Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 4-4 - Animal Diseases in General

• Acquired entity: means the entity, all of one or more classes or series of interests of which are acquired in an interest exchange. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Acquiree: means the person or persons that lose(s) any ownership or control, including programming control, of a public radio station, as the terms "public radio station" and "person(s)" are defined within this chapter;

  (2)  "Acquirer" means the person or persons which gain(s) an ownership or control, including programming control, in a public radio station, as the terms "public radio station" and "person(s)" are defined within this chapter;

  (3)  "Affected community" means any city or town within the state from which an existing public radio station produces, records or otherwise originates programming or broadcasts its signal, and/or those cities and towns whose inhabitants are regularly served by the existing public radio station;

  (4)  "Community benefit" means:

  (i)  Whether the conversion furthers the findings and purposes of § 18-4. See Rhode Island General Laws 18-4.1-4

• Acquiring entity: means the entity that acquires all of one or more classes or series of interests of the acquired entity in an interest exchange. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Advertisement: means all representations, other than those on the label, disseminated in any manner or by any means, relating to seed within the scope of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
• Aggregate amount: means the total of all contributions made to a particular general officer, candidate for general office, or political party within the time period set forth;

  (2)  "Business entity" means a sole proprietorship, partnership, firm, corporation, holding company, joint stock company, receivership, trust, or any other entity recognized in law through which business for profit is conducted;

  (3)  "Contribution" means a transfer of money, paid personal services, or other thing of value reportable under the terms of chapter 25 of this title;

  (4)  "Executive officer" means any person who is appointed or elected as an officer of a business entity by either the incorporators, stockholders, or directors of the business entity who is in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function of the business entity, or participates or has authority to participate other than in the capacity of a director in major policymaking functions of the business entity or who is actively engaged in soliciting business from the state or conducting, other than in a ministerial capacity, business with the state; provided, that officers of the business entity who are located outside the state, are not residents of the state, and do not participate in the business of the business entity within this state shall be exempted from the requirements of this chapter;

  (5)  "Goods or services" shall not include services provided to a state agency by:

  (i)  Any public utility company; or

  (ii)  A federal or state banking institution or other depository institution solely in connection with depository accounts held by the institution on behalf of a state agency;

  (6)  "State agency" means a branch, department, division, agency, commission, board, office, bureau, or authority of the government of the state of Rhode Island;

  (7)(i)  "State vendor" means:

  (A)  A person or business entity that sells goods or provides services to any state agency,

  (B)  A person or business entity which has an ownership interest of ten (10%) percent or more in a business entity that sells goods or provides services to any state agency, or

  (C)  A person who is an executive officer of a business entity that sells goods or provides services to any state agency,

  (D)  The spouse or minor child of a person qualifying as a state vendor under the terms of subparagraphs (A), (B) or (C) of this paragraph, unless the spouse works for a vendor in competition for state business with the reporting business entity, or

  (E)  A business of the business entity that is a parent or subsidiary of a business entity that sells goods or provides services to any state agency. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-27-1

• Agricultural seed: means the seeds of grass, forage, cereal, and fiber crops and other kinds of seeds commonly recognized within this state as agricultural seeds, lawn seeds and mixtures of those seeds, and may include noxious weed seeds when the director determines that the seed is being used as agricultural seed. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Ballot question: means any question, charter change, constitutional amendment, referendum or voter initiated petition placed on any state, district, city, town or municipal ballot for a general or special election. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25.2-3
• Ballot question advocacy: means advocating the passage or defeat of a ballot question. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25.2-3
• Ballot question advocate: means (i) for purposes of referenda as defined in § 17-5-1 of the general laws only, any exempt nonprofit as defined in § 17-25-3 or any organization described under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States; and (ii) for all other ballot questions as defined herein, any person making an expenditure with a cumulative total that exceeds one thousand dollars ($1,000) in a calendar year for ballot-question advocacy on a particular ballot question. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25.2-3
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. ^{Source: OCC}
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• bipartisan: means not of the same recognized political party. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-20-3
• Brand: means a term, design, or trademark used in connection with one or several grades of commercial fertilizer. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Business entity: means any corporation, whether for profit or not for profit, domestic corporation or foreign corporation, as defined in § 7-1. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Buyer: means a person who buys or contracts to buy goods. See Rhode Island General Laws 6A-2-103
• Candidate: means any individual who has qualified under law to have his or her name appear on the ballot for nomination for election or election to office;

