Skip to main content
H 8050Civil Procedure

Courts and Civil Procedure - Procedure Generally - Causes of Action

This bill protects family court mediators from personal financial liability for job-related mistakes, unless they acted maliciously or with gross negligence.

Signed into law36 Yea0 Nay1 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation provides legal protection to mediators and staff members working within the family court mediation program. If these employees face a lawsuit or claim for damages due to mistakes (negligence) made while performing their official job duties, the State of Rhode Island will cover their financial losses and legal fees. However, this protection does not apply if the employee's actions were intentional, malicious, or extremely reckless (gross negligence). Essentially, the state assumes the financial liability for the accidental errors of these specific court workers.

For younger readers

This law helps people who work as "mediators" in family court. Mediators are workers who help families solve arguments. Sometimes, people might get angry and try to sue the mediator if a mistake is made. This law says the government will pay for the lawyers and costs if that happens. However, if the mediator did something really mean or very careless on purpose, the government will not help them. It is meant to let mediators do their jobs without being scared of getting in trouble for small accidents.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Family court mediatorsFamily court staffTaxpayersFamilies involved in court mediationAttorneys
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Protects public sector employees and court staff from personal financial ruin due to good-faith errors made while performing their duties, thereby strengthening worker protections.
  • Ensures the stability and availability of family court mediation services, which provide a crucial, less adversarial alternative to litigation for families in crisis.
  • Encourages qualified professionals to enter and remain in the field of mediation without fear of frivolous lawsuits, maintaining high-quality public services for the community.
  • Transfers the financial burden of legal defense and damages for negligence from the individual responsible to the taxpayers.
  • Could potentially reduce personal accountability for mediators, as they are shielded from the direct financial consequences of their own negligence.
  • May make it slightly more difficult for aggrieved parties to feel a sense of direct justice if the individual mediator is indemnified by the state rather than being personally liable.
For Conservatives
  • Maintains the operational efficiency of the judicial system by preventing court staff from being paralyzed or distracted by the threat of civil lawsuits.
  • Retains strict penalties for wanton, malicious, or grossly negligent behavior, ensuring that true misconduct is not excused by the state.
  • Helps recruit necessary personnel to the court system without necessarily increasing salaries to offset high personal liability risks.
  • Forces taxpayers to foot the bill for the legal defense and damages resulting from the negligence of government employees.
  • Expands government immunity protections, potentially insulating state workers from the consequences of their poor performance or errors.
  • Reduces the personal responsibility of government agents, contrary to the principle that individuals should be liable for their own actions.

Votes

Loading votes...

Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 7 additions

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 9-1 of the General Laws entitled "Causes of Action" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 9-1-27.4. Family court mediators - Immunity from liability. The state shall protect and hold harmless mediators and other staff of the family court mediation program from financial loss and expense, including legal fees and costs, if any, arising out of any claim, demand, or suit for damages resulting from acts or omissions committed in the discharge of their duties with the program and within the scope of their employment which may constitute negligence, but which acts are not wanton, malicious, or grossly negligent as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.