| Chapter 080 |
| 2026 -- H 7200 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/11/2026 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- PROCEDURE GENERALLY -- CAUSES OF ACTION |
Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Shekarchi, Caldwell, Casimiro, Spears, Felix, Cortvriend, Serpa, Fellela, and Knight |
| Date Introduced: January 21, 2026 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 9-1-51 of the General Laws in Chapter 9-1 entitled "Causes of |
| Action" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 9-1-51. Limitation on actions based on sexual abuse or exploitation of a child. |
| (a)(1) All claims or causes of action brought against a perpetrator defendant party by any |
| person for recovery of damages for injury suffered as a result of sexual abuse, including alleging |
| negligent supervision of a person that sexually abused a minor, or that the defendant's conduct |
| caused or contributed to the childhood sexual abuse by another person to include, but not be limited |
| to, wrongful conduct, negligence or default in supervision, hiring, employment, training, |
| monitoring, or failure to report and/or the concealment of sexual abuse of a child shall be |
| commenced within the later to expire of: |
| (i) Thirty-five (35) years of the act alleged to have caused the injury or condition; or |
| (ii) Seven (7) years from the time the victim discovered or reasonably should have |
| discovered that the injury or condition was caused by the act. |
| Provided, however, that the time limit or commencement of such an action under this |
| section shall be tolled for a child until the child reaches eighteen (18) years of age. For the purposes |
| of this section, “sexual abuse” shall have the same meaning as in subsection (e) of this section. |
| (2) All claims or causes A claim or cause of action brought against a non-perpetrator |
| defendant by any person alleging negligent supervision of a person that sexually abused a minor, |
| or that the non-perpetrator defendant’s conduct caused or contributed to the childhood sexual abuse |
| by another person to include, but not be limited to, wrongful conduct, neglect or default in |
| supervision, hiring, employment, training, monitoring, or failure to report and/or the concealment |
| of sexual abuse of a child shall be commenced within the later to expire of: |
| (i) Thirty-five (35) years of the act or acts alleged to have caused an injury or condition to |
| the minor; or |
| (ii) Seven (7) years from the time the victim discovered or reasonably should have |
| discovered that the injury or condition was caused by the act. |
| Provided, however, that the time limit or commencement of such an action under this |
| section shall be tolled for a child until the child reaches eighteen (18) years of age. |
| For purposes of this section “sexual abuse” shall have the same meaning as in subsection |
| (e) of this section. |
| (3) As to a perpetrator defendant, any claim or cause of action based on conduct of sexual |
| abuse may be commenced within the time period enumerated in subsections (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) |
| regardless if the claim was time-barred under previous version of the general laws. |
| (4) Except as provided in subsection (a)(3) herein, any claim or cause of action based on |
| conduct of sexual abuse or conduct that caused or contributed to sexual abuse, if the action is not |
| otherwise time-barred under previous version of the general laws on the effective date of this |
| section, may be commenced within the time period enumerated in subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2) of |
| this section based on conduct of sexual abuse or conduct that caused or contributed to sexual abuse, |
| including alleging negligent supervision of a person that sexually abused a minor or that the |
| defendant's conduct caused or contributed to the childhood sexual abuse by another person to |
| include, but not be limited to, wrongful conduct, negligence or default in supervision, hiring, |
| employment, training, monitoring, or failure to report and/or the concealment of sexual abuse of a |
| child regardless if the claims were time-barred under previous versions of the general laws on the |
| effective date of this section, may be commenced within the time period enumerated in subsections |
| (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) of this section. |
| (3) Notwithstanding any other law, a cause of action for damages that involves sexual |
| conduct or sexual contact with a child, including alleging negligent supervision of a person that |
| sexually abused a minor, or that the defendant's conduct caused or contributed to the childhood |
| sexual abuse by another person to include, but not be limited to, wrongful conduct, negligence or |
| default in supervision, hiring, employment, training, monitoring, or failure to report and/or the |
| concealment of sexual abuse of a child, and that would be time barred because of an applicable |
| statute of limitations shall be revived and shall be commenced by no later than June 30, 2028. |
| (b) The victim need not establish which act in a series of continuing sexual abuse or |
| exploitation incidents caused the injury complained of, but may compute the date of discovery from |
| the date of the last act by the same perpetrator defendant which is part of a common scheme or plan |
| of sexual abuse or exploitation. |
| (c) The knowledge of a custodial parent or guardian shall not be imputed to a person under |
| the age of eighteen (18) years. |
| (d) For purposes of this section, “child” means a person under the age of eighteen (18) |
| years. |
| (e) As used in this section, “sexual abuse” means any act committed by the defendant |
| against a complainant who was less than eighteen (18) years of age at the time of the act and which |
| act would have been a criminal violation of chapter 37 of title 11. |
| (f) All claims or causes of action made pursuant to this section against the State of Rhode |
| Island or any political subdivision thereof shall be exempt from the application of prejudgment |
| interest pursuant to § 9-21-10. |
| (g) All claims or causes of action made pursuant to this section against the State of Rhode |
| Island or any political subdivision thereof shall be subject to the limitations of damages set forth in |
| §§ 9-31-1, 9-31-2, or 9-31-3 and any damages recovered therein shall not exceed the sum of one |
| hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). |
| (h) In all actions filed pursuant to § 9-1-51(a)(3), other than those actions filed against the |
| State of Rhode Island or any political subdivision thereof, in which a verdict is rendered or a |
| decision made for pecuniary damages, there shall be added by the clerk of the court to the amount |
| of damages interest at the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum thereon from the date of written |
| notice of the claim by the claimant or his or her representative to the defendant or the defendant’s |
| insurer or the filing of the action, whichever comes first. |
| SECTION 2. Chapter 9-1 of the General Laws entitled "Causes of Action" is hereby |
| amended by adding thereto the following section: |
| 9-1-55. Severability. |
| If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is |
| held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter, which |
| can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of |
| this chapter are declared to be severable. |
| SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026. |
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| LC003370/SUB A |
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