Authorizes Cranston to Establish Housing Division in Municipal Court
Rhode Island Legislative Events
Summary
The Rhode Island Senate passed S2401, authorizing the city of Cranston to establish a housing division within its municipal court system. The bill cleared the Senate 35-0 on March 31, 2026, and received a House committee recommendation for passage on April 7. The legislation grants Cranston specific powers to create a dedicated housing court division to handle local housing matters.
What changed
Rhode Island Senate Bill S2401 authorizes the city of Cranston to establish a dedicated housing division within its existing municipal court structure. The bill amends general powers provisions to permit this specific municipal court modification.
Affected parties include Cranston municipal court personnel, local housing practitioners, landlords, and tenants who may appear before the housing division. The legislation represents a structural change to local court administration that will require operational planning and resource allocation by the city once fully enacted.
What to do next
- Municipal courts in Cranston should prepare for potential housing division establishment
- Legal professionals practicing in Cranston municipal court should monitor implementation timeline
- Local government officials should review procedural requirements for housing division activation
Archived snapshot
Apr 8, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Rhode Island / S2401 Passed S2401 S Passed 2026-03-31
Authorizes the city of Cranston to establish a housing division within its municipal court.
TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS - Authorizes the city of Cranston to establish a housing division within its municipal court.
Bill Details
State Rhode Island
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source status.rilegislature.gov/
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Sponsors
Hanna Gallo (Sen - D) Lammis Vargas (Sen - D) Matthew LaMountain (Sen - D)
Action History
2026-04-07 H Committee recommends passage of Sub A as amended in concurrence 2026-04-03 H Scheduled for consideration (04/07/2026) 2026-04-01 H Referred to House Municipal Government & Housing 2026-03-31 S Senate passed Sub A as amended (floor amendment) 2026-03-27 S Placed on Senate Calendar (03/31/2026) 2026-03-26 S Committee recommends passage of Sub A 2026-03-25 S Proposed Substitute 2026-03-24 S Scheduled for consideration (03/26/2026) 2026-03-12 S Committee recommended measure be held for further study 2026-03-06 S Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (03/12/2026) 2026-01-30 S Introduced, referred to Senate Judiciary
Votes
2026-03-31 Approval Of Amendment Yea: 34 Nay: 0 2026-03-31 Passage As Amended Yea: 35 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-30 S Judiciary 2026-04-01 H Municipal Government & Housing
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-30 Introduced 2026-03-26 Comm Sub 2026-03-31 Amended
Subjects
Towns And Cities TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
Named provisions
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