AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE--COURTS -- DISTRICT COURT

2026 Regular Session Introduced by John Burke and 3 co-sponsors

North Kingstown moves from the Third to the Fourth District Court Division to balance workloads and improve case handling across divisions.

06/12/2026 Effective without Governor's signature

Summary of SB 2936 (Rhode Island; 2026)

Purpose and intent

The bill amends the structure of the Rhode Island District Court divisions to better balance caseloads across divisions.

Specifically, it relocates North Kingstown from the Third Division to the Fourth Division.

Key provisions and changes

Section 8-8-2 (District Court divisions) is updated to redefine the divisions and specify which municipalities belong to each division. The new and affected divisions are:

Second Division: Newport area (Newport city; Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton)
Third Division: Warwick, Cranston, and several surrounding towns (Coventry, East Greenwich, Foster, Glocester, Johnston, Lincoln, North Kingstown, North Providence, North Smithfield, Scituate, Smithfield, West Greenwich, West Warwick)
Fourth Division: Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, Westerly
Sixth Division: Central Falls, East Providence, Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket and associated towns (Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville, Cumberland, Warren)

A crucial change is the movement of North Kingstown from the Third Division to the Fourth Division. This is intended to balance workload across divisions.

The act retains the mechanism by which appeals and transfers in cases arising in each division are transmitted to the appropriate county superior court (e.g., Second Division appeals/transfers go to Newport County Superior Court; Third to Kent County Superior Court; Fourth to Washington County Superior Court; Sixth to Providence County Superior Court).

The chief judge designates the specific locations for holding court in each division.

Each division maintains its own district court seal.

Affected entities

Primary: District Court divisions and their caseload distribution.

Municipalities impacted by the realignment: North Kingstown (moved from the Third to the Fourth Division); other municipalities remain within their current divisions as listed.

Court personnel and administrative staff may see changes in dockets, case routing, and division-specific operations.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Effective date: The act would take effect two months after passage.

Legislative pathway: Introduced March 4, 2026; referred to Senate Judiciary; subject to committee action and potential floor votes. Action history indicates: scheduled for consideration May 21, 2026; prior committee recommendation for further study (March 10, 2026).

Practical impact

Expected outcome: More balanced case workload across district court divisions, potentially reducing backlogs and improving case handling efficiency in the affected areas.

Practical considerations: Adjustments for residents and practitioners in North Kingstown and neighboring towns regarding where cases are heard and where appeals/transfers are processed. Administrative transitions may be required to update routing, signage, and division designation for filings.