AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FORENSIC AUDIT ACT (Requires that an independent forensic audit of the department of transportation be commissioned by the attorney general.)

H7822

2026 -- H 7822
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LC005805
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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 STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FORENSIC AUDIT ACT

Introduced By:
Representative Charlene Lima

Date Introduced:
February 26, 2026

Referred To:
House State Government & Elections
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND
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GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 13.2
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RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FORENSIC AUDIT ACT
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42-13.2-1. Definitions.

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As used in this chapter:
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(1) “Attorney general” means the Rhode Island attorney general.
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(2) “Department” means the Rhode Island department of transportation
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(3) “Forensic audit” means a specialized, in‑depth examination of an organization’s
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financial records and transactions to detect and document potential fraud, misconduct, or other
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financial irregularities conducted in accordance with this chapter.
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42-13.2-2. Requirement to commission forensic audit.

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(a) The attorney general shall commission an independent forensic audit of the department
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within thirty (30) days following the passage of this chapter.
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(b) The audit shall be performed by an independently nationally accredited firm with
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demonstrated expertise in transportation systems, infrastructure finance, and public-sector
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performance benchmarking.
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(c) Any and all state agencies and offices shall cooperate with said audit and shall provide

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any and all assistance and information requested.
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(d) The audit shall be completed and delivered to the governor and the general assembly
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on or before January 1, 2027.
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42-13.2-3. Scope of audit.

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(a) The audit shall include, but not be limited to, the following areas:
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(1) Project delivery efficiency, including schedule adherence, cost escalation trends,
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change orders, procurement cycle time, and delivery outcomes;
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(2) Asset management, including pavement, bridges, culverts, intelligent transportation
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systems assets, backlog replacement needs, and lifecycle cost analysis;
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(3) Workforce and organizational structure, including ratio of in-house staff to consultants,
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vacancy rates, engineering capacity, and impacts on project delivery and oversight;
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(4) Maintenance efficiency, including cost per lane-mile, snow and ice operations
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productivity, maintenance productivity, and equipment utilization;
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(5) Financial management, including forecasting accuracy, cash-flow controls, use and
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tracking of federal funds, and alignment with the state transportation improvement program (STIP)
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and transportation improvement program (TIP); and
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(6) Governance and oversight, including internal controls, performance reporting,
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transparency practices, and compliance with responsible charge requirements.
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(b) The audit pursuant to this section shall be separate and independent of any audit
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conducted by the auditor general pursuant to chapter 13 of title 22 (“auditor general”).
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42-13.2-4. Appropriation.

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There is hereby appropriated from the department of transportation budget for the fiscal
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year 2026-2027, the sum of four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($450,000,000) to cover the cost of
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the audit provided for herein.
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42-13.2-5. Procurement and contracting practices.

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(a) Upon completion, the audit shall be submitted to:
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(1) The governor;
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(2) The president of the senate;
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(3) The speaker of the house of representatives; and
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(4) The chairs of the house and senate finance committees.
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(b) The final audit report shall be made publicly available on the DOT’s website.
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42-13.2-6. Cooperation and access to records.

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The department shall cooperate fully with the audit and provide access to all records, data,
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contracts, and personnel reasonably necessary to complete the audit.

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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC005805
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- RHODE ISLAND
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FORENSIC AUDIT ACT
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This act would require that an independent forensic audit of the department of
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transportation be commissioned by the attorney general.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005805
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