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H8094 • 2026

AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES (Restores law enforcement discretion, allowing officers to issue a verbal warning when appropriate or pursue misdemeanor or felony charges in more egregious cases where a child is left unattended in a motor vehicle.)

AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES (Restores law enforcement discretion, allowing officers to issue a verbal warning when appropriate or pursue misdemeanor or felony charges in more egregious cases where a child is left unattended in a motor vehicle.)

Children Crime
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Dawson
Last action
2026-02-27
Official status
Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-27 Rhode Island General Assembly

    Introduced, referred to House Judiciary

Official Summary Text

AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES (Restores law enforcement discretion, allowing officers to issue a verbal warning when appropriate or pursue misdemeanor or felony charges in more egregious cases where a child is left unattended in a motor vehicle.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
H8094

2026 -- H 8094
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LC005622
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES

Introduced By:
Representative Matthew S. Dawson

Date Introduced:
February 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Judiciary
(Attorney General)
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1
SECTION 1. Section 31-22-22.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-22 entitled
2
"Miscellaneous Rules" is hereby amended to read as follows:
3

31-22-22.1. Child passenger protection — Warnings of hazard and risk.
4
(a) All law enforcement officers in this state
are authorized to

may
provide a verbal warning
5
to any person who
shall be

is
deemed to have left a child under the age of seven (7) unattended in
6
a motor vehicle. The warning shall
apprise

inform
the offending person of the dangers of this
7
practice including, but not limited to, the risk of kidnapping and/or abduction, and the dangers
8
which may result from the accumulation of excessive temperatures within the motor vehicle.
9
(b)
No fine or sanction shall be imposed for a violation of this section, other than a verbal
10
warning, and no record of any kind shall be maintained of the warning.

Nothing in this section shall
11
preclude prosecution under any applicable criminal law for acts arising from leaving a child
12
unattended in a motor vehicle that constitute a criminal offense. A violation of this section may
13
result in criminal penalties consistent with such laws.
14
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC005622
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES
***
1
This act would restore law enforcement discretion, allowing officers to issue a verbal
2
warning when appropriate or pursue misdemeanor or felony charges in more egregious cases where
3
a child is left unattended in a motor vehicle.
4
This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC005622
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