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H8384A
2026 -- H 8384 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC006022/SUB A
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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 MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES --
CASEY'S LAW
Introduced By:
Representatives Corvese, Noret, Azzinaro, Kennedy, Casey, J. Brien,
O'Brien, Craven, Solomon, and Phillips
Date Introduced:
April 01, 2026
Referred To:
House Judiciary
(Governor)
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Chapter 31-27 of the General Laws entitled "Motor Vehicle Offenses" is
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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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31-27-26. Enhancement of an offense for road rage -- Casey's law.
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(a) For the purposes of this section, "road rage" means the operation or use of a motor
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vehicle, or behavior on the part of the operator or passenger of a motor vehicle that is intentionally
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aggressive, harassing, threatening, intimidating, or dangerous and that is directed toward another
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motor vehicle operator or passenger upon any public highway, public roadway, or reasonable
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extension of any public highway or roadway, to which the public has access.
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(b) Any person convicted of or entering a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for a violation
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of any provisions of this chapter that constitute a misdemeanor or any other misdemeanor, and who
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is further found to have committed such violation as a result of road rage may be subject to the
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following in addition to any other penalty the court may impose for the underlying misdemeanor
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violation:
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(1) A fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000); and/or
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(2) Suspension of the person's operator's license for up to one year.
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(c) Any person convicted of or entering a plea of guilty or nolo contendere for a violation
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of any provisions of this chapter that constitute a felony or any other felony, and who is further
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found to have committed such violation as a result of road rage may be subject to the following in
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addition to any other penalty the court may impose for the underlying felony violation:
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(1) An additional term of imprisonment for not less than two (2) years and for not more
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than fifteen (15) years;
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(2) A mandatory fine of no less than one thousand dollars ($1,000); and
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(3) Suspension of the person's operator's license for a period of not more than five (5) years
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or revocation for a period up to two (2) years.
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(d) Whenever the attorney general or prosecutor seeks the enhanced sentence in this
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section, the attorney general or prosecutor shall file a notice with the court and the defendant no
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later than the first pretrial conference, or shall allege the enhancement in the complaint,
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information, or indictment, specifying that the defendant, upon conviction, is subject to the
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imposition of sentencing in accordance with this section.
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(e) Upon any plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or verdict or finding of guilty of the
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defendant, the court shall conduct a sentencing hearing. At the hearing, the court shall permit the
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attorney general or prosecutor and the defense to present additional evidence to the judge or jury
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relevant to the determination of whether the defendant committed the underlying offense as a result
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of road rage as defined in subsection (a) of this section. If the judge or jury at the hearing, or in the
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case of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, the court at sentencing, determines beyond a reasonable
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doubt that the defendant's actions were so motivated, the defendant shall be sentenced as provided
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in this section.
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(f) This section does not create a separate offense but provides an additional enhanced
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sentence for the underlying offense.
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(g) The enhanced sentence regarding imprisonment provided in this section shall run
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consecutively to the sentences provided for the underlying offenses.
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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 MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES --
CASEY'S LAW
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This act would create an enhanced penalty defined as "road rage" to be applied in addition
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to penalties for convictions of certain misdemeanor and felony offenses where the behavior on the
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part of the operator or passenger includes certain intentionally aggressive, harassing, intimidating
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or dangerous behavior.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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