| Chapter 083 |
| 2026 -- S 2936 Enacted 06/12/2026 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--COURTS -- DISTRICT COURT |
Introduced By: Senators Burke, LaMountain, Gallo, and Patalano |
| Date Introduced: March 04, 2026 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 8-8-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-8 entitled "District Court" is |
| hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 8-8-2. Divisions. |
| (a) For the distribution of court business, the state is divided into four (4) divisions as |
| follows: |
| (1) Second division. The second division consists of the city of Newport and the towns of |
| Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, and Tiverton. Appeals and transfers in cases |
| arising in the enumerated cities and towns of the second division shall be transmitted by the clerk |
| of the Second Division District Court to the clerk of the Newport County Superior Court. |
| (2) Third division. The third division consists of the city of Warwick and the city of |
| Cranston and the towns of Coventry, East Greenwich, Foster, Glocester, Johnston, Lincoln, North |
| Kingstown, North Providence, North Smithfield, Scituate, Smithfield, West Greenwich and West |
| Warwick. Appeals and transfers in cases arising in the enumerated cities and towns of the third |
| division shall be transmitted by the clerk of the Third Division District Court to the clerk of the |
| Kent County Superior Court. |
| (3) Fourth division. The fourth division consists of the towns of Charlestown, Exeter, |
| Hopkinton, Narragansett, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, and |
| Westerly. Appeals and transfers in cases arising in the enumerated cities and towns of the fourth |
| division shall be transmitted by the clerk of the Fourth Division District Court to the clerk of the |
| Washington County Superior Court. |
| (4) Sixth division. The sixth division consists of the cities of Central Falls, East |
| Providence, Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket and the towns of Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville, |
| Cumberland and Warren. Appeals and transfers in cases arising in the enumerated cities and towns |
| of the sixth division shall be transmitted by the clerk of the Sixth Division District Court to the |
| clerk of the Providence County Superior Court. |
| (b) In each division the place or places for holding court shall be designated by the chief |
| judge. |
| (c) The district court shall have a seal for each of its divisions, which shall contain the |
| words, “District court of the State of Rhode Island, division.” |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect two (2) months after passage. |
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| LC005281 |
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