Rhode Island § 38-1-1 - Custody and Protection

§ 38-1-1. Delivery of records on leaving public office.

Every person who shall hold a public office shall, upon leaving the office, deliver to his or her successor in office, or, if there is no successor, to the public records administration program of the office of secretary of state, all records, books, writings, letters, and documents, kept or received by him or her in the transaction of his or her official business, and to the director of the department of administration all money in his or her hands which he or she shall have received as trust funds from any person or otherwise in the course of his or her official business; and every person who shall, without just cause, refuse or neglect for the space of ten (10) days after request made in writing by any citizen of the state, to deliver as herein required those records, books, writings, letters, or documents, or to pay over those moneys, to the person authorized to receive the requested items, shall be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) and be imprisoned not exceeding five (5) years.