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S3166A
2026 -- S 3166 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC004857/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 HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY
Introduced By:
Senators Ciccone, Britto, Burke, Thompson, Felag, and DiPalma
Date Introduced:
March 27, 2026
Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 24-12-37 of the General Laws in Chapter 24-12 entitled "Rhode
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Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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24-12-37. Penalty for nonpayment of toll — Toll violators and toll evaders.
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(a) Legislative findings. The general assembly finds as follows:
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(1) That all users of any tolled projects should be required to timely pay for the use of such
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projects;
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(2) That toll violators and toll evaders unfairly shift the financial burden of maintaining the
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tolled projects to other project users; and
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(3) Rhode Island has a strong interest in ensuring that its transportation infrastructure is
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adequately funded in a fair and equitable manner.
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(b) In each instance when a person fails or refuses to pay or prepay the required toll on a
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tolled project, and is issued a violation for the same, the toll violator shall pay the toll amount within
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fourteen (14) days of issuance of the violation.
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(c) Any toll violator who fails to pay the toll amount due within the fourteen-day (14)
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period in subsection (b) shall immediately incur a forty-dollar ($40.00) administrative fee in
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addition to the unpaid toll amount.
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(d) Any toll violator who fails to pay the administrative fee and unpaid toll as required by
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subsection (c) within forty-five (45) days of the issuance of the original violation, shall incur a
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thirty five-dollar ($35.00) administrative fee in addition to the forty dollar ($40.00) administrative
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fee and the unpaid toll amount. The toll amount and administrative fees shall be paid to the
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authority.
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(e) Toll evaders shall be responsible for any tolls and administrative fees applicable to toll
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violators. Further, at the request of the authority, any toll evader shall also promptly receive a traffic
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violation summons that shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Rhode Island traffic tribunal,
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which may suspend the toll evader’s driver’s license for up to six (6) months for the violations and
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assess a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500), or both. All tolls, administrative fees, and fines
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shall be payable to the authority.
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(f) If any unpaid toll amounts, administrative fees, and fines are not paid within ninety (90)
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days of the issuance of the original violation, and the toll violator has incurred at least ten (10)
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instances in which such toll violator has failed to pay any required toll amounts, administrative
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fees, and fines, then the authority may report the person as a toll violator, or, if appropriate, as a
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toll evader, to the Rhode Island division of motor vehicles, who then shall not permit that person
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to renew his or her driver’s license and vehicle registration until any unpaid toll amounts,
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administrative fees, and fines are paid to the authority. Upon the authority’s receipt of such payment
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or a written repayment agreement between the person and the authority, the authority shall promptly
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issue a verbal, written, or electric confirmation showing the amounts paid and a certification that
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the person does not owe any amounts to the authority or has otherwise made satisfactory repayment
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arrangements with the authority. In any such case, the Rhode Island division of motor vehicles shall
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forthwith release any hold placed for this purpose on the person’s license renewal and vehicle
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registration renewal. If a person who made satisfactory repayment arrangements with the authority
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subsequently fails to honor and comply with such arrangements with the authority according to
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their terms, the authority may re-report the person to the Rhode Island division of motor vehicles
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which shall then prohibit that person from renewing their driver’s license and vehicle registration
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until the originally unpaid toll amounts, administrative fees, and fines are paid to the authority.
This
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provision of this subsection shall not apply to any vehicle owned by a rental company as defined
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in §31-34.1-1.
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(g) “Toll violator” means, for the purposes of this section, any person who uses any project
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and fails to pay or prepay the required toll.
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(h) “Toll evader” means, for the purposes of this section, any person who uses a project,
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fails or refuses to pay or prepay the required toll, and deliberately circumvents or proceeds around
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or through a gate or other barrier on a project; and/or any toll violator who fails or refuses to pay
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or prepay the required toll on a tolled project at least twenty (20) or more times, received at least
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three (3) written notices from the authority (or its agent) regarding the non-payment of tolls, and is
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not a party to, or in current compliance with, a written repayment plan with the authority.
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(i) The authority may promulgate appropriate rules and regulations to ensure the proper
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administration of the provisions of this section. Any person aggrieved by the authority’s assessment
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of any administrative fees may request review of such assessment through the process established
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by the authority, which shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter 35 of title 42.
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(j) For the purposes of this section only, “person” means the registered owner, EZPass
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account holder, driver, rentee, or lessee of a motor vehicle.
In the case of a motor vehicle owned
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by a rental company, "person" means the rentee or lessee of the vehicle at the time of the violation,
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provided that the rental company complies with subsections (o) and (p) of this section.
