| Chapter 040 |
| 2017 -- S 0749 Enacted 06/22/2017 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DIVISION OF FIRE SAFETY |
| Introduced By: Senators P Fogarty, Nesselbush, Lombardi, Metts, and Ciccone |
| Date Introduced: April 12, 2017 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 23-28.2-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-28.2 entitled |
| "Division of Fire Safety" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 23-28.2-11. Investigation of fires and attempted fires. |
| (a) The state fire marshal, and/or any of the deputy state fire marshals or assistant state |
| fire marshals, may investigate any fire, or apparently attempted fire, and shall investigate the |
| cause, origin, and circumstances of every fire of suspicious origin, by which property has been |
| damaged or destroyed, or apparently attempted fire, and any fire where a fatality occurs as the |
| result of the fire and, so far as it is possible, determine the cause of the fire. The investigation |
| shall begin immediately after the occurrence of the fire, and local government officials shall |
| cooperate completely and assist the state fire marshal's office in all phases of the investigation. |
| (b) It shall be the responsibility of the local authority having jurisdiction to notify the |
| state fire marshal's office of any fire of suspicious or incendiary origin or where death may have |
| resulted from the fire. The fire marshal shall adopt notification procedures. |
| (c) The state fire marshal, and/or any of the deputy state fire marshals or assistant state |
| fire marshals, and/or municipal officials, including, without limitation, police, fire, and building |
| officials, shall prohibit any and all insurance adjusters, contractors, and restoration companies |
| from engaging in any solicitation or inspection or any physical presence on the premises under |
| investigation until twenty-four (24) hours after either the municipal fire department and/or the |
| state fire marshal, deputy state fire marshal, or assistant state fire marshal releases control of the |
| premises back to its legal owner(s) or occupant(s), unless the insurance adjuster, contractor, or |
| restoration company is accompanied by, and or acting with, permission of the premises' legal |
| owner. |
| (d) Any insurance adjuster, contractor, or restoration company in violation of the |
| provisions of subsection (c) shall be subject to a civil penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for |
| each violation and may be subject to revocation of the appropriate professional license or |
| registration. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
| ======== |
| LC002508 |
| ======== |