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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- S 0014 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC000425 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- VEHICLE BARRIERS -- THE CHARLOTTE A. |
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| 16 | 16 | | VACCA ACT |
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| 17 | 17 | | Introduced By: Senators Tikoian, Felag, Ciccone, Burke, Britto, McKenney, |
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| 18 | 18 | | LaMountain, Gallo, Murray, and Sosnowski |
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| 19 | 19 | | Date Introduced: January 23, 2025 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Referred To: Senate Commerce |
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| 21 | 21 | | |
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| 22 | 22 | | |
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| 23 | 23 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby 1 |
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| 25 | 25 | | amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2 |
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| 26 | 26 | | CHAPTER 104 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | VEHICLE BARRIERS 4 |
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| 28 | 28 | | 23-104-1. Short title. 5 |
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| 29 | 29 | | This chapter shall be known and may be cited as "The Charlotte A. Vacca Act." 6 |
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| 30 | 30 | | 23-104-2. Definitions. 7 |
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| 31 | 31 | | As used in this chapter: 8 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (1) "Owner" means the proprietor, operator, lessor, or sublessor of commercial real estate 9 |
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| 33 | 33 | | defined in ยง 34-49-2, which is utilized, in whole or in part, by a retail establishment. 10 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) "Retail establishments" means all sales outlets, stores, shops, or other places of business 11 |
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| 35 | 35 | | located within the state, which operate primarily to sell or convey food or goods. 12 |
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| 36 | 36 | | (3) "Vehicle barrier" means a safety device that meets, at a minimum, the vehicle impact 13 |
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| 37 | 37 | | protection standards as adopted and amended by the Rhode Island building code commission, and 14 |
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| 38 | 38 | | that is installed to protect persons located within or on the property or to protect pedestrians, from 15 |
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| 39 | 39 | | collisions into buildings by motor vehicles. 16 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 23-104-3. Installation of vehicle barriers. 17 |
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| 41 | 41 | | Owners, as a part of any new construction of commercial real estate or buildings thereon, 18 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | LC000425 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 45 | 45 | | shall install vehicle barriers. Owners shall also be encouraged to install vehicle barriers at the 1 |
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| 46 | 46 | | locations of all of the owner's other retail establishments to protect persons and pedestrians on the 2 |
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| 47 | 47 | | property or within the establishment. 3 |
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| 48 | 48 | | 23-104-4. Insurance discount. 4 |
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| 49 | 49 | | (a) An insurer shall consider the installation of vehicle barriers as a safety measure and 5 |
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| 50 | 50 | | shall provide or offer a discount on the owner's insurance covering damage or loss to the covered 6 |
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| 51 | 51 | | commercial real estate or liability arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of the 7 |
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| 52 | 52 | | commercial real estate relative to the reduced risk to the property as a result of installation of the 8 |
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| 53 | 53 | | vehicle barrier(s). 9 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (b) Any discounts on insurance provided in accordance with this section shall be 10 |
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| 55 | 55 | | determined to be actuarially sound and approved by the insurance commissioner prior to their 11 |
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| 56 | 56 | | utilization by insurers. 12 |
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| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 13 |
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| 58 | 58 | | ======== |
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| 59 | 59 | | LC000425 |
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| 60 | 60 | | ======== |
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| 61 | 61 | | |
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| 62 | 62 | | |
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| 63 | 63 | | LC000425 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 64 | 64 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 65 | 65 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 66 | 66 | | OF |
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| 67 | 67 | | A N A C T |
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| 68 | 68 | | RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- VEHICLE BARRIERS -- THE CHARLOTTE A. |
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| 69 | 69 | | VACCA ACT |
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| 70 | 70 | | *** |
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| 71 | 71 | | This act would require commercial property owners to install vehicle barriers at their retail 1 |
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| 72 | 72 | | establishment locations as part of any new construction. This act would also require insurers to 2 |
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| 73 | 73 | | consider the installation of such vehicle barriers as a safety measure and eligible for a discount on 3 |
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| 74 | 74 | | the owner's insurance policy premium as approved by the insurance commissioner. 4 |
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| 75 | 75 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 5 |
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| 76 | 76 | | ======== |
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| 77 | 77 | | LC000425 |
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| 78 | 78 | | ======== |
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| 79 | 79 | | |
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