  (2)  "Computer ballot" means the paper ballot prepared by the office of the secretary of state for use in conjunction with the optical-scan precinct-count system or the voting equipment precinct-count system then in place and procured in accordance with this chapter;

  (3)  "Public office" means any state, municipal, school, or district office or other position that is filled by popular election, except political party offices which shall mean any state, city, town, ward, or representative or senatorial district committee office of a political party or delegate to a political party convention, or any similar office;

  (4)  A "Vote" shall be any mark made with the appropriate marking device within the ballot voting area between the head and tail of the arrow or in the oval as indicated on the computer ballot next to the candidate, write-in candidate, or question, as is applicable, for whom the voter casts his or her ballot, except as provided in § 17-20-24;

  (5)  "Voting equipment" means an optical-scan precinct-count voting system or the voting equipment precinct-count system then in place and procured in accordance with this chapter, related memory device, all related hardware and software, accessible voting systems required by federal law, and voting booths;

  (6)  "Warden" includes moderator and vice versa; and

  (7)  "Write-in candidate" means any individual receiving votes or seeking election to office by virtue of having irregular ballots cast for him or her pursuant to § 17-19-31. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-19-1

• Candidate: means any individual who undertakes any action, whether preliminary or final, which is necessary under the law to qualify for nomination for election or election to public office, and/or any individual who receives a contribution or makes an expenditure, or gives his or her consent for any other person to receive a contribution or make an expenditure, with a view to bringing about his or her nomination or election to any public office, whether or not the specific public office for which he or she will seek nomination or election is known at the time the contribution is received or the expenditure is made and whether or not he or she has announced his or her candidacy or filed a declaration of candidacy at that time. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• Certificate of limited partnership: means the certificate required by § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Certifying agency: means :

  (i)  an agency authorized under the laws of a state, territory or possession to officially certify seed; or

  (ii)  an agency of a foreign country determined by the U. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2

• Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
• Cofiduciary: means a trustee or personal representative empowered to exercise fiduciary functions jointly with any person authorized to delegate functions under the provisions of § 18-3-3;

  (2)  "Fiduciary" means any trustee or personal representative;

  (3)  "Functions" includes discretions, powers, and duties;

  (4)  "Person" includes corporations as well as natural persons;

  (5)  "Personal representative" means an executor under a will, an administrator cum testamento annexo, an administrator de bonis non, an administrator of an intestate estate, or a guardian of the estate of any person;

  (6)  "Power of attorney" and "power" means a power of attorney given pursuant to § 18-3-5;

  (7)  "Trustee" means any person who is designated in any written instrument, or court order, or in any will admitted to probate in this state to hold property upon trust, whether or not that person has assumed possession of the trust estate or entered upon his or her fiduciary duties;

  (8)  "War or national emergency" means any period during which the United States is engaged in any war, declared or undeclared, plus a period of sixty (60) days thereafter; and

  (9)  "War service" means:

  (i)  Active service during the period of any war or national emergency, whether within or outside of the territory of the United States of America, in any of the naval, military, or air forces of the United States;

  (ii)  Any active service during the period of any war or national emergency on any ship of United States registry; or

  (iii)  Any other work or employment during the period of any war or national emergency outside the continental United States and under the direction of the government of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 18-3-2

• Commercial fertilizer: means any substance containing one or more recognized plant nutrient(s) that is used for its plant nutrient content and that is designed for use or claimed to have value in promoting plant growth, except unmanipulated animal and vegetable manures, marl, lime, limestone, wood ashes and gypsum, and other products exempted by regulation of the director. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Contributions: means donations to a ballot-question advocate in the form of money, gifts, loans, paid personal services, or in-kind contributions as defined herein. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25.2-3
• Conversion: means any:

