AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--COURTS -- DISTRICT COURT (Moves North Kingstown from the third division of the district court to the fourth division to better balance case workloads among the divisions.)

S2936

2026 -- S 2936
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LC005281
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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--COURTS -- DISTRICT COURT

Introduced By:
Senators Burke, LaMountain, Gallo, and Patalano

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
(Judiciary)
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 8-8-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-8 entitled "District Court" is
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hereby amended to read as follows:
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8-8-2. Divisions.
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(a) For the distribution of court business, the state is divided into four (4) divisions as
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follows:
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(1)
Second division.
The second division consists of the city of Newport and the towns of
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Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, and Tiverton. Appeals and transfers in cases
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arising in the enumerated cities and towns of the second division shall be transmitted by the clerk
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of the Second Division District Court to the clerk of the Newport County Superior Court.
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(2)
Third division.
The third division consists of the city of Warwick and the city of
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Cranston and the towns of Coventry, East Greenwich, Foster, Glocester, Johnston, Lincoln,
North
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Kingstown,
North Providence, North Smithfield, Scituate, Smithfield, West Greenwich and West
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Warwick. Appeals and transfers in cases arising in the enumerated cities and towns of the third
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division shall be transmitted by the clerk of the Third Division District Court to the clerk of the
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Kent County Superior Court.
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(3)
Fourth division.
The fourth division consists of the towns of Charlestown, Exeter,
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Hopkinton, Narragansett, New Shoreham,
North Kingstown,
Richmond, South Kingstown, and
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Westerly. Appeals and transfers in cases arising in the enumerated cities and towns of the fourth
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division shall be transmitted by the clerk of the Fourth Division District Court to the clerk of the

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Washington County Superior Court.
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(4)
Sixth division.
The sixth division consists of the cities of Central Falls, East
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Providence, Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket and the towns of Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville,
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Cumberland and Warren. Appeals and transfers in cases arising in the enumerated cities and towns
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of the sixth division shall be transmitted by the clerk of the Sixth Division District Court to the
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clerk of the Providence County Superior Court.
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(b) In each division the place or places for holding court shall be designated by the chief
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judge.
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(c) The district court shall have a seal for each of its divisions, which shall contain the
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words, “District court of the State of Rhode Island, division.”
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect two (2) months after passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--COURTS -- DISTRICT COURT
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This act would move North Kingstown from the third division of the district court to the
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fourth division to better balance case workloads among the divisions.
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This act would take effect two (2) months after passage.
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