RI 2026 H8079: Courts and Civil Procedure - Procedure Generally - Jury Lists

Plain-English Summary

This legislation expands the sources used to create jury lists in Rhode Island. Currently, the state uses voter registration, driver's licenses, state IDs, income tax returns, and unemployment records to identify potential jurors. This bill adds individuals receiving public assistance benefits to that list. It requires the Department of Human Services to annually provide the jury commissioner with the names and addresses of these benefit recipients. The bill also amends privacy laws to specifically allow this information to be shared between the department and the courts for the sole purpose of selecting jurors.

For younger readers

When people go to court, a group called a "jury" helps decide if someone followed the rules. The government needs a list of names to pick people for the jury. Right now, they get names from lists of voters and drivers. This new rule says they can also get names from the list of people who get help from the government to pay for food or bills. This helps make sure that many different kinds of people get a turn to be on a jury and help make fair decisions.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Public assistance recipientsDepartment of Human ServicesJury CommissionerRhode Island CourtsLow-income residents

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Promotes social justice by ensuring jury pools more accurately reflect the socio-economic diversity of the community, leading to fairer trials for defendants.
Integrates marginalized and low-income populations into the democratic process and civic life, countering systemic exclusion.
Reduces the likelihood of juries being composed primarily of wealthier property owners, thereby broadening the perspective brought to legal deliberations.
May impose a significant financial and logistical burden on low-income individuals who may struggle with transportation, childcare, or lost wages while serving.
Raises privacy concerns by mandating the sharing of sensitive data regarding vulnerable populations between government agencies.
Could expose struggling families to legal penalties or fines if they are unable to navigate the bureaucracy of responding to jury summonses due to life instability.

For Conservatives

Reinforces the principle of civic responsibility by ensuring that recipients of government aid contribute to the legal system alongside other citizens.
Expands the jury pool significantly, potentially increasing the efficiency of the court system and spreading the duty of service across more people.
Upholds the rule of law by closing a loophole that allowed certain segments of the population to avoid jury service based on their income source.
Increases government bureaucracy and administrative overhead by requiring the Department of Human Services to track and transfer large datasets.
Expands the surveillance state by linking welfare records directly to the judicial system.
May introduce jurors who are statistically more likely to view the justice system or law enforcement with skepticism, potentially affecting verdict outcomes.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 14 additions · 2 deletions

SECTION 1. Sections 9-9-1 and 9-9-1.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 9-9 entitled "Jury Lists" are hereby amended to read as follows: 9-9-1. Persons liable to service — Voting operator’s licenses, Rhode Island identification card, state income tax returns and unemployment compensation as evidence.

(a) A person is liable to serve as a juror if the person is:

(1) A citizen of the United States; and

(2) At least eighteen (18) years of age; and

(3) A resident of Rhode Island who either:

(i) Resides in the county where the person is registered to vote;

(ii) Is licensed to operate a motor vehicle within this state; or

(iii) Possesses a Rhode Island identification card issued pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3- 8-6 and 3-8-6.1; or

(iv) Is an individual filing a state income tax return; or

(v) Is an individual recipient of unemployment compensation; or

(vi) Is an individual recipient of public assistance benefits, as defined in § 40-6-1.

(b) The list of qualified electors of each town and city as made up by the board of canvassers thereof, at its last meeting prior to the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even numbered year, and the duly certified records of the administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall be conclusive evidence of the liability of each person to serve as provided in this chapter, unless in the case of a qualified elector the name of the person has been removed from the list of qualified electors of that town or city on which the name of that person appears prior to being summoned to appear in court as a juror, and except as provided in this chapter. The jury commissioner shall notify the clerk of the board of canvassers and registration of each particular city or town when it appears that a person on a list of qualified jurors does not reside at the address on the list. The board of canvassers and registration, after due notice to the person, shall challenge the listing thereof and after a hearing thereon may remove that person from the list.

(c) The division of motor vehicles shall forward to the jury commissioner the names of licensed drivers and the names of those persons who possess Rhode Island identification cards issued pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3-8-6 and 3-8-6.1 in the state on a yearly basis.

(d) The division of taxation shall forward to the jury commissioner the names of all individuals who have filed a state income tax return, on a yearly basis.

(e) The department of labor and training shall forward to the jury commissioner the names of all individuals who are receiving unemployment compensation, on a yearly basis.

(f) The department of human services shall forward to the jury commissioner the names of all individuals who are receiving public assistance benefits, on a yearly basis. 9-9-1.1. Qualifications of jurors.

(a) A person is qualified to serve as a juror if the person is:

(1) A citizen of the United States;

(2) A resident of Rhode Island who either:

(i) Resides in the county where the person is registered to vote; or

(ii) Is licensed to operate a motor vehicle within this state; or

(iii) Possesses a Rhode Island identification card issued pursuant to the provisions of §§ 3- 8-6 and 3-8-6.1; or

(iv) Is an individual filing a state income tax return; or

(v) Is an individual recipient of unemployment compensation; or

(vi) Is an individual recipient of public assistance benefits, as defined in § 40-6-1.

(3) At least 18 years of age;

(4) Able to understand and participate in the court proceedings; and

(5) Physically and mentally capable of performing in a reasonable manner the duties of a juror.

(b) No person shall be allowed to serve as a juror if he or she has been lawfully adjudicated to be non compos mentis, or is serving a sentence of confinement at a correctional facility as a consequence of a felony conviction.

(d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a)(4) and (5), a person with a disability shall not be ineligible to serve as a juror solely on the basis of the person’s disability, and if that person meets the above requirements, with reasonable accommodations if necessary, the person shall be deemed a qualified juror.

(e) Nothing in this section shall prevent the court from disqualifying a prospective juror because the prospective juror lacks a faculty or has a disability which will prevent the potential juror from being a competent juror in a particular case.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a party’s right to preemptorially challenge jurors.

SECTION 2. Section 40-6-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-6 entitled "Public Assistance Act" is hereby amended to read as follows: 40-6-12. Records as to assistance.

(a) All records pertaining to the administration of public assistance pursuant to this chapter and chapter 8 of this title are hereby declared to constitute confidential matter. It shall be unlawful for any person to make use of, or cause to be used, any information contained in records for purposes not directly connected with the administration thereof, except with the consent of the individual concerned.

(b) The director of the department shall have the power to establish rules and regulations governing the custody, use, and preservation of the records, papers, files, and communications dealing with the administration of public assistance. The rules and regulations shall have the same force and effect as law. The records shall be produced in response to subpoena duces tecum properly issued by any federal or state court; provided, however, that the purpose for which the subpoena is sought is directly connected with the administration of public assistance. No subpoena shall be issued by a court asking either for the records, or for persons having custody or access to the records, unless the litigation involved in such matters is directly connected with the administration of public assistance.

(c) Any person, who by law is entitled to a list of individuals receiving any of the assistance as provided in this section, shall not publish, or cause to be published, the list except by the express consent of the director of the department, or to make use thereof for purposes not directly connected with the administration thereof. Any person violating any of the provisions of this section, or the lawful rules and regulations made pursuant to this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars ($200) or shall be imprisoned for not more than six (6) months, or both.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the director of the department, or his or her agents duly authorized for that purpose, from issuing any statistical material or data, or publishing, or causing the data to be published, whenever he or she shall deem it to be in the public interest. The director of the department may inquire into the records of any state department or agency in the course of his or her administration of public assistance.

(e) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the director of the department, or the director's duly authorized agents, from providing the jury commissioner the names and addresses of individual recipients of public assistance benefits; provided these records shall be used solely for the purpose of compiling the jury lists drawn pursuant to § 9-9-23.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.