PROVIDENCE — By a vote of 26-11 and after some two hours of debate Friday afternoon, June 20, the Rhode Island Senate passed an amended version of an assault weapons ban bill.

The bill, 2025-S 0359 Sub. A, was sponsored in the upper chamber by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton).

It is an altered version of a bill passed by the Rhode Island House of Representatives two weeks prior, 2025-H 5436A, sponsored by Rep. Jason Knight (D-Dist. 67, Warren, Barrington).

The legislation reached the Senate floor after its Judiciary Committee, by a 9-6 vote Wednesday, June 18, approved the piece.

Both bills would take effect on July 1, 2026. The revised Senate piece heads back to the House for its consideration.

In part, the Senate version shall "prohibit the manufacture, transfer, and sale of the semi-automatic assault rifles that have been used in the country's deadliest mass shootings — AR-15s and AK-47s — which account for the vast majority of assault weapons sold today. This narrows the bill to cover fewer pistols and shotguns, but overall still covers the majority of the assault weapons market."

Other changes allow for an AR-15 or AK-47 rifle to be purchased after the date of enactment if it has a fixed magazine — like the models currently sold in Massachusetts and New York.

The bill would not touch a number of firearms commonly used for self-defense, hunting and competitive shooting, including most semi-automatic shotguns and pistols.

The Senate legislation is similar to Washington State's law that bans sales, purchases and transfers of assault weapons, but does not restrict possession.

Said DiPalma prior to Friday's vote, "What this bill does, like the bill in Washington State, that's been enacted and signed by the governor for several years a few years now. restricts the sale purchase and manufacture of assault style weapons. 


"From a fact, data, and context perspective, the results have shown the purchase sale, and I can't speak to manufacturer, have gone down precipitously from the prior years when it was in existence. The bill is effective, the results show it. This bill, very well mimics the majority of what that bill has.

"With regards to what this bill has and the difference from what the original bill has and difference from what the House bill has, it restricts those numbers of weapons that have been used mostly in mass shootings. Most death and most injury. Some will say we don't need it today because it's not happening in Rhode Island. Being from Connecticut, nothing happened in Connecticut before Sandy Hook did. They have it in Connecticut. They have it in Massachusetts, the ban."

DiPalma, who credited the work of Knight and his counterparts in the House on the issue as well as his peers in his chamber, reiterated that those guns used for hunting and sport have been removed from the banned list in the Senate version as have some cases of possession and the transfer of ownership through inheritance.

He continued, "The expectation over time, is that the proliferation of assault style weapons as specified in the bill, precipitously go down because they won't be able to be purchased sold or manufactured in the state of Rhode Island."

DiPalma acknowledged some in his caucus, his colleagues in the House and advocates might deem the amended version as "watered down," but that they had to get beyond that belief to pass what had been worked out in the Senate.

He concluded his remarks by saying, "We need to get this done. We need to get this done today. 64% of Rhode Islanders want this. 64% of Rhode Islanders want specifically a ban on assault style weapons."

All four Republican members of the Senate along with seven Democrats voted against the bill. The chamber is minus one member upon the recent death of then body president Dominick Ruggerio.

Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz and Minority Whip Gordon Rogers each introduced amendments to the bill which were discussed and ultimately  defeated by approximately the same tallies as the intended legislation passed.