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(k) This section shall apply retroactively to all persons who are toll evaders as of the
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effective date of this act [October 1, 2016].
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(l) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to reduce or otherwise eliminate
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any tolls, fines, or penalties a person owes to the authority based upon violations occurring prior to
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the effective date of this act [October 1, 2016].
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(m) It is unlawful for any person or business, other than an authorized representative of the
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authority, or any other duly authorized and existing toll or transportation agency, to sell, lease, rent,
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or offer for sale, lease or rent, any tokens, tickets, passes, transponders, or other evidences of
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payment issued for passage on any project. Any person or business who or that is found in violation
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of this subsection shall be punished, for each offense, by a fine of not more than five hundred
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dollars ($500).
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(n) If any provision of this section or its application to any person is deemed invalid, any
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such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions of this section that may lawfully be given effect
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without the invalid provision.
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(o) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, a rental company, as
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defined in § 31-34.1-1, that is the registered owner of a motor vehicle shall be entitled to establish
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non-liability for toll violations, administrative fees, and fines by providing to the traffic tribunal a
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copy of a written rental or lease agreement which shall be prima facie evidence that the lessee was
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the operator of the vehicle.
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(p) The issuing authority shall provide to the owner of a rented or leased vehicle a notice,
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in writing, of each toll violation in which a motor vehicle owned by the rental or leasing company
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is involved, including the license number of the vehicle and the date and time of the toll violation.
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Upon receipt of this notice the owner of a rented or leased vehicle shall inform the issuing authority,
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within twenty (20) days, to the extent available, the operator’s name, home address, employer,
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employer’s address, and local address, if any.
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(q) The renter or lessee shall not be considered an agent of the owner if the owner is
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engaged in the business of renting or leasing vehicles.
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SECTION 2. Section 31-3-6.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration
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of Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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31-3-6.3. Unpaid out-of-state toll amounts, administrative fees, and fines — Denial of
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registration — Denial of transfer of registration — Denial of renewal of registration and
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licenses.
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(a) Upon receipt of a request from another state or other entity with similar tolling authority
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with which the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority has entered into an agreement providing
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for the reciprocal treatment of out-of-state toll violators to take action against a toll violator, the
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Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority shall conduct an independent review of each toll
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violation that forms the basis for such request, which shall include a review of photographic, video,
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or other visual evidence, to determine that the requesting state or other entity with similar tolling
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authority imposed any toll amounts, administrative fees, and/or fines against the actual registered
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owner of the motor vehicle.
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(b) As part of its independent review, the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority shall
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provide written notice to the registered owner of the motor vehicle in question. The registered
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owner shall have ten (10) days from the date on the written notice to contact the Rhode Island
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turnpike and bridge authority and to provide information, documentation, and any other evidence
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contesting the requested action against the out-of-state toll violator. Thereafter, the Rhode Island
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turnpike and bridge authority shall consider all of the information, documentation, and any other
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evidence provided as part of its independent review.
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(c) If after its independent review the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority is
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satisfied that any toll amounts, administrative fees, and/or fines are properly imposed against the
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actual registered owner of the motor vehicle and the registered owner could be subject to reporting
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to the division of motor vehicles pursuant to § 24-12-37 if such toll violations had occurred on
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tolled projects in this state, the Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority may report the registered
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owner to the division of motor vehicles.
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(d) The division of motor vehicles shall not renew any operator’s license or registration
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upon expiration thereof; register any motor vehicle; or transfer the registration of any motor vehicle
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of any person reported to it pursuant to subsection (c) of this section until any toll amounts,
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administrative fees, and/or fines owed to the other state or other entity with similar tolling authority
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have been paid in full or the person has entered into, and is in current compliance with, a repayment
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agreement with respect to any amounts owed. The Rhode Island turnpike and bridge authority shall
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provide a copy of any notification received from the other state or other entity with similar tolling
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authority regarding full payment of amounts owed or the existence of a repayment agreement to
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the division of motor vehicles within five (5) business days of receipt. Within five (5) business days
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of receiving such notification, the division of motor vehicles shall renew the person’s license and
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renew, transfer, or issue the person’s registration.
The provisions of this subsection shall not apply
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to any vehicle owned by a rental company as defined in § 31-34.1-1.
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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 HIGHWAYS -- RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY
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This act would provide that motor vehicle rental companies be entitled to establish non-
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liability for toll violations, administrative fees, and fines by providing a rental or lease agreement
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to the traffic tribunal as prima facie evidence that a lessee was the vehicle operator, and would
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exempt car rental companies from registration penalties resulting from out-of-state toll violations
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from operators using their rental vehicles.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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