The bill amends sections 9-12-10 and 9-12-10.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 9-12 entitled "District Court Practice," changing the procedures and fees associated with filing a claim of appeal to the superior court in civil cases. The amendments include the deletion of the requirement for the party claiming the appeal to pay all costs, including an attorney's fee of $50.00, to the clerk at the time of claiming the appeal. The new provisions establish that if the plaintiff is filing the claim of appeal, they must pay an appeal fee of $75.00 to the clerk, which will be paid to the adverse party or divided equally among multiple parties. If the defendant is filing the claim of appeal, they must pay a total fee of $195.75, which includes various fees such as an appeal fee, filing fee, service fee, civil case processing fee, a Rhode Island legal services fee, and a technology surcharge, all of which are to be paid to the adverse party.

Additionally, the bill modifies the timeframe for filing a claim of appeal in landlord-tenant actions under chapter 18 of title 34, allowing the claim to be filed within five days, including Saturdays, Sundays, or state or federal legal holidays, after the judgment is entered. The same fee structure applies to landlord-tenant actions as in other civil cases, with the plaintiff paying a $75.00 appeal fee and the defendant paying a total of $195.75 in various fees. The act is set to take effect upon passage, updating the filing fees and time frame for claims of appeal to superior court.