AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL

This bill creates a new Bureau of Public Protection within Rhode Island's Department of Attorney General, led by an assistant attorney general and staffed with specialized advocates for consumer protection, healthcare, civil rights, environmental issues, and antitrust enforcement. The bureau will have the authority to investigate and seek court orders against businesses or government entities engaged in repeated illegal acts or persistent illegality, allowing the attorney general to request injunctions, restitution, damages, and penalties on behalf of the state. The law defines illegal conduct as violations of federal or state civil law and explicitly excludes criminal law enforcement from this authority. Additionally, the attorney general may issue civil investigative demands to gather facts before filing applications, and the department must submit an annual report to state legislators detailing the bureau's activities and outcomes.