AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- JURY LISTS (Amends the jury list and jury qualification statutes to add individuals receiving public assistance benefits.)

H8079

2026 -- H 8079
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LC005771
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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 COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- JURY
LISTS

Introduced By:
Representatives Potter, Alzate, Cruz, Batista, McEntee, and Felix

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 9-9-1 and 9-9-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 9-9 entitled "Jury
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Lists" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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9-9-1. Persons liable to service — Voting operator’s licenses, Rhode Island
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identification card, state income tax returns and unemployment compensation as evidence.
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(a) A person is liable to serve as a juror if the person is:
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(1) A citizen of the United States; and
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(2) At least eighteen (18) years of age; and
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(3) A resident of Rhode Island who either:
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(i) Resides in the county where the person is registered to vote;
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(ii) Is licensed to operate a motor vehicle within this state; or
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(iii) Possesses a Rhode Island identification card issued pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3-
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8-6 and 3-8-6.1; or
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(iv) Is an individual filing a state income tax return;
or
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(v) Is an individual recipient of unemployment compensation
; or
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(vi) Is an individual recipient of public assistance benefits, as defined in § 40-6-1
.
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(b) The list of qualified electors of each town and city as made up by the board of
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canvassers thereof, at its last meeting prior to the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in
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each even numbered year, and the duly certified records of the administrator of the division of

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motor vehicles shall be conclusive evidence of the liability of each person to serve as provided in
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this chapter, unless in the case of a qualified elector the name of the person has been removed from
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the list of qualified electors of that town or city on which the name of that person appears prior to
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being summoned to appear in court as a juror, and except as provided in this chapter. The jury
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commissioner shall notify the clerk of the board of canvassers and registration of each particular
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city or town when it appears that a person on a list of qualified jurors does not reside at the address
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on the list. The board of canvassers and registration, after due notice to the person, shall challenge
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the listing thereof and after a hearing thereon may remove that person from the list.
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(c) The division of motor vehicles shall forward to the jury commissioner the names of
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licensed drivers and the names of those persons who possess Rhode Island identification cards
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issued pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3-8-6 and 3-8-6.1 in the state on a yearly basis.
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(d) The division of taxation shall forward to the jury commissioner the names of all
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individuals who have filed a state income tax return, on a yearly basis.
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(e) The department of labor and training shall forward to the jury commissioner the names
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of all individuals who are receiving unemployment compensation, on a yearly basis.
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(f) The department of human services shall forward to the jury commissioner the names of
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all individuals who are receiving public assistance benefits, on a yearly basis.
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9-9-1.1. Qualifications of jurors.
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(a) A person is qualified to serve as a juror if the person is:
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(1) A citizen of the United States;
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(2) A resident of Rhode Island who either:
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(i) Resides in the county where the person is registered to vote; or
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(ii) Is licensed to operate a motor vehicle within this state; or
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(iii) Possesses a Rhode Island identification card issued pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3-
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8-6 and 3-8-6.1; or
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(iv) Is an individual filing a state income tax return;
or
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(v) Is an individual recipient of unemployment compensation;
or
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(vi) Is an individual recipient of public assistance benefits, as defined in § 40-6-1.
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(3) At least 18 years of age;
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(4) Able to understand and participate in the court proceedings; and
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(5) Physically and mentally capable of performing in a reasonable manner the duties of a
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juror.
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(b) No person shall be allowed to serve as a juror if he or she has been lawfully adjudicated
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to be non compos mentis, or is serving a sentence of confinement at a correctional facility as a

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consequence of a felony conviction.
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(c) [Deleted by P.L. 2023, ch. 367, § 1 and P.L. 2023, ch. 368, § 1.]
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(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a)(4) and (5), a person with a disability shall not be
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ineligible to serve as a juror solely on the basis of the person’s disability, and if that person meets
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the above requirements, with reasonable accommodations if necessary, the person shall be deemed
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a qualified juror.
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(e) Nothing in this section shall prevent the court from disqualifying a prospective juror
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because the prospective juror lacks a faculty or has a disability which will prevent the potential
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juror from being a competent juror in a particular case.
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(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a party’s right to preemptorially
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challenge jurors.
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SECTION 2. Section 40-6-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-6 entitled "Public
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Assistance Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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40-6-12. Records as to assistance.
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(a) All records pertaining to the administration of public assistance pursuant to this chapter
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and chapter 8 of this title are hereby declared to constitute confidential matter. It shall be unlawful
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for any person to make use of, or cause to be used, any information contained in records for
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purposes not directly connected with the administration thereof, except with the consent of the
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individual concerned.
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(b) The director of the department shall have the power to establish rules and regulations
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governing the custody, use, and preservation of the records, papers, files, and communications
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dealing with the administration of public assistance. The rules and regulations shall have the same
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force and effect as law. The records shall be produced in response to subpoena duces tecum
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properly issued by any federal or state court; provided, however, that the purpose for which the
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subpoena is sought is directly connected with the administration of public assistance. No subpoena
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shall be issued by a court asking either for the records, or for persons having custody or access to
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the records, unless the litigation involved in such matters is directly connected with the
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administration of public assistance.
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(c) Any person, who by law is entitled to a list of individuals receiving any of the assistance
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as provided in this section, shall not publish, or cause to be published, the list except by the express
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consent of the director of the department, or to make use thereof for purposes not directly connected
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with the administration thereof. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section, or the
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lawful rules and regulations made pursuant to this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and
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shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars ($200) or shall be imprisoned for not more than

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six (6) months, or both.
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(d) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the director of the department, or
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his or her agents duly authorized for that purpose, from issuing any statistical material or data, or
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publishing, or causing the data to be published, whenever he or she shall deem it to be in the public
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interest. The director of the department may inquire into the records of any state department or
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agency in the course of his or her administration of public assistance.
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(e) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the director of the department, or the director's
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duly authorized agents, from providing the jury commissioner the names and addresses of
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individual recipients of public assistance benefits; provided these records shall be used solely for
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the purpose of compiling the jury lists drawn pursuant to § 9-9-23.
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- JURY
LISTS
***
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This act would amend the jury list and jury qualification statutes to add individuals
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receiving public assistance benefits to the list of individuals sent to the state's jury commissioner
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on a yearly basis and would authorize the director of the department to provide the records for the
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purpose of compiling jury lists.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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