Rhode Island General Laws Title 43. Statutes and Statutory Construction § 43-3-25. Effective date of statutes

(a) Every statute enacted on or prior to July 1 in a calendar year, which does not expressly prescribe the time it shall go into operation, shall take effect on the first day of July of the calendar year of its enactment into law by the general assembly. Any bill enacted after July 1 in a calendar year, which does not expressly prescribe the time it shall go into operation, shall take effect on the date of passage of the bill.

(b) For any statute enacted which requires any new expenditure of money or any increased expenditure of money by a city or town which states that it shall take effect upon passage, the effective date shall be deemed to mean July 1st of the calendar year following the year of enactment unless a specific date of enactment is stated.