Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Rhode Island General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-29. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
H7213 2026 -- H 7213 ======== LC003854 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ACTIONS BY AND AGAINST TOWNS Introduced By: Representatives Felix, Place, Kazarian, Morales, Alzate, Tanzi, Kislak, and Fogarty Date Introduced: January 21, 2026 Referred To: House Judiciary It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Sections 45-15-11 and 45-15-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-15 2 entitled Actions by and Against Towns are hereby amended to read as follows: 3 45-15-11. Effect of mending of highway by town. 4 No work done by any city or town, upon any way or street, in mending or repairing the 5 way or street, shall constitute or be any evidence of an acceptance of the way or street by the city 6 or town, nor shall it in any way change the status of the way or street; and the mending or repairing 7 of the way or street , and any subsequent remedial measures taken that would have made an earlier 8 injury or harm less likely to occur, shall in no way render the city or town liable to pay 9 compensation or damages by reason of injuries suffered by any person or persons traveling upon 10 the way or street , and evidence of the subsequent measures shall not be admissible to prove 11 negligence, culpable conduct, a defect in the product or design, or a need for a warning or 12 instruction . 13 45-15-12. Maximum recovery for personal injuries. 14 (a) No Notwithstanding §§ 9-31-2 and 9-31-3, no person shall recover from any town in 15 any action mentioned in §§ 45-15-8 and 45-15-9, a greater sum for personal injuries than one 16 hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) three thousand dollars ($3,000) . 17 (b) This section shall be given retroactive effect and apply to all causes of action arising on 18 or after May 4, 1984 January 1, 2026 . 1 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======== LC003854 ======== LC003854 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ACTIONS BY AND AGAINST TOWNS *** 1 This act would limit the recovery for personal injuries actions against any town to three 2 thousand dollars ($3,000) retroactive to all causes of action arising after January 1, 2026, and would 3 prohibit the use of subsequent remedial measures in roadway/highway defect cases. 4 This act would take effect upon passage. ======== LC003854 ======== LC003854 - Page 3 of 3
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