The General Assembly is considering some bills that aim to protect children.
The first bill, introduced by Democratic Sen. Leonidas Raptakis, would fine and assign prison time to adults who leave children unattended in cars.
In a hearing Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee reviewed the legislation that would make it a crime to leave children under seven years of age in a car for more than five minutes. Similar consequences would also apply to adults who leave children- 14 or younger- in a car during periods of extreme heat or cold.
Raptakis has introduced similar legislation before. Parents have argued that it is not the role of lawmakers to legislate parenting.
The second bill aiming to protect children was introduced in the House by Woonsocket Rep. Michael Morin Tuesday. The legislation would prohibit the manufacture and sale of furniture made with certain cancer-causing chemicals, such as chlorine bonded to carbon. The bill would apply to many products marketed as flame retardant- like upholstered bedding.
Morin says these dangerous chemicals are found in other children’s products, including electronics. He says these chemicals have been associated with liver and thyroid toxicity.
Morin’s bill is headed to the House Health, Education and Welfare Committee and a similar bill has been introduced in the Senate.
Thirteen other states have adopted similar laws in the country.
