It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 10 of Chapter 317 of the Public Laws of 1984 entitled "An Act Providing for a Municipal Court in the Town of North Providence" is hereby amended to read as follows:

Section 10. Jurisdiction. -- The municipal court shall have original jurisdiction of all offenses and violations against the ordinances, by-laws, rules and regulations of the town of North Providence {ADD and the Rhode Island state building code and the minimum housing standards of the state of Rhode Island and town of North Providence ADD} . The proceedings in all cases in said court shall be commenced by complaint and warrant, and all said fines, penalties, pecuniary forfeitures, forfeitures of personal property, punishments and imprisonments may be prosecuted for recovered and imposed on complaint and warrant before said court, and on appeal therefrom to the Providence county superior court for a trial de novo. Said appeal to be filed within five (5) days after any conviction.

SECTION 2. Section 8-8-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-8 entitled "District Court" is hereby amended to read as follows:

8-8-3. Jurisdiction. -- (a) The district court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of:

(1) All civil actions at law, but not causes in equity or those following the course of equity except as provided in section 8-8-3.1 and chapter 8.1 of this title, wherein the amount in controversy does not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000);

(2) All actions between landlords and tenants pursuant to chapter 18 of title 34 entitled the "Residential Landlord and Tenant Act," and all other actions for possession of premises and estates, notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) herein;

(3) All actions of replevin where the goods and chattels to be replevied are of the value of five thousand dollars ($5,000) or less;

(4) All violations of minimum housing standards whether established by chapter 24.3 of title 45 entitled the Rhode Island housing, maintenance and occupancy code, or by any municipal ordinance, rule or regulation passed pursuant to the authority granted either by chapter 24.2 of title 45 or by special act of the general assembly governing minimum housing standards; except that in the event the city of Providence {ADD or town of North Providence ADD} shall by ordinance create a court for the purpose of exercising jurisdiction over violations of minimum housing standards, Providence municipal zoning code and the Rhode Island state building code, concerning properties which are not owned by the state, upon enactment of said ordinance, said court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of violations of the above listed codes and standards as defined herein, occurring within the city of Providence {ADD or the town of North Providence ADD} , and the district court shall be without jurisdiction over the same;

(5) All suits and complaints for offenses against the bylaws, ordinances and regulations of cities and towns whether passed by the cities or towns or under the law by the properly constituted authorities thereof;

(6) All other actions, proceedings and matters of whatever nature which are or shall be declared to be within the jurisdiction of said court by the laws of the state.

(b) The district court shall also have any special jurisdiction which is or may be conferred by charter or law upon justices of the peace if no special court exists or is created by charter or law for that purpose.

(c) The district court shall have concurrent original jurisdiction with the superior court of all civil actions at law wherein the amount in controversy exceeds the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) and does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000); Provided however, that in any such action, any one or more defendants may in the answer to the complaint demand removal of the action to the superior court, in which event the action shall proceed as if it had been filed originally in the superior court.

(d) The district court shall have special jurisdiction to grant relief as set forth under section 15-15-4, subsection (B)(1).

SECTION 3. Section 23-27.3-122.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-27.3 entitled "State Building Code" is hereby amended to read as follows:

23-27.3-122.2. Prosecution of violation. -- If the notice of violation is not answered and corrections scheduled as approved and complied with within thirty (30) days after service, unless otherwise provided in this code, the building official may request legal counsel of the municipality to institute the appropriate proceeding at law or in equity in a court of competent jurisdiction, including municipal housing courts, {ADD and the municipal court of the town of North Providence ADD} now existing or hereafter established by action of the general assembly, to restrain, correct or abate the violations or to require the removal or termination of the unlawful use of the building or structure in violation of the provisions of this code or of the order of direction made pursuant thereto. The court action shall have precedence on the calendar after court actions commenced pursuant to section 34-18-10 and shall continue to have precedence on the calendar on a day to day basis until the matter is heard.

SECTION 4. Section 45-24.2-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-24.2 entitled "Minimum Housing Standards" is hereby amended to read as follows:

45-24.2-7. Penalties -- District court jurisdiction -- Providence housing court -- Review by supreme court. -- {ADD 45-24.2-7. Penalties -- District court jurisdiction -- Providence housing court -- Municipal court of the town of North Providence -- Review by supreme court. -- ADD} Failure to comply with any ordinance, rule, or regulation passed pursuant either to the authority hereof or to any special act governing minimum housing shall constitute a violation as defined in section 11-1-2, punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500) for each violation, and each day's failure to comply with any provision shall constitute a separate violation. The district court shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of all violations as provided in section 12-3-1 provided, that in the city of Providence, the Providence housing court shall have jurisdiction to try violations occurring within the city of Providence, {ADD provided, further that in the town of North Providence, the municipal court of the town of North Providence shall have jurisdiction to try violations occurring within the town of North Providence, ADD} but only in the event that the city shall by ordinance create a court for the purpose of exercising jurisdiction over minimum housing standards. A party aggrieved by any judgment of the district court imposing a fine pursuant to this section may seek review by the supreme court in accordance with section 12-22-1.1.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage.