H7830 allows the state Attorney General to investigate and bring an enforcement action against persistent fraud or illegality in the carrying on, conducting, or transaction of business or governmental activity.
The Rhode Island House passed H7830 on June 13, 2024 by a vote of 49 to 19. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this legislation expands the power of the Attorney General, rather than limiting the position to its proper constitutional role. Taxpayer resources should not fund broad investigative authority that could be abused to target businesses or individuals unfairly. This legislation creates excessive government interference in the free market, imposing burdensome regulations and penalties that deters lawful commerce. Businesses and citizens should operate without the threat of overreaching state intervention under vague definitions of “persistent illegality.”
