2019 -- H 5874

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LC002181

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HIGHWAYS - RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Edwards, Canario, and Bennett

     Date Introduced: March 20, 2019

     Referred To: House Finance

     (RI Turnpike and Bridge Authority)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 24-12-37 of the General Laws in Chapter 24-12 entitled "Rhode

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Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     24-12-37. Penalty for nonpayment of toll -- Toll violators and toll evaders.

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     (a) Legislative findings. The general assembly finds as follows:

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     (1) That all users of any tolled projects should be required to timely pay for the use of

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such projects;

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     (2) That toll violators and toll evaders unfairly shift the financial burden of maintaining

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the tolled projects to other project users; and

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     (3) Rhode Island has a strong interest in ensuring that its transportation infrastructure is

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adequately funded in a fair and equitable manner.

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     (b) In each instance when a person fails or refuses to pay or prepay the required toll on a

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tolled project, and is issued a violation for the same, the toll violator shall pay the toll amount

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within fourteen (14) days of issuance of the violation.

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     (c) Any toll violator who fails to pay the toll amount due within the fourteen-day (14)

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period in subsection (b) shall immediately incur a forty-dollar ($40.00) administrative fee in

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addition to the unpaid toll amount.

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     (d) Any toll violator who fails to pay the administrative fee and unpaid toll as required by

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subsection (c) within forty-five (45) days of the issuance of the original violation, shall incur a

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thirty five-dollar ($35.00) administrative fee in addition to the forty dollar ($40.00) administrative

 

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fee and the unpaid toll amount. The toll amount and administrative fees shall be paid to the

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authority.

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     (e) Toll evaders shall be responsible for any tolls and administrative fees applicable to

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toll violators. Further, at the request of the authority, any toll evader shall also promptly receive a

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traffic violation summons that shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the Rhode Island traffic

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tribunal, which may suspend the toll evader's driver's license for up to six (6) months for the

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violations and assess a fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500), or both. All tolls, administrative

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fees, and fines shall be payable to the authority.

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     (f) If any unpaid toll amounts, administrative fees, and fines are not paid within ninety

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(90) days of the issuance of the original violation, and the toll violator has incurred at least twenty

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(20) ten (10) instances in which such toll violator has failed to pay any required toll amounts,

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administrative fees, and fines, then the authority may report the person as a toll violator, or, if

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appropriate, as a toll evader, to the Rhode Island division of motor vehicles, who then shall not

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permit that person to renew his or her driver's license and vehicle registration until any unpaid toll

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amounts, administrative fees, and fines are paid to the authority. Upon the authority's receipt of

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such payment or a written repayment agreement between the person and the authority, the

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authority shall promptly issue a verbal, written, or electric confirmation showing the amounts

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paid and a certification that the person does not owe any amounts to the authority or has

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otherwise made satisfactory repayment arrangements with the authority. In any such case, the

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Rhode Island division of motor vehicles shall forthwith release any hold placed for this purpose

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on the person's license renewal and vehicle registration renewal. If a person who made

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satisfactory repayment arrangements with the authority subsequently fails to honor and comply

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with such arrangements with the authority according to their terms, the authority may re-report

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the person to the Rhode Island division of motor vehicles which shall then prohibit that person

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from renewing their driver's license and vehicle registration until the originally unpaid toll

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amounts, administrative fees, and fines are paid to the authority.

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     (g) "Toll violator" means, for the purposes of this section, any person who uses any

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project and fails to pay or prepay the required toll.

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     (h) "Toll evader" means, for the purposes of this section, any person who uses a project,

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fails or refuses to pay or prepay the required toll, and deliberately circumvents or proceeds around

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or through a gate or other barrier on a project; and/or any toll violator who fails or refuses to pay

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or prepay the required toll on a tolled project at least one hundred (100) twenty (20) or more

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times, received at least three (3) written notices from the authority (or its agent) regarding the

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non-payment of tolls, and is not a party to, or in current compliance with, a written repayment

 

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plan with the authority.

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     (i) The authority may promulgate appropriate rules and regulations to ensure the proper

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administration of the provisions of this section. Any person aggrieved by the authority's

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assessment of any administrative fees may request review of such assessment through the process

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established by the authority, which shall not be subject to the provisions of chapter 35 of title 42.

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     (j) For the purposes of this section only, "person" means the registered owner, EZPass

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account holder, driver, rentee, or lessee of a motor vehicle.

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     (k) This section shall apply retroactively to all persons who are toll evaders as of the

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effective date of this act [October 1, 2016].

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     (l) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to reduce or otherwise eliminate

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any tolls, fines, or penalties a person owes to the authority based upon violations occurring prior

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to the effective date of this act [October 1, 2016].

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     (m) It is unlawful for any person or business, other than an authorized representative of

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the authority, or any other duly authorized and existing toll or transportation agency, to sell, lease,

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rent, or offer for sale, lease or rent, any tokens, tickets, passes, transponders, or other evidences of

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payment issued for passage on any project. Any person or business who or that is found in

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violation of this subsection shall be punished, for each offense, by a fine of not more than five

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hundred dollars ($500).

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     (n) If any provision of this section or its application to any person is deemed invalid, any

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such invalidity shall not affect the other provisions of this section that may lawfully be given

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effect without the invalid provision.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HIGHWAYS - RHODE ISLAND TURNPIKE AND BRIDGE AUTHORITY

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     This act would reduce the number of infractions for a person to be considered a "toll

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violator" from twenty (20) to ten (10). The act would also reduce the number of infractions for a

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person to be considered a "toll evader" from one hundred (100) to twenty (20).

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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