AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS (Authorizes the city of Cranston to establish a housing division within its municipal court.)

H7083A

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS

Introduced By:
Representatives Lima, Potter, Cruz, Slater, Diaz, Sanchez, Handy,
Bennett, and McNamara

Date Introduced:
January 14, 2026

Referred To:
House Municipal Government & Housing
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 45-2-21 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-2 entitled "General
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Powers" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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45-2-21.
City of Cranston — Municipal court
City of Cranston -- Municipal court --
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Housing division.
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(a)
Establishment.
The city council of the city of Cranston may establish a municipal court
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and confer upon the court original jurisdiction notwithstanding any other provisions of the general
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laws to hear and determine causes the involving violation of any ordinance of the city including all
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minimum housing violations of the city; provided, that any defendant found guilty of any offense
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excluding minimum housing violations within the jurisdiction thereof by the court, may, within
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five (5) days of the conviction, file an appeal from the conviction to the superior court and be
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entitled in the latter court to a trial de novo; provided, that any defendant found guilty of any
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minimum housing violation may, within five (5) days of the conviction, file an appeal from the
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conviction to the district court and be entitled in the latter court to a trial de novo in accordance
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with §§ 8-8-3(a)(2), 8-8-3.1, and 8-8-3.2.
The city council of the city of Cranston may also establish
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a municipal housing division (hereinafter, "housing division") within the municipal court in
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accordance with subsection (e) of this section.
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(b)
Judges, clerks and procedures.
The city council of the city of Cranston is authorized
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and empowered to appoint a judge of the municipal court and a clerk of the municipal court.
The
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city council of the city of Cranston is also authorized to appoint a judge and clerk of the housing

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division, who may be, but is not required to be, the same person(s) holding the judgeship and
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clerkship of the municipal court.
The city council of the city of Cranston is authorized and
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empowered to enact ordinances governing the operation and procedure to be followed in the court
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and the housing division
and to establish a schedule of fees and costs.
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(c)
Operation, management, and powers of the municipal court.
The municipal court may
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impose a sentence not to exceed thirty (30) days in jail and impose a fine not in excess of five
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hundred dollars ($500), or both. The court is empowered to administer oaths, compel the attendance
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of witnesses, and punish persons for contempt.
The housing division shall not have the power to
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impose any jail sentence.
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(d) Operation, management, and powers of the housing division. The Cranston city council
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is authorized and empowered to enact ordinances governing the personnel, operation, and
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procedure to be followed in the housing division, and to establish a schedule of fees and costs, and
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to otherwise provide for the operation and management of the housing division. The Cranston city
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council may authorize the housing division to impose fines not in excess of five hundred dollars
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($500). The housing division may also be empowered to:
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(1) Administer oaths;
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(2) Compel the attendance of witnesses; and
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(3) Punish persons for contempt.
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(e) Municipal housing division establishment and jurisdiction.
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(1) The city council of the city of Cranston may establish a housing division within the
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municipal court, and confer upon the housing division original jurisdiction, notwithstanding any
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other provisions of the general laws, to hear and determine causes involving the violation of the
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zoning ordinances of the city and any violation of the provisions of chapter 24 of this title (“zoning
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ordinances”); any violation of chapter 24.1 of this title (“historical area zoning act”); any violation
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of chapter 24.2 of this title (“minimum housing standards”); any violation of chapter 24.3 of this
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title (“housing maintenance and occupancy code”); any violation of chapter 23 of this title
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(“subdivision of land”); any violation of any local Cranston ordinance or regulation, enacted
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pursuant to these chapters; and any violation of the provisions of chapter 27.3 of title 23 (“state
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building code”); and any violation of the provisions of those regulations promulgated by the state
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building code commission entitled SBC-I Rhode Island state building code; SBC-2 Rhode Island
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state one- and two-family (2) dwelling code; SBC-3 Rhode Island state plumbing code; SBC-4
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Rhode Island state mechanical code; SBC-5 Rhode Island state electrical code; SBC-6 state
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property maintenance code; SBC-8 Rhode Island state energy conservation code; and SBC-20
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Rhode Island state fuel and gas code; and provided, further, that any party aggrieved by a final

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judgement, decree, or order of the Cranston housing division may, within twenty (20) days after
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entry of this judgment, decree, or order, file an appeal to the superior court and be entitled in the
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latter court to a trial de novo.
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(2) With respect to violations falling under the jurisdiction of the Cranston housing
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division, as outlined in subsection (e)(1) of this section, the city council may also confer upon the
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housing division, in furtherance of the court’s jurisdiction, the power to proceed according to
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equity:
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(i) To restrain, prevent, enjoin, abate, or correct a violation;
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(ii) To order the repair, vacation, or demolition of any dwelling existing in violation;
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(iii) To otherwise compel compliance with all of the provisions of the ordinances and
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statutes; and
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(iv) To order a dwelling into receivership and to order the removal of any cloud on the title
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to the building or property that shall be binding upon all those claiming by, through, under; or by
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virtue of any inferior liens or encumbrances pursuant to chapter 44 of title 34.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- GENERAL POWERS
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This act would authorize the city of Cranston to establish a housing division within its
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municipal court.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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