2026 -- S 2943

========

LC004355

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES

     Introduced By: Senators LaMountain, Dimitri, and Bissaillon

     Date Introduced: March 04, 2026

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 31-27-4.1, 31-27-4.3 and 31-27-4.4 of the General Laws in Chapter

31-27 entitled "Motor Vehicle Offenses" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-27-4.1. Eluding a law enforcement officer with a motor vehicle in a high speed

pursuit.

     Any person who in an attempt to elude or flee from a police officer in an emergency police

vehicle in a high speed pursuit of the person, operates a motor vehicle at speeds greater than fifteen

(15) miles per hour over the speed limit, or who causes property damage only in excess of one

thousand dollars ($1,000):

     (1) For the first conviction, may be subject to the following sanctions:

     (i) Up to one year incarceration at the adult correction institutions (A.C.I.) and a fine of

five hundred dollars ($500) but not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000);

     (ii) License suspension of not less than ninety (90) days but not more than six (6) months

and forfeiture of the motor vehicle.

     (2) For a second or subsequent conviction, the person shall:

     (i) Be sentenced to two (2) years at the A.C.I., but not more than five (5) years;

     (ii) Be fined a fine of two thousand dollars ($2,000) but not more than five thousand dollars

($5,000);

     (iii) Receive a license suspension of not less than one year but not more than five (5) years;

and

     (iv) Forfeit the motor vehicle.

     31-27-4.3. Forfeiture of motor vehicle.

     (a) Any motor vehicle including, but not limited to, cars, trucks, vessels, or motorcycles,

which has been or is being used in violation of § 31-27-4.1(2), may only be seized and upon

conviction, and pursuant to a court order, forfeited; provided, that no motor vehicle as enumerated

in this section used by any person shall be forfeited under the provisions of this chapter unless it

shall appear that the owner of the vehicle had knowledge, actual or constructive, and was a

consenting party to the alleged illegal act.

     (b)(1) The motor vehicle taken or detained under this section shall not be repleviable, but

shall be deemed to be in the custody of the law enforcement agency making the seizure. Whenever

a motor vehicle is forfeited under this chapter it shall be retained and utilized by the law

enforcement agency that seized the vehicle where the use of the vehicle is reasonably related to the

law enforcement duties of the seizing agency. If the seized vehicle is inappropriate for use by law

enforcement agency for reasons including, but not limited to, style, size, or color, the seizing agency

shall be allowed to apply the proceeds of sale or the trade-in value of the vehicle towards the

purchase of an appropriate vehicle for use for activities reasonably related to law enforcement

duties.

     (2) As to the proceeds from the sale of the property under subdivision (1) of this subsection,

the distribution shall be as follows:

     (i) All proceeds of the forfeiture of the motor vehicle shall be distributed as follows: all

costs of advertising administrative forfeitures and costs for any damage to any state or municipal

vehicles which occurred as a result of the high speed pursuit shall first be deducted from the amount

forfeited. Of the remainder, eighty percent (80%) of the proceeds shall be divided among the state

and local law enforcement agencies proportionately based upon their contribution to the

investigation of the criminal activity related to the asset being forfeited, and twenty percent (20%)

of the proceeds shall be provided to the state victims’ indemnity fund.

     (ii) Each state or local law enforcement agency shall be entitled to keep the proceeds from

sales of forfeited vehicles. The funds shall be used for law enforcement purposes. The funds

received by a state law enforcement agency shall be maintained in a separate account by the general

treasurer. The funds received by a local law enforcement agency shall be maintained in a separate

account by the local agency’s city or town treasurer.

     (c) Each law enforcement agency making any seizure(s) which result(s) in a forfeiture

pursuant to this section shall certify and file with the state treasurer between January 1 and January

30 an annual report detailing the vehicle or money forfeited during the previous calendar year and

LC004355 - Page 2 of 7

the use or disposition of the property or money. The report shall be made in the form and manner

that may be provided or specified by the treasurer and the annual law enforcement agency reports

as provided in this subsection shall be provided to the local governmental body governing the

agency and to the house and senate judiciary committees.