  (i)  Transfer or assignment by a person or persons of an ownership or membership interest or authority in a public radio station, or the assets of a public radio station, whether by purchase, merger, consolidation, lease, gift, joint venture, sale, or otherwise;

  (ii)  Agreement, such as a local management agreement or programming agreement, the implementation of which would require a change in the public radio station's broadcast license to permit commercial operations;

  (iii)  Transfer, assignment or issuance of twenty percent (20%) or greater of the membership or voting rights or interests of the public radio station or of the assets of the public radio station or pursuant to which, by virtue of the transfer, a person, together with all persons affiliated with the person, holds or owns, in the aggregate, twenty percent (20%) or greater of the membership or voting rights or interests of the public radio station or of the assets of the public radio station;

  (iv)  The removal, addition or substitution of a partner that results in a new partner gaining or acquiring a controlling interest in the public radio station; or

  (v)  Any change in membership that results in a new person gaining or acquiring a controlling vote in the public radio station. See Rhode Island General Laws 18-4.1-4

• Conversion: means a transaction authorized by subpart 4. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Conversion Fee: means the amount the department of attorney general orders an acquirer to pay pursuant to subsection 18-4. See Rhode Island General Laws 18-4.1-4
• Converting entity: means the domestic entity that approves a plan of conversion pursuant to § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Decedent: A deceased person.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Deliver: means either physically transferring a paper document to the secretary of state or transferring a document to the secretary of state by electronic transmission through a medium provided and authorized by the secretary of state. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Department: means the department of environmental management of the state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-5-1
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Director: means the director of the department of environmental management of the state of Rhode Island and/or his or her authorized deputies or agents. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Director: means director of the department of environmental management or his or her authorized agent. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Director: means the director of environmental management of the state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-5-1
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Distributional interest: means the right under an unincorporated entity's organic law and organic rules to receive distributions from the entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Distributor: means any person who imports, consigns, manufactures, produces, compounds, mixes, or blends commercial fertilizer, or who offers for sale, sells, barters, or otherwise supplies commercial fertilizer in this state. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Domestication: means a transaction authorized by subpart 5. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• donation: means all transfers of money, credit or debit card transactions, on-line or electronic payment systems such as "pay pal" paid personal services, or other thing of value to or by any person, business entity, or political action committee. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Donee: The recipient of a gift.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• donor: means a person, business entity, or political action committee that makes a donation. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Earmarked: means a designation, instruction, or encumbrance, whether direct or indirect, express or implied, oral or written, that results in all or any part of a contribution or expenditure being made to, or expended on behalf of, a clearly identified candidate or a candidate's authorized committee. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Election: means any primary, general, or special election or town meeting for any public office of the state, municipality, or district, or for the determination of any question submitted to the voters of the state, municipality, or district. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Election cycle: means the twenty-four month (24) period commencing on January 1 of odd number years and ending on December 31 of even number years; provided, with respect to the public financing of election campaigns of general officers under §§ 17-25-19, 17-25-20, and 17-25-25, "election cycle" means the forty-eight month (48) period commencing on January 1 of odd numbered years and ending December 31 of even numbered years. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Election cycle: means the twenty-four (24) month period commencing on January 1 of odd number years and ending on December 31 of even number years. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25.2-3
• employed outside of the United States: includes any person who is:

  (1)  Employed by any agency, department, or division of the United States government and who, by reason of that employment, resides outside of the continental United States;

  (2)  Employed outside the territorial limits of the United States; or

  (3)  A spouse or dependent residing with persons so employed. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-20-3

• Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. ^{Source: OCC}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
• Exempt nonprofit: means any organization described in § 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that spends an aggregate annual amount of no more than ten percent (10%) of its annual expenses or no more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), whichever is less, on independent expenditures, electioneering communications, and covered transfers as defined herein and certifies the same to the board of elections seven (7) days before and after a primary election and seven (7) days before and after a general or special election. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Existing public radio station: means a public radio station as it exists prior to the conversion;

