AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES (Bans street takeovers and violators would be guilty of a felony and punishable by imprisonment for more than one year and be subject to a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000).)

S3042

2026 -- S 3042
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LC004755
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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 -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES

Introduced By:
Senators Patalano, Raptakis, Dimitri, Appollonio, Burke, de la Cruz,
Thompson, and Tikoian

Date Introduced:
March 05, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
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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31-27-22.1. Street takeovers prohibited.
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(a) Any person who engages in street takeovers shall be guilty of a felony and shall be
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punishable by imprisonment for more than one year and be subject to a fine of not less than one
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thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) and the motor vehicle or
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low-speed motor vehicle, as defined in § 31-1-3, involved in the offense may be impounded and
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subject to a forfeiture hearing in the superior court.
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(b) A vehicle operated in violation of subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to
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forfeiture pursuant to the provisions of § 31-27-4.3.
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(c) For the purpose of this section, "street takeover" means an illegal meeting where
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individuals and/or drivers block roadways to perform stunts, drag race, or otherwise illegally
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obstruct a public street, road or highway to engage in reckless operation of a vehicle in violation of
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the provisions of chapter 27 of title 31.
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SECTION 2. Section 11-45-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-45 entitled "Disorderly
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Conduct" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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11-45-1. Disorderly conduct.
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(a) A person commits disorderly conduct if he or she intentionally, knowingly, or
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recklessly:

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(1) Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior;
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(2) In a public place or near a private residence that he or she has no right to occupy,
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disturbs another person by making loud and unreasonable noise which under the circumstances
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would disturb a person of average sensibilities;
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(3) Directs at another person in a public place offensive words which are likely to provoke
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a violent reaction on the part of the average person so addressed;
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(4) Alone or with others, obstructs a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, building
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entrance, elevator, aisle, stairway, or hallway to which the public or a substantial group of the public
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has access or any other place ordinarily used for the passage of persons, vehicles, or conveyances;
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(5) Engages in conduct which obstructs or interferes physically with a lawful meeting,
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procession, or gathering;
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(6) Enters upon the property of another and for a lascivious purpose looks into an occupied
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dwelling or other building on the property through a window or other opening; or
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(7) Who without the knowledge or consent of the individual, looks for a lascivious purpose
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through a window, or any other opening into an area in which another would have a reasonable
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expectation of privacy, including, but not limited to, a restroom, locker room, shower, changing
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room, dressing room, bedroom, or any other such private area, notwithstanding any property rights
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the individual may have in the location in which the private area is located.
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(8) [Deleted by P.L. 2008, ch. 183, § 1].
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(b) Any person, including a police officer, may be a complainant for the purposes of
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instituting action for any violation of this section.
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(c) Any person found guilty of the crime of disorderly conduct shall be imprisoned for a
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term of not more than six (6) months, or fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both
;
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provided, however, any person found guilty of the crime of disorderly conduct while wearing a
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mask or face covering, shall be imprisoned for a term of not more than one year, or fined not more
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than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both
.
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(d) In no event shall subdivisions (a)(2) — (5) of this section be construed to prevent lawful
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picketing or lawful demonstrations including, but not limited to, those relating to a labor dispute.
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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 MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES
***
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This act would ban street takeovers and violators would be guilty of a felony and
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punishable by imprisonment for more than one year and be subject to a fine of not less than one
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thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). The act would also
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authorize the impounding of the vehicle involved in the offense and subject it to a forfeiture hearing
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in the superior court. The act would also increase the penalty for disorderly conduct while wearing
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a mask.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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