Text of RI H 7065 (2024)

2024 -- H 7065 ======== LC003755 ======== S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- HOTELS Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, DeSimone, Finkelman, McEntee, McNamara, Fogarty, Serpa, Boylan, Cortvriend, and Edwards Date Introduced: January 05, 2024 Referred To: House Small Business It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Sections 5-14-4 and 5-14-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-14 entitled 1 "Hotels" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2 5-14-4. Innkeeper’s right to eject. [Effective July 1, 2024.] 3 (a) An innkeeper may remove or cause to be removed from a hotel a guest or other person 4 who: 5 (1) Refuses or is unable to pay for accommodations or services; 6 (2) While on the premises of the hotel, acts in an obviously intoxicated manner, destroys 7 or threatens to destroy hotel property, verbally or physically threatens employees or guests, or 8 causes or threatens to cause a public disturbance; 9 (3) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person is using the premises for the unlawful 10 possession or use of controlled substances by the person in violation of chapter 28 of title 21, or 11 using the premises for the consumption of alcohol by a person under the age of twenty-one (21) 12 years of age in violation of chapter 8 of title 3; 13 (4) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person has brought property into the hotel that 14 may be dangerous to other persons, such as firearms or explosives; 15 (5) A person violates any federal, state, or local laws, ordinances, or rules relating to the 16 hotel; or 17 (6) Violates a rule of the hotel that is clearly and conspicuously posted at or near the front 18 desk and on the inside of the entrance door of every guest room and posted online where the guest 19 LC003755 - Page 2 of 3 can view it before making a reservation at the hotel; or 1 (7) Uses verbally abusive language towards the hotel's employees or guests. For the 2 purposes of this chapter, "verbally abusive language", means any language that would reasonably 3 be found to be offensive, threatening, or demeaning. 4 (b) If the guest has paid in advance, the innkeeper shall tender to the guest any unused 5 portion of the advance payment at the time of removal. 6 (c) Nothing in this section shall be used as a pretext to discriminate against a guest on the 7 basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, 8 or country of ancestral origin. 9 5-14-5. Refusal of admission. [Effective July 1, 2024.] 10 An innkeeper may refuse to admit or refuse service or accommodations to a person who: 11 (1) While on the premises of the hotel, acts in an obviously intoxicated manner, destroys 12 or threatens to destroy hotel property, or causes or threatens to cause a public disturbance. 13 (2) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person is seeking accommodations for the 14 unlawful possession or use of controlled substances in violation of chapter 28 of title 21 or the use 15 of the premises for the consumption of intoxicating liquor by a person. 16 (3) A person under the age of eighteen (18) years if they are not in proper condition or are 17 unable to pay for their charges who is not accompanied by an adult. 18 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 2, 2024. 19 ======== LC003755 ======== LC003755 - Page 3 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- HOTELS *** This act would make permanent certain changes regarding hotel rules and guests, which 1 changes were set to sunset on July 1, 2024. These include requiring online posting of hotel rules 2 and expand the authority of the innkeeper to eject a person for being verbally abusive or physically 3 threatening to an employee or hotel guest. It would also permit refusal of service to a person under 4 the age of eighteen (18) years unless accompanied by an adult. 5 This act would take effect on July 2, 2024. 6 ======== LC003755 ========

2024 -- H 7065 SUBSTITUTE A ======== LC003755/SUB A ======== S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- HOTELS Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, DeSimone, Finkelman, McEntee, McNamara, Fogarty, Serpa, Boylan, Cortvriend, and Edwards Date Introduced: January 05, 2024 Referred To: House Small Business It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 5-14 of the General Laws entitled "Hotels" is hereby amended by 1 adding thereto the following sections: 2 5-14-4.1. Innkeeper's right to eject. 