Loading chat...
RI H7819
Bill
Status
2/26/2026
Primary Sponsor
Charlene Lima
Click for details
AI Summary
-
Municipalities may sue private property owners in superior court to recover extraordinary emergency response costs from mass casualty events (incidents causing death or serious bodily injury to 3 or more people)
-
Recovery requires proving by preponderance of evidence that the property owner negligently failed to implement reasonable safety measures and that negligence proximately caused the event and resulting costs
-
Recoverable costs include police, fire, EMS, mutual aid, overtime, specialized equipment, and investigation expenses directly tied to the incident; no strict liability applies
-
Prevailing municipalities may receive attorneys' fees, costs, and prejudgment/post-judgment interest under § 9-21-10
-
Applies retroactively to mass casualty events occurring on or after January 1, 2024, with a 3-year statute of limitations from the date of the event
Legislative Description
Creates a civil cause of action for any municipality that incurs extraordinary emergency response costs arising from a mass casualty event may bring a civil action in the superior court to recover such costs from a private property owner.
Courts And Civil Procedure
Last Action
Introduced, referred to House Judiciary
2/26/2026