PROVIDENCE (AP) — A state representative in Rhode Island is pushing for a bill that would allow school districts to raise money for extracurricular activities, including field trips and dances.

Rep. Joseph McNamara, a Warwick Democrat, said many school districts canceled field trips last year after the state's former education commissioner established a policy stating that school departments may not charge students to participate in public school field trips. Schools interpreted that to mean no fundraising could be done either, McNamara added.

The bill, recently introduced by McNamara, would add a provision to state law to say that school districts are not prohibited from requesting money from students, their parents or legal guardians to help pay for school-sponsored field trips, dances, clubs and other activities, provided the district pay the costs to meet any deficit.

McNamara leads the House education committee. He said his bill has the support of House leadership.

“The current policy of the Department of Education regarding the way these activities can be funded has caused many school districts to do away with field trips entirely," he said in a statement. “That’s just unacceptable because they are vital in increasing a child’s knowledge of specific subjects.”

The legislation was referred to the education committee.