A Rhode Island House bill introduced on February 27, 2026 and referred to House Judiciary would create a Commission on Pardons, according to the General Assembly's bill text. The commission would handle pardon applications and recommend applicants to the governor under Article IX, Section 13 of the state constitution.
Applicants could include people who finished a sentence but cannot get an expungement, were denied one, or are on probation eligible for early termination. It would have nine members with two-year terms, appointed by officials such as the chief justice, attorney general, chief public defender and governor. The governor may send recommended or other names to the Senate for advice and consent.
Why it matters: The bill is about pardons generally, not cannabis, and it was not enacted on the page we read.
Source: Rhode Island General Assembly, 2026-02-27. Forgotten Prisoner's account is based on this bill text.