     (d) Any law enforcement agency whose duty it is to enforce the laws of this state is

empowered to authorize designated officers or agents to carry out the seizure provisions of this

chapter. It shall be the duty of any officer or agent so authorized or designated or authorized by

law, upon or by means of which any violation of this chapter has taken place or is taking place, to

seize the vehicle and to place it in the custody of the person who is authorized or designated for

that purpose by the respective law enforcement agency pursuant to those provisions.

     31-27-4.4. Motor vehicle forfeiture procedure. Post conviction motor vehicle

forfeiture procedure.

     (a) Any criminal complaint, information, or indictment charging a violation of § 31-27-4.1

shall set forth with reasonable particularity the motor vehicle that the attorney general seeks to

forfeit pursuant to this section Following a conviction pursuant to § 31-27-4.1(2), any criminal

complaint, information, or indictment charging that offense may upon motion of the attorney

general, identify with reasonable particularity the motor vehicle that the attorney general seeks to

forfeit pursuant to this section.

     (b)(1) After a conviction has been entered pursuant to § 31-27-4.1(2) the The court may,

upon application of the attorney general, enter a restraining order orders or injunction injunctions,

require any person claiming any interest in the subject vehicle to execute a satisfactory performance

bond to the state, or take any other action to preserve the availability of the vehicle subject to

forfeiture described in § 31-27-4.3, whether prior or subsequent to the filing of a complaint,

indictment, or information.

     (2) Written notice and an opportunity for a hearing shall be afforded to persons appearing

to have an interest in the vehicle, the hearing, however, to be limited to the issues of whether:

     (i) There is a substantial probability that the state will prevail on the issue of forfeiture after

a conviction and pursuant to a court order and that failure to enter the order will result in the vehicle

being destroyed, conveyed, encumbered or further encumbered, removed from the jurisdiction of

the court, depreciated in value or otherwise made unavailable for forfeiture; and

     (ii) The need to preserve the availability of the vehicle through the entry of the requested

order outweighs the hardship on any party against whom the order is to be entered.

     (c)(1) A temporary restraining order under this section may be entered upon application of

the attorney general without notice or opportunity for a hearing when a complaint, information, or

LC004355 - Page 3 of 7

indictment has not yet been filed with respect to the vehicle if the attorney general demonstrates

that there is probable cause to believe that the vehicle with respect to which the order is sought

would, in the event of conviction, be subject to forfeiture under § 31-27-4.3 and that provision of

notice will jeopardize the availability of the vehicle for forfeiture. The temporary restraining order

shall expire within ten (10) days of the date on which it is entered unless extended for good cause

shown or unless the party against whom it is entered consents to an extension for a longer period.

     (2) A hearing requested by any party in interest concerning an order entered under this

subsection shall be held at the earliest possible time and prior to the expiration of the temporary

order.

     (3) The court may receive and consider, at the hearing held pursuant to this subsection,

evidence and information that would be inadmissible in court.

     (d)(c) Upon conviction of a person for the covered offense, the court may enter a judgment

of forfeiture of the vehicle described in § 31-27-4.1 to the state and may also authorize the attorney

general to seize the motor vehicle ordered forfeited upon any terms and conditions that the court

shall deem proper. Following the entry of an order declaring the vehicle forfeited, the court may,

upon application of the attorney general:

     (1) Enter appropriate restraining orders or injunctions;

     (2) Require the execution of satisfactory performance bonds, appoint receivers,

conservators, appraisers, accountants, or trustees; or

     (3) Take any other action to protect the interest of the state in the property ordered forfeited.

     (e)(d) All right, title, and interest in the vehicle described in § 31-27-4.1 vests in the state

upon the commission of the act a conviction giving rise to forfeiture under this chapter. Any such

vehicle that is subsequently transferred to any person may be the subject of a special verdict of

forfeiture and shall be ordered forfeited to the state, unless the transferee establishes in a hearing

pursuant to subsection (f)(e) of this section that he or she is a bona fide purchaser for value of the

vehicle who at the time of purchase was reasonably without cause to believe that the vehicle was

subject to forfeiture.

