2026 -- S 3169

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LC006054

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE

OFFENSES -- CASEY'S LAW

     Introduced By: Senators Tikoian, Ciccone, LaMountain, de la Cruz, Burke, Raptakis,
Sosnowski, McKenney, Dimitri, and Patalano

     Date Introduced: March 27, 2026

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Governor)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 31-27 of the General Laws entitled "Motor Vehicle Offenses" is

hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     31-27-26. Enhancement of an offense for road rage -- Casey's law.

     (a) For the purposes of this section, "road rage" means the operation or use of a motor

vehicle, or behavior on the part of the operator or passenger of a motor vehicle that is intentionally

aggressive, harassing, threatening, intimidating, or dangerous and that is directed toward another

motor vehicle operator or passenger upon any public highway, public roadway, or reasonable

extension of any public highway or roadway, to which the public has access.

     (b) Any person convicted of or entering a plea of guilt or nolo contendere for a violation

of any provisions of this chapter that constitute a misdemeanor or any other misdemeanor, and who

is further found to have committed such violation as a result of road rage shall be subject to the

following in addition to any other penalty the court may impose for the underlying misdemeanor

violation:

     (1) A mandatory fine of no less than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750); and

     (2) Suspension of the person's operator's license for up to one year.

     (c) Any person convicted of or entering a plea of guilt or nolo contendere for a violation of

any provisions of this chapter that constitute a felony or any other felony, and who is further found

to have committed such violation as a result of road rage may be subject to the following in addition

to any other penalty the court may impose for the underlying felony violation:

     (1) An additional term of imprisonment for not less than two (2) years and for not more

than fifteen (15) years;

     (2) A mandatory fine of no less than one thousand dollars ($1,000); and

     (3) Suspension of the person's operator's license for a period of not more than five (5) years

or revoked for a period up to two (2) years.

     (d) Whenever a person may be subject to the enhanced sentence in this section, the attorney

general or prosecutor shall file with the court a notice no later than the first pretrial conference, or

shall allege the enhancement in the complaint, information, or indictment, specifying that the

defendant, upon conviction, is subject to the imposition of sentencing in accordance with this

section.

     (e) Upon any plea of guilt or nolo contendere, or verdict or finding of guilt of the defendant,

the court shall conduct a sentencing hearing. At the hearing, the court shall permit the attorney

general or prosecutor and the defense to present additional evidence to the judge or jury relevant to

the determination of whether the defendant committed the underlying offense as a result of road

rage as defined in subsection (a) of this section. If the judge or jury at the hearing, or in the case of

a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, the court at sentencing, determines beyond a reasonable doubt

that the defendant's actions were so motivated, the defendant shall be sentenced as provided in this

section.

     (f) This section does not create a separate offense but provides an additional enhanced

sentence for the underlying offense.

     (g) The enhanced sentence regarding imprisonment provided in this section shall run

consecutively to the sentences provided for the underlying offenses.

     (h) There is to be established a restricted receipt account to be known as the "road rage and

safe driving education fund" which shall be a separate account within the department of

transportation. All fines collected pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the account.

Monies deposited into the account shall be transferred to the department of transportation and shall

be expended for the purpose of raising public awareness to the serious consequences of road rage

and to encourage safer driving behavior.

     SECTION 2. Section 35-4-27 of the General Laws in Chapter 35-4 entitled "State Funds"

is hereby amended to read as follows:

     35-4-27. Indirect cost recoveries on restricted receipt accounts.

     Indirect cost recoveries of fifteen percent (15%) of cash receipts shall be transferred from

all restricted receipt accounts, to be recorded as general revenues in the general fund. However,

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there shall be no transfer from cash receipts with restrictions received exclusively: (1) From

contributions from nonprofit charitable organizations; (2) From the assessment of indirect cost-

recovery rates on federal grant funds; or (3) Through transfers from state agencies to the department

of administration for the payment of debt service. These indirect cost recoveries shall be applied to

all accounts, unless prohibited by federal law or regulation, court order, or court settlement. The

following restricted receipt accounts shall not be subject to the provisions of this section:

