Rhode Island General Laws Title 38. Public Records § 38-3-5.1. Reproduction of public records--Destruction of original records

If any department or agency of government, in the regular course of business or activity, has kept or recorded any memorandum, writing, state tax returns, report, application, payment, entry, print, representation, or combination thereof, or any act, transaction, occurrence, or event, and, in the regular course of business, has caused any or all of the records to be recorded, copied, or reproduced by a photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, optical disk, miniature photographic, or other process which accurately reproduces or forms a durable medium for reproducing the original, the original may be destroyed in the regular course of business, provided the process meets standards established by the public records administration, and provided all the provisions of § 38-3-6 concerning disposal of public records are fulfilled. The reproduction, when satisfactorily identified, shall be admissible in evidence as the original in any judicial or administrative proceeding whether or not the original exists or is available and an enlargement or facsimile of the reproduction shall be likewise admissible in evidence if the original is in existence and available for inspection under the direction of the court. The introduction of a reproduced record, enlargement, or facsimile into evidence shall not preclude the admission into evidence of the original. This section shall not be construed to exclude from introduction into evidence any document or copy thereof which is otherwise admissible under the Rhode Island general laws, as amended.