Allows a duly authorized administrator or executor of an estate to request decedent's funds on deposit with any financial institution without cost.

Plain-English Summary

When someone passes away, a person called an executor (named in a will) or administrator (appointed by a court) is put in charge of settling the deceased person's financial affairs. This bill would allow that authorized representative to request and collect money that the deceased person had deposited at banks or other financial institutions — and do so without paying any fees to access or retrieve those funds.

Currently, financial institutions may charge fees when an estate representative requests information about or access to a deceased person's accounts. This bill would eliminate those costs, making it easier and less expensive for executors and administrators to do their jobs. The people most directly affected would be estate representatives — often family members — who are responsible for gathering a loved one's assets and eventually distributing them to heirs or using them to pay the estate's debts.

This change could be especially helpful for families dealing with modest estates, where fees charged by banks might eat into the funds that would otherwise go to beneficiaries. By removing this financial barrier, the bill aims to make the probate process — the legal process of settling a deceased person's estate — a little more straightforward and affordable for ordinary families.

The bill has been introduced in the Rhode Island House and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has recommended it be held for further study. A hearing is currently scheduled for January 29, 2026.