3 (a) An innkeeper may remove or cause to be removed from a hotel a guest or other person 4 who: 5 (1) Refuses or is unable to pay for accommodations or services; 6 (2) While on the premises of the hotel, acts in an obviously intoxicated manner, destroys 7 or threatens to destroy hotel property, verbally or physically threatens employees or guests, or 8 causes or threatens to cause a public disturbance; 9 (3) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person is using the premises for the unlawful 10 possession or use of controlled substances by the person in violation of chapter 28 of title 21, or 11 using the premises for the consumption of alcohol by a person under the age of twenty-one (21) 12 years of age in violation of chapter 8 of title 3; 13 (4) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person has brought property into the hotel that 14 may be dangerous to other persons, such as firearms or explosives; 15 (5) A person violates any federal, state, or local laws, ordinances, or rules relating to the 16 hotel; 17 (6) Violates a rule of the hotel that is clearly and conspicuously posted at or near the front 18 desk and posted online where the guest can view it before making a reservation at the hotel; or 19 LC003755/SUB A - Page 2 of 4 (7) Uses verbally abusive language towards the hotel’s employees or guests. For the 1 purposes of this chapter, verbally abusive language shall mean any language that would reasonably 2 be found to be offensive or threatening. 3 (b) If the guest has paid in advance, the innkeeper shall tender to the guest any unused 4 portion of the advance payment at the time of removal. 5 (c) Nothing in this section shall be used as a pretext to discriminate against a guest on the 6 basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, 7 or country of ancestral origin. 8 5-14-5.1. Refusal of admission. 9 An innkeeper may refuse to admit or refuse service or accommodations to a person who: 10 (1) While on the premises of the hotel, acts in an obviously intoxicated manner, destroys 11 or threatens to destroy hotel property, or causes or threatens to cause a public disturbance. 12 (2) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person is seeking accommodations for the 13 unlawful possession or use of controlled substances in violation of chapter 28 of title 21 or the use 14 of the premises for the consumption of intoxicating liquor by a person. 15 (3) A person under the age of eighteen (18) years who is not accompanied by an adult. 16 SECTION 2. Sections 5-14-4 and 5-14-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-14 entitled 17 "Hotels" are hereby repealed. 18 5-14-4. Innkeeper’s right to eject. [Effective July 1, 2024.] 19 (a) An innkeeper may remove or cause to be removed from a hotel a guest or other person 20 who: 21 (1) Refuses or is unable to pay for accommodations or services; 22 (2) While on the premises of the hotel, acts in an obviously intoxicated manner, destroys 23 or threatens to destroy hotel property, or causes or threatens to cause a public disturbance; 24 (3) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person is using the premises for the unlawful 25 possession or use of controlled substances by the person in violation of chapter 28 of title 21, or 26 using the premises for the consumption of alcohol by a person under the age of twenty-one (21) 27 years of age in violation of chapter 8 of title 3; 28 (4) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person has brought property into the hotel that 29 may be dangerous to other persons, such as firearms or explosives; 30 (5) A person violates any federal, state, or local laws, ordinances, or rules relating to the 31 hotel; or 32 (6) Violates a rule of the hotel that is clearly and conspicuously posted at or near the front 33 desk and on the inside of the entrance door of every guest room. 34 LC003755/SUB A - Page 3 of 4 (b) If the guest has paid in advance, the innkeeper shall tender to the guest any unused 1 portion of the advance payment at the time of removal. 2 5-14-5. Refusal of admission. [Effective July 1, 2024.] 3 An innkeeper may refuse to admit or refuse service or accommodations to a person who: 4 (1) While on the premises of the hotel, acts in an obviously intoxicated manner, destroys 5 or threatens to destroy hotel property, or causes or threatens to cause a public disturbance. 6 (2) The innkeeper has direct knowledge a person is seeking accommodations for the 7 unlawful possession or use of controlled substances in violation of chapter 28 of title 21 or the use 8 of the premises for the consumption of intoxicating liquor by a person. 9 (3) A person under the age of eighteen (18) years if they are not in proper condition or are 10 unable to pay for their charges. 11 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024. 12 ======== LC003755/SUB A ======== LC003755/SUB A - Page 4 of 4 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- HOTELS *** This act would extend the current provisions relative to certain rights of innkeepers and 1 eliminates the sunsetting of such sections thereby preserving the law as it currently exists. 2 This act would take effect on July 1, 2024. 3 4 ======== LC003755/SUB A ========