Chapter 074

2014 -- H 7600

Enacted 06/03/14

A N   A C T

RELATING TO PROPERTY -- MUSEUM PROPERTY ACT

Introduced By: Representative Donald J.Lally

Date Introduced: February 26, 2014

 

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

 

SECTION 1. Section 34-44.1-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 34-44.1 entitled "The Rhode Island Museum Property Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

34-44.1-1. Definitions. -- As used in this chapter, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings, unless the context indicates another or different meaning or intent:

 (1) "Museum" means an organized and permanent nonprofit or public institution in Rhode Island operated by, or a division of, of a nonprofit corporation, trust, association, educational institution, or public agency, which that is primarily educational, scientific, historic, or aesthetic in purpose, and which that owns, borrows, cares for, studies, archives, or exhibits property. Museums may include, but not be limited to, historical societies, parks, historic sites and monuments, archives, and libraries;

 (2) "Property" means any tangible object in the possession of and under a museum's care that has intrinsic educational, scientific, historical, artistic, aesthetic, or cultural value, excluding the property of any agency or public body as defined in § 38-1-1.1;

 (3) "Loan" or "loaned" means a deposit with a museum that:

(i) Title to the property is not transferred to the museum,

(ii) The loan agreement for such deposit does not include a provision that the museum acquire title at some time after such deposit is made; or

(iii) The loan agreement for such deposit includes an option for the museum to acquire title at some time after such deposit is made;

 (4) "Lender" means a person (an individual, association, partnership, corporation, trust, estate, or other entity, excluding the property of any agency or public body as defined in § 38-1-1.1) whose name appears on the records of a museum as the person legally entitled to, or claiming to be legally entitled to, property held by the museum or, if such person is deceased, the legal heirs of such person.

 (5) "Undocumented property" means property under a museum's care, excluding the property of any agency or public body as defined in § 38-1-1.1, whose ownership cannot be determined by reference to the museum's records, and for which the museum does not have a reasonable means of determining the owner.

 (6) "Publication" means inclusion in the online publication of lists of abandoned property established pursuant to section 33-21.1-18.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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