Title 7
Corporations, Associations, and Partnerships
Chapter 1.2
Rhode Island Business Corporation Act
Part 16
The Secretary of State and Fees
R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-1.2-1601
§ 7-1.2-1601. The secretary of state.
(a) The secretary of state has the reasonably necessary power and authority to enable him or her to administer this chapter efficiently and to perform the duties imposed upon the secretary by this chapter.
(b) The secretary of state shall charge and collect in accordance with the provisions of this chapter:
(1) Fees for filing documents and issuing certificates.
(2) Miscellaneous charges.
(3) License fees.
(c) The secretary of state shall, between the first (1st) and fifteenth (15th) day of each month, make an itemized return, in writing, to the state controller of the amount of all fees and charges collected by him or her in the prior month, and pay to the general treasurer all of the state moneys in his or her hands.
(d) All reports required by this chapter to be filed in the office of the secretary of state must be made on forms which are prescribed and furnished by the secretary of state. Forms for all other documents to be filed in the office of the secretary of state may be furnished by the secretary of state on request for the forms, but the use of the forms, unless otherwise specifically prescribed in this chapter, is not mandatory.
(e) (1) If the secretary of state fails to approve any articles of incorporation, amendment, merger, or dissolution, or any other document required by this chapter to be approved by the secretary of state before the document is filed in his or her office, the secretary of state shall, within ten (10) days after the delivery of the document to the secretary of state, give written notice of disapproval to the person or corporation, domestic or foreign, delivering the document, specifying the reasons for the disapproval. From the disapproval the person or corporation may appeal to the superior court of the county in which the registered office of the corporation is, or is proposed to be, situated by filing with the clerk of the court a petition setting forth a copy of the articles or other document sought to be filed and a copy of the written disapproval of the document by the secretary of state; at which time the matter may be tried de novo by the court, and the court shall either sustain the action of the secretary of state or direct the secretary to take any action that the court deems proper.
(2) If the secretary of state revokes the certificate of authority to transact business in this state of any foreign corporation pursuant to the provisions of §§ 7-1.2-1414 and 7-1.2-1415, in addition to the remedy provided in § 7-1.2-1416, the foreign corporation may likewise appeal to the superior court of the county where the registered office of the corporation in this state is situated, by filing with the clerk of the court a petition setting forth a copy of its certificate of authority to transact business in this state and a copy of the notice of revocation given by the secretary of state; at that time the matter may be tried de novo by the court, and the court shall either sustain the action of the secretary of state or direct the secretary to take any action that the court deems proper.
(3) Appeals from all final orders and judgments entered by the superior court under this section in review of any ruling or decision of the secretary of state may be taken as in other civil actions.
History of Section.
P.L. 2004, ch. 216, § 2; P.L. 2004, ch. 274, § 2; P.L. 2005, ch. 120, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 130, § 1.