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H 8482Violent Crime Penalties

Motor and Other Vehicles - Motor Vehicle Offenses

This bill increases prison sentences and fines for drivers causing death or serious injury through reckless or drunk driving.

Held for study
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Apr 29, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This bill increases the criminal penalties for drivers who cause serious injury or death while driving recklessly or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For reckless driving causing death, the maximum prison sentence increases from 10 to 20 years. For reckless driving causing serious injury, the maximum sentence increases from 5 to 10 years. For driving under the influence causing death, the prison sentence changes to 5 to 30 years, with fines up to $20,000. For driving under the influence causing serious injury, the maximum sentence increases from 10 to 20 years, with fines up to $10,000.

For younger readers

This bill changes the rules for people who drive very unsafely or drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs. If a person breaks these rules and causes someone else to get badly hurt or die in a car crash, they will face harsher punishments. The bill increases the number of years these drivers can be sent to prison. It also increases the amount of money they have to pay as a fine.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Drivers convicted of DUIDrivers convicted of reckless drivingVictims of car accidentsFamilies of accident victimsTaxpayers
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

High risk

None Likely. The bill simply increases statutory minimum and maximum penalties (fines and prison terms) for existing criminal offenses related to vehicular homicide and serious bodily injury. It does not alter due process rights, trial procedures, or search and seizure laws.

Estimated cost
Amount unknown
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Enhances community safety and welfare by establishing stricter penalties for dangerous driving behaviors that threaten the lives of pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers.
  • Removes the distinction between first and second offenses for severe DUI cases, ensuring that any instance of causing death or serious injury is treated with the utmost seriousness.
  • Holds individuals fully accountable for destructive actions like drunk driving, which disproportionately impact vulnerable populations who rely on walking or public transit.
  • Relies heavily on punitive measures and longer prison sentences rather than addressing the root causes of substance abuse and addiction through treatment and rehabilitation.
  • Increases maximum fines up to $20,000, which could disproportionately burden low-income individuals and push them further into poverty or debt.
  • Expands the power of the carceral system by doubling maximum prison sentences, which goes against progressive goals of systemic criminal justice reform and reducing mass incarceration.
For Conservatives
  • Strengthens the rule of law by imposing much harsher penalties on individuals who choose to drive recklessly or under the influence, holding them strictly accountable for their actions.
  • Protects law-abiding citizens and upholds public order by keeping dangerous and irresponsible drivers off the streets and in prison for longer periods.
  • Increases financial penalties for offenders, shifting the economic burden of their crimes onto the perpetrators rather than the taxpayers.
  • Consolidating first and second offenses removes judicial discretion to treat first-time offenders more leniently, potentially resulting in overly harsh punishments for a single mistake.
  • Increases the maximum prison sentences significantly, which will lead to higher taxpayer costs to house inmates in state correctional facilities for longer durations.
  • Expands the government's power to revoke driving privileges for extended periods, which severely limits an individual's personal freedom and ability to maintain employment.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 16 additions · 33 deletions

SECTION 1. Sections 31-27-1, 31-27-1.1, 31-27-2.2 and 31-27-2.6 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-27 entitled "Motor Vehicle Offenses" are hereby amended to read as follows: 31-27-1. Driving so as to endanger, resulting in death.

(a) When the death of any person ensues as a proximate result of an injury received by the operation of any vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, including violations of § 31- 27-22, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of “driving so as to endanger, resulting in death”.

(b) Any person charged with the commission of this offense shall upon conviction be imprisoned for not more than ten (10) twenty (20) years and have his or her license to operate a motor vehicle suspended for no more than five (5) years. 31-27-1.1. Driving so as to endanger, resulting in serious personal injury.

(a) When the serious bodily injury of any person ensues as a proximate result of the operation of any vehicle in reckless disregard of the safety of others, including violations of § 31- 27-22, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of “driving so as to endanger, resulting in serious bodily injury”.

(b) “Serious bodily injury” means physical injury that creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.

