At a Glance

• Rhode Island law bans mandatory employer-sponsored meetings on “political” matters, which includes an employer’s position on unionization.
• The new law creates a private right of action for aggrieved employees.

On July 2, 2025, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed into law House Bill No. 5506 SUB A. With the stroke of a pen, Rhode Island joined the growing list of states to ban mandatory employer-sponsored meetings regarding religious and “political matters.”

The New Law

Based on its seemingly innocuous title, the new Section 28-7-50 of the Rhode Island General Laws is intended to promote and protect “[e]mployee rights of free speech in the workplace.” However, a closer reading of the new law’s definitions section reveals its true purpose: to impose a sweeping—and likely unconstitutional—ban on “captive audience” meetings.

The law defines “political matters” as “topics that are unrelated to the employer’s business or business activities, such as subjects relating to elections for political office, political parties, [and] proposals to change legislation or regulations which are not directly related to the employer’s business[.]” However, tacked on to the tail end of the definition of “political matters” is the following language: “a decision whether to join or support any political party, or political, civic, community, fraternal, or labor organization.” (Emphasis added)

Effective July 2, 2025, Rhode Island employers are prohibited from discharging,...

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