  (8)  "Public radio station" means a radio station possessing a United States Federal Communications Commission noncommercial license, to broadcast on a frequency that is not reserved by the FCC for noncommercial use, assigned to a community of license located in Rhode Island and which is operated by an entity that may not lawfully distribute operating surpluses or other retained earnings to individual persons or which would cease to qualify as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code were the organization to do so;

  (9)  "New radio station" means the radio station as it exists after the completion of a conversion;

  (10)  "Person" means any individual, trust or estate, partnership, corporation (including associations, joint stock companies and insurance companies,) state or political subdivision or instrumentality of the state; and

  (11)  "Transacting parties" means any person or persons who seeks either to transfer or acquire ownership or a controlling interest or controlling authority, including programming authority, in a public radio station which would result in a change of ownership, control or authority of twenty percent (20%) or greater. See Rhode Island General Laws 18-4.1-4

• expenditures: include all transfers of money, credit or debit card transactions, on-line or electronic payment systems such as "pay pal" paid personal services, or other thing of value to or by any candidate, committee of a political party, or political action committee or ballot question advocate. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Expenditures: means the payment for any goods and services for the purpose of ballot-question advocacy as set forth in this paragraph:

  (i)  Any media advertising services or products, including, but not limited to, newspapers, radio stations or television stations;

  (ii)  General advertising in letters, brochures, flyers, handbills, lawn signs, posters, bumper stickers, buttons or other materials except for newsletters and other communications paid for and transmitted by an organization to its own members and not to the general public; or

  (iii)  Paid personal services donated to any ballot-question advocate including advertising agency services or other professional services including accounting services, printing, secretarial services, public opinion polls, research and professional campaign consultation or management, media production or computer services. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25.2-3

• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Filing entity: means an entity whose formation requires the filing of a public organic record. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Foreign limited partnership: means an unincorporated entity formed under the law of a jurisdiction other than this state which would be a limited partnership if formed under the law of this state. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Functions: includes discretions, powers, and duties;

  (4)  "Person" includes corporations as well as natural persons;

  (5)  "Personal representative" means an executor under a will, an administrator cum testamento annexo, an administrator de bonis non, an administrator of an intestate estate, or a guardian of the estate of any person;

  (6)  "Power of attorney" and "power" means a power of attorney given pursuant to § 18-3-5;

  (7)  "Trustee" means any person who is designated in any written instrument, or court order, or in any will admitted to probate in this state to hold property upon trust, whether or not that person has assumed possession of the trust estate or entered upon his or her fiduciary duties;

  (8)  "War or national emergency" means any period during which the United States is engaged in any war, declared or undeclared, plus a period of sixty (60) days thereafter; and

  (9)  "War service" means:

  (i)  Active service during the period of any war or national emergency, whether within or outside of the territory of the United States of America, in any of the naval, military, or air forces of the United States;

  (ii)  Any active service during the period of any war or national emergency on any ship of United States registry; or

  (iii)  Any other work or employment during the period of any war or national emergency outside the continental United States and under the direction of the government of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 18-3-2

• General partner: means a person that:

  (i)  Has become a general partner under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102

• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Governance interest: means a right under the organic law or organic rules of an unincorporated entity, other than as a governor, agent, assignee, or proxy, to:

  (i)  Receive or demand access to information concerning, or the books and records of, the entity;

  (ii)  Vote for or consent to the election of the governors of the entity; or

  (iii)  Receive notice of or vote on or consent to an issue involving the internal affairs of the entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101

• Governor: means :

  (i)  A director of a business corporation or an officer of a business corporation that has no board of directors;

  (ii)  A director or trustee of a nonprofit corporation;

  (iii)  A general partner of a general partnership;

  (iv)  A general partner of a limited partnership;

  (v)  A manager of a manager-managed limited liability company;

  (vi)  A member of a member-managed limited liability company;

  (vii)  A director of a general cooperative association;

  (viii)  A director of a limited cooperative association;

  (ix)  A manager of an unincorporated nonprofit association;

  (x)  A trustee of a statutory trust, business trust, or common-law business trust; or

