H7213 • 2026

AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ACTIONS BY AND AGAINST TOWNS (Limits the recovery for personal injuries actions against any town to $3,000 retroactive to all causes of action arising after January 1, 2026, and prohibits the use of subsequent remedial measures in roadway/highway defect cases.)

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Felix, Place, Kazarian, Morales, Alzate, Tanzi, Kislak, Fogarty
Last action: 2026-01-29
Official status: Committee recommended measure be held for further study
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ACTIONS BY AND AGAINST TOWNS (Limits the recovery for personal injuries actions against any town to $3,000 retroactive to all causes of action arising after January 1, 2026, and prohibits the use of subsequent remedial measures in roadway/highway defect cases.)

What This Bill Does

AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ACTIONS BY AND AGAINST TOWNS (Limits the recovery for personal injuries actions against any town to $3,000 retroactive to all causes of action arising after January 1, 2026, and prohibits the use of subsequent remedial measures in roadway/highway defect cases.)

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-29 Committee
Committee recommended measure be held for further study
2026-01-23 Rhode Island General Assembly
Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (01/29/2026)
2026-01-21 Rhode Island General Assembly
Introduced, referred to House Judiciary

Official Summary Text

AN ACT RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ACTIONS BY AND AGAINST TOWNS (Limits the recovery for personal injuries actions against any town to $3,000 retroactive to all causes of action arising after January 1, 2026, and prohibits the use of subsequent remedial measures in roadway/highway defect cases.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

H7213

2026 -- H 7213
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LC003854
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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:
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45-15-11. Effect of mending of highway by town.
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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
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or town, nor shall it in any way change the status of the way or street; and the mending or repairing
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of the way or street
, and any subsequent remedial measures taken that would have made an earlier
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injury or harm less likely to occur,
shall in no way render the city or town liable to pay
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compensation or damages by reason of injuries suffered by any person or persons traveling upon
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the way or street
, and evidence of the subsequent measures shall not be admissible to prove
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negligence, culpable conduct, a defect in the product or design, or a need for a warning or
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instruction
.
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45-15-12. Maximum recovery for personal injuries.
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(a)
No

Notwithstanding §§ 9-31-2 and 9-31-3, no
person shall recover from any town in
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any action mentioned in §§ 45-15-8 and 45-15-9, a greater sum for personal injuries than
one
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hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)

three thousand dollars ($3,000)
.
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(b) This section shall be given retroactive effect and apply to all causes of action arising on
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or after
May 4, 1984

January 1, 2026
.

1
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 -- 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.
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