Bill would require Rhode Island schools to allow brief presentations by congressionally chartered youth groups

Representative Casey told the House Education Committee that House Bill 7,894 would require public schools to give congressionally chartered youth organizations limited access to recruit and make brief presentations to students, with parental notice and safeguards to preserve instructional time and school safety.

"They are not random nonprofits," Representative Casey said, citing Title 36 of the U.S. Code and arguing that congressionally chartered organizations are vetted and mission‑driven. He said the presentations would be limited to 10 minutes, not during core instruction, and that parents would receive advance notice and could opt out.

Multiple witnesses supported the proposal. Tim McCandless, scout executive for the Narragansett Council, said there are five congressionally chartered youth organizations and pointed to research showing that high‑quality youth-development programs improve student outcomes. Life scout Massimo DePaolo told the committee, "Scouting has honestly made a real difference in my life," and described skills in leadership and service he gained through scouting.

Dana Borelli Murray, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, and Jordan Silva, the council's director of membership, testified that schools are a critical avenue to reach families and that without access many communities and immigrant families do not hear about such programs. "This bill matters because access matters," Dana Borelli Murray said, noting Girl Scouts' long history and national charter.

Representatives asked whether schools already provide similar access and how principals handle outside‑group requests. Witnesses said district practice varies: some schools allow presentations; others decline all outside groups to avoid preferential treatment. Tim McCandless said that in about half of Rhode Island schools scouts have been able to present in recent years, while other schools have adopted a blanket restriction.

The committee accepted additional testimony in support and kept the hearing open for written materials. The chair reminded witnesses that written statements may be submitted to the clerk for the record. The hearing closed without a committee vote on the bill.