex trade survivors. Senate Bill 2145 would also require sex buyers to complete an education program designed to deter this behavior by teaching them about the wide range of risks they take and harms they cause by financing sex trafficking and prostitution. The program would be free to taxpayers, funded entirely by fines imposed on arrested buyers. This program model also has strong evidence of effectiveness in deterring sex buyers from re-offending.
The bill was referred to the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee. We will alert you about scheduled hearings or other developments. In the meantime, we urge you to contact the House co-sponsors of their version of S2145 and the other members of the House Judiciary Committee to support this bill. If you know residents of Rhode Island, it would be particularly helpful to have them contact their state Representatives and Senators.
At a hearing at the State House in Providence on March 26, representatives of Street Grace and ally organizations (the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Rights for Girls, World Without Exploitation, My Life My Choice) appeared in person and testified in favor of this bill alongside sex trade survivors and other residents of Rhode Island. In our testimony, we focused on research and historical precedent showing that demand reduction is the most crucial element in successful approaches to combat sex trafficking and prostitution. There have been approximately 100 sex buyer education programs in the U.S., all supported by offender fees, and the majority generating revenue for victims services. We also pointed out that there is precedent for S2145: Texas passed similar legislation in 2011 (HB1994). In addition, the Attorney General’s Office of Ohio has taken a strong stand against sex trafficking and prostitution, supporting sting operations to arrest sex buyers and establishing a state-wide grant program and guidelines to encourage buyer education programs. Free and effective is very hard to come by, and if the goal is to respond to communities who want prostitution and sex trafficking to stop, there is no good reason oppose S2145.
Please join us in voicing your support for S2145.
Bill Co-Sponsors
Rep. Justine Caldwell
D - District 30
East Greenwich, West Greenwich
(401) 222-4263
rep-caldwell@rilegislature.gov
State House, Room 205,
82 Smith Street
Providence, RI 02903
Rep. Julie Casimiro
D - District 31
North Kingstown, Exeter
(401) 222-4263
rep-casimiro@rilegislature.gov
State House, Room 205,
82 Smith Street,
Providence, RI 02903
Rep. Robert Craven
D - District 32
North Kingstown
(401) 222-2258
rep-craven@rilegislature.gov
State House, Room 205,
82 Smith Street,
Providence, RI 02903
Rep. Leonela Felix
D - District 61
Pawtucket
(401) 222-2447
rep-felix@rilegislature.gov
State House, Room 323,
82 Smith Street,
Providence, RI 02903
Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee
D - District 33
Narragansett, South Kingstown
(401) 222-4435
rep-mcentee@rilegislature.gov
State House, Room 205,
82 Smith Street,
Providence, RI 02903
Rep. William O’Brien
D - District 54
North Providence
(401) 222-1882
rep-obrien@rilegislature.gov
State House, Room 136
82 Smith Street,
Providence, RI 02903
Rep. Tina Spears
D - District 36
Charlestown, South Kingstown, New Shoreham, Westerly
(401) 222-1162
rep-spears@rilegislature.gov
State House, Room 07A,
82 Smith Street,
Providence, RI 02903
House Judiciary Committee Members
Representative Carol Hagan, Chair
rep-mcentee@rilegislature.gov
Representative Jason Knight, First Vice Chair
rep-knight@rilegislature.gov
Representative Matthew Dawson, Second Vice Chair
rep-dawson@rilegislature.gov
Representative Edith H. Ajello
rep-ajello@rilegislature.gov
Representative José F. Batista
rep-batista@rilegislature.gov
Representative David A. Bennett
rep-bennett@rilegislature.gov
Representative Arthur J. Corvese
rep-corvese@rilegislature.gov
Representative Cherie L. Cruz
rep-cruz@rilegislature.gov
Representative Marie A. Hopkins
rep-hopkins@rilegislature.gov
Representative Thomas E. Noret
rep-noret@rilegislature.gov
Representative David J. Place
rep-place@rilegislature.gov