RI Gen. Laws §16-23-2
Loan of textbooks.
(a) The school committee of every community as it is defined in § 16-7-16 shall furnish upon request at the expense of the community textbooks in the field of mathematics, science, and modern foreign languages appearing on the list of textbooks published by the commissioner of elementary and secondary education as provided in § 16-23-3, to all pupils of elementary and secondary school grades resident in the community, the textbooks to be loaned to the pupils free of charge, subject to such rules and regulations as to care and custody as the school committee may prescribe.
(b) Every school committee shall also furnish at the expense of the community all other textbooks and school supplies used in the public schools of the community, the other textbooks and supplies to be loaned to the pupils of the public schools free of charge, subject to such rules and regulations as to care and custody as the school committee may prescribe. School books removed from school use may be distributed to pupils, and any textbook may become the property of a pupil who has completed the use of it in school, subject to rules and regulations prescribed by the school committee.