     Executive Office of Health and Human Services

     HIV Care Grant Drug Rebates

     Health System Transformation Project

     Rhode Island Statewide Opioid Abatement Account

     HCBS Support-ARPA

     HCBS Admin Support-ARPA

     Department of Human Services

     Organ Transplant Fund

     Veterans’ home — Restricted account

     Veterans’ home — Resident benefits

     Pharmaceutical Rebates Account

     Demand Side Management Grants

     Veteran’s Cemetery Memorial Fund

     Donations — New Veterans’ Home Construction

     Commodity Supplemental Food Program-Claims

     Department of Health

     Pandemic medications and equipment account

     Miscellaneous Donations/Grants from Non-Profits

     State Loan Repayment Match

     Healthcare Information Technology

     Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals

     Eleanor Slater non-Medicaid third-party payor account

     Hospital Medicare Part D Receipts

     RICLAS Group Home Operations

     Group Home Facility Improvement Fund

     Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

     Emergency and public communication access account

     Department of Environmental Management

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     National heritage revolving fund

     Environmental response fund II

     Underground storage tanks registration fees

     De Coppet Estate Fund

     Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission

     Historic preservation revolving loan fund

     Historic Preservation loan fund — Interest revenue

     Department of Public Safety

     E-911 Uniform Emergency Telephone System

     Forfeited property — Retained

     Forfeitures — Federal

     Forfeited property — Gambling

     Donation — Polygraph and Law Enforcement Training

     Rhode Island State Firefighter’s League Training Account

     Fire Academy Training Fees Account

     Attorney General

     Forfeiture of property

     Federal forfeitures

     Attorney General multi-state account

     Forfeited property — Gambling

     Department of Administration

     Health Insurance Market Integrity Fund

     RI Health Benefits Exchange

     Information Technology restricted receipt account

     Restore and replacement — Insurance coverage

     Convention Center Authority rental payments

     Investment Receipts — TANS

     OPEB System Restricted Receipt Account

     Grants Management Administration

     Office of Energy Resources

     OER Reconciliation Funding

     RGGI Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council Projects

     Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Operating and Maintenance Account

     Clean Transportation Programs

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     Department of Housing

     Housing Resources and Homelessness Restricted Receipt Account

     Housing Production Fund

     Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Fund

     Department of Revenue

     Car Rental Tax/Surcharge-Warwick Share

     DMV Modernization Project

     Jobs Tax Credit Redemption Fund

     Legislature

     Audit of federal assisted programs

     Department of Children, Youth and Families

     Children’s Trust Accounts — SSI

     Military Staff

     RI Military Family Relief Fund

     RI National Guard Counterdrug Program

     Treasury

     Admin. Expenses — State Retirement System

     Retirement — Treasury Investment Options

     Defined Contribution — Administration - RR

     Violent Crimes Compensation — Refunds

     Treasury Research Fellowship

     Business Regulation

     Banking Division Reimbursement Account

     Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner Reimbursement Account

     Securities Division Reimbursement Account

     Commercial Licensing and Racing and Athletics Division Reimbursement Account

     Insurance Division Reimbursement Account

     Historic Preservation Tax Credit Account

     Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission

     Marijuana Trust Fund

     Social Equity Assistance Fund

     Judiciary

     Arbitration Fund Restricted Receipt Account

     Third-Party Grants

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     RI Judiciary Technology Surcharge Account

     Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

     Statewide Student Transportation Services Account

     School for the Deaf Fee-for-Service Account

     School for the Deaf — School Breakfast and Lunch Program

     Davies Career and Technical School Local Education Aid Account

     Davies — National School Breakfast & Lunch Program

     School Construction Services

     Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner

     Tuition Savings Program Fund

     Higher Education and Industry Center

     IGT STEM Scholarships

     Department of Labor and Training

     Job Development Fund

     Contractor Training Restricted Receipt Account

     Workers’ Compensation Administrative Account

     Rhode Island Council on the Arts

     Governors’ Portrait Donation Fund

     Statewide records management system account

     Road Rage and Save Driving Education Fund

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER MOTOR VEHICLES -- MOTOR VEHICLE

OFFENSES -- CASEY'S LAW

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     This act would create an enhanced penalty defined as "road rage" to be applied in addition

to penalties for convictions of certain misdemeanor and felony offenses where the behavior on the

part of the operator or passenger includes certain intentionally aggressive, harassing, intimidating

or dangerous behavior.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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