     (f)(e) Procedures subsequent to the special verdict of forfeiture shall be as follows:

     (1) Following the entry of an order of forfeiture under this section, the state shall publish

notice of the order and of its intent to dispose of the vehicle once per week for at least three (3)

weeks in any manner that the attorney general may provide by regulation. The attorney general

shall also, to the extent practicable, provide written notice to all parties known to have an interest

in the vehicle and all parties whose identity is reasonably subject to discovery and who may have

an interest in the forfeited vehicle.

LC004355 - Page 4 of 7

     (2) Any person, other than the defendant, asserting any interest in the vehicle that has been

ordered forfeited to the state pursuant to this section may, within one hundred eighty (180) days of

the final publication of notice or his or her receipt of notice under subdivision (1) of this subsection,

whichever is earlier, petition the court for a hearing to adjudicate the validity of his or her alleged

interest in the vehicle.

     (3) The petition shall be signed by the petitioner under penalty of perjury and shall set forth

the nature and extent of the petitioner’s right, title, or interest in the vehicle; any additional facts

supporting the petitioner’s claim; and the relief sought.

     (4) The hearing on the petition shall, to the extent practicable and consistent with the

interest of justice, be held within thirty (30) days of the filing of the petition. The court may

consolidate the hearing on the petition with a hearing on any other petition filed by a person other

than the defendant and concerning the same vehicle.

     (5) At a hearing, the petitioner may testify and present evidence and witnesses on his or

her own behalf, and cross-examine witnesses who appear at the hearing. The state may present

evidence and witnesses in rebuttal and in defense of its claim to the vehicle and cross-examine

witnesses who appear at the hearing. In addition to testimony and evidence presented at the hearing,

the court shall consider the relevant portions of the record of the conviction in the criminal case

that resulted in the order of forfeiture.

     (6) In accordance with its findings at the hearing, the court shall amend the order of

forfeiture if it determines that the petitioner has established by a preponderance of the evidence

that:

     (i) The petitioner has a right, title, or interest in the vehicle, and the right, title or interest

was vested in the petitioner rather than the defendant or was superior to any right, title, or interest

of the defendant at the time of the commission of the acts which gave rise to the forfeiture of the

vehicle under this section; or

     (ii) The petitioner is a bona fide purchaser for value of any right, title or interest in the

vehicle and was at the time of purchase reasonably without cause to believe that the property was

subject to forfeiture under this section.

     (7) Following the court’s disposition of all petitions filed under this section, or if no such

petitions are filed, following the expiration of the period provided in this section for the filing of

the petitions, the state shall have clear title to the vehicle that is the subject of the order of forfeiture

and shall transfer good and sufficient title to any subsequent purchaser, transferee, or fund as

provided in this chapter.

     (8) Except as provided in this section, no party claiming an interest in the vehicle subject

LC004355 - Page 5 of 7

to forfeiture under this section may:

     (i) Intervene in a trial or appeal of a criminal case involving the forfeiture of the property;

or

     (ii) Commence any action against the state concerning the validity of the alleged interest.

     (g)(f) In order to facilitate the identification or location of the vehicle declared forfeited

and to facilitate the disposition of petitions filed pursuant to this section after the entry of an order

declaring a vehicle forfeited to the state, the court may, upon application of the attorney general,

order that the testimony of any witness relating to the forfeited vehicle be taken by deposition and

that any designated book, paper, document, record, recording (electronic or otherwise), or other

material not privileged, be produced at the same time and place, in the same manner as provided

for the taking of depositions under the Rules of Civil Procedure.

     (h)(g) If the vehicle described in § 31-27-4.1: (1) cannot be located; (2) has been transferred

to, sold to or deposited with a third party; (3) has been placed beyond the jurisdiction of the court;

(4) has been substantially diminished in value by any act or omission of the defendant; the court

shall order the forfeiture of any other property of the defendant up to the value of the subject

property.

     (i)(h) The court shall have jurisdiction to enter orders as provided in this section without

regard to the location of any property that may be subject to forfeiture under this section or that has

been ordered forfeited under this section.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC004355

========

LC004355 - Page 6 of 7

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE OFFENSES

***

     This act would remove the forfeiture provision for a first offense eluding law enforcement

in a high speed pursuit. It would also require that forfeiture of a motor vehicle for a violation of §

31-27-4.1(2) be allowed only after conviction of that offense.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC004355

========

LC004355 - Page 7 of 7