(c) Any person charged with a violation of this section shall upon conviction be imprisoned for not more than five (5) ten (10) years and have his or her license to operate a motor vehicle suspended for no more than three (3) years. 31-27-2.2. Driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, resulting in death.

(a) When the death of any person other than the operator ensues as a proximate result of an injury received by the operation of any vehicle, the operator of which is under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, toluene, or any controlled substance as defined in chapter 28 of title 21, or any combination of these, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of “driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, resulting in death”.

(b) Any person charged with the commission of the offense set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall, upon conviction, be punished as follows: (1)(i) Every person convicted of a first violation shall be punished by By imprisonment in the state prison for not less than five (5) years and for not more than fifteen (15) thirty (30) years, in any unit of the adult correctional institutions in the discretion of the sentencing judge, by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and his or her license to operate a motor vehicle shall be revoked for a period of five (5) to ten (10) years. The license privilege shall not be reinstated until evidence satisfactory to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles establishes that no grounds exist which would authorize the refusal to issue a license, and until the person gives proof of financial responsibility pursuant to chapter 32 of this title. (ii)(2) In addition, the person convicted may be required to successfully complete alcohol or drug treatment in a program of their choice, at their own expense, as authorized by a judge of the superior court, and may successfully complete the program before any license to operate a motor vehicle is renewed.

(2) Every person convicted of a second or subsequent violation within a five (5) year period in this state or any other state, provided the out-of-state conviction was based on the same blood- alcohol concentration as set forth in § 31-27-2 shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than ten (10) years and for not more than twenty (20) years, in any unit of the adult correctional institutions in the discretion of the sentencing judge, by a fine of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) nor more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) and his or her license to operate a motor vehicle shall be revoked for a period of five (5) years. In addition, the person convicted may be required to successfully complete alcohol or drug treatment, at their own expense, in a program established by the director of the department of corrections. The license privilege shall not be reinstated whether the convictions occurred in this or any other state until evidence satisfactory to the superior court, following a hearing establishes that no grounds exist which would authorize the refusal to issue a license, and until the person gives proof of financial responsibility pursuant to chapter 32 of this title. 31-27-2.6. Driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, resulting in serious bodily injury.

(a) When serious bodily injury of any person other than the operator is caused by the operation of any motor vehicle, the operator of which is under the influence of any intoxicating liquor, toluene, or any controlled substance as defined in chapter 28 of title 21 or any combination of these, the person so operating the vehicle shall be guilty of driving under the influence of liquor or drugs, resulting in serious bodily injury.

(b) As used in this section, “serious bodily injury” means physical injury that creates a substantial risk of death or causes serious physical disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.

(c) Any person charged with the commission of the offense set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year and for not more than ten (10) twenty (20) years and by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) ten thousand dollars ($10,000). The sentencing judge shall have the discretion to sentence the person to any unit of the adult correctional institutions. The license of the person may be revoked for a period of up to two (2) three (3) to five (5) years. The license privilege shall not be reinstated until evidence satisfactory to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles establishes that no grounds exist which would authorize refusal to issue a license and until the person gives proof of financial responsibility pursuant to chapter 32 of this title. In addition, the person convicted may be required to successfully complete alcohol or drug treatment, at their own expense, in a program established by the director of the department of corrections.

(d) For a second or subsequent conviction under this section within a five (5) year period, a person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than two (2) years nor more than fifteen

(15) years and by a fine of not less than three thousand dollars ($3,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000). The sentencing judge shall have the discretion to sentence the person to any unit of the adult correctional institutions. In addition, the person convicted may be required to successfully complete alcohol or drug treatment, at their own expense, in a program established by the director of the department of corrections. The license of the person may be revoked for a period of up to four (4) years. The license privilege shall not thereafter be reinstated until evidence satisfactory to the administrator of the division of motor vehicles establishes that no grounds exist which would authorize refusal to issue a license and until the person gives proof of financial responsibility pursuant to chapter 32 of this title.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.