  (xi)  Any other person under whose authority the powers of an entity are exercised and under whose direction the activities and affairs of the entity are managed pursuant to the organic law and organic rules of the entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101

• Grade: means the percentage of total nitrogen, available phosphorus or phosphoric acid, and soluble potassium or soluble potash stated in whole numbers in the same terms, order, and percentages as in the guaranteed analysis. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Guaranteed analysis: means :

  (i)  Until the director prescribes the alternative form of guaranteed analysis in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (7)(ii) of this section, the term "guaranteed analysis" shall mean the minimum percentage of plant nutrients claimed in the following order and form:

  (A)         Total Nitrogen (N). See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3

• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Hybrid: means the first generation seed of a cross produced by controlling the pollination and by combining: (1) two (2) or more inbred lines; (2) one inbred or a single cross with an open pollination variety; or (3) two (2) varieties or species, except open-pollinated varieties of corn (Zea mays). See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Independent expenditure: means an expenditure that, when taken as a whole, expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, or the passage or defeat of a referendum, or amounts to the functional equivalent of such express advocacy, and is in no way coordinated, as set forth in § 17-25-23, with any candidate's campaign, authorized candidate committee, or political party committee. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
• Interest: means :

  (i)  A share in a business corporation;

  (ii)  A membership in a nonprofit corporation;

  (iii)  A partnership interest in a general partnership;

  (iv)  A partnership interest in a limited partnership;

  (v)  A membership interest in a limited liability company;

  (vi)  A share in a general cooperative association;

  (vii)  A member's interest in a limited cooperative association;

  (viii)  A membership in an unincorporated nonprofit association;

  (ix)  A beneficial interest in a statutory trust, business trust, or common-law business trust; or

  (x)  A governance interest or distributional interest in any other type of unincorporated entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101

• Interest exchange: means a transaction authorized by subpart 3. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Interest holder: means :

  (i)  A shareholder of a business corporation;

  (ii)  A member of a nonprofit corporation;

  (iii)  A general partner of a general partnership;

  (iv)  A general partner of a limited partnership;

  (v)  A limited partner of a limited partnership;

  (vi)  A member of a limited liability company;

  (vii)  A shareholder of a general cooperative association;

  (viii)  A member of a limited cooperative association;

  (ix)  A member of an unincorporated nonprofit association;

  (x)  A beneficiary or beneficial owner of a statutory trust, business trust, or common-law business trust; or

  (xi)  Any other direct holder of an interest. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101

• Interest holder liability: means :

  (i)  Personal liability for a liability of an entity which is imposed on a person:

  (A)  Solely by reason of the status of the person as an interest holder; or

  (B)  By the organic rules of the entity which make one or more specified interest holders or categories of interest holders liable in their capacity as interest holders for all or specified liabilities of the entity; or

  (ii)  An obligation of an interest holder under the organic rules of an entity to contribute to the entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101

• intermediary: means any person who receives and forwards an earmarked contribution to a candidate or a candidate's authorized committee, except as otherwise limited in this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
• Irrevocable trust: A trust arrangement that cannot be revoked, rescinded, or repealed by the grantor.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Jurisdiction of formation: means the jurisdiction whose law governs the internal affairs of an entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Kind: means one or more related species or sub-species which, singly or collectively, is known by one common name, for example, corn, oats, alfalfa, and timothy. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Label: means the display of all written, printed, or graphic matter upon the immediate container or statement accompanying a commercial fertilizer. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Labeling: means all labels, and other written, printed, or graphic representations, in any form whatsoever, accompanying or pertaining to any seed whether in bulk or in containers, and includes representations on invoices. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Labeling: means all written, printed, or graphic matter, upon or accompanying any commercial fertilizer, or advertisements, brochures, posters, television, and radio announcements used in promoting the sale of commercial fertilizers. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Limited partner: means a person that:

  (i)  Has become a limited partner under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102

• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Lot: means a definite quantity of seed identified by a lot number or other mark, every portion or bag of which is uniform within recognized tolerances for the factors which appear in the labeling. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Marital deduction: The deduction(s) that can be taken in the determination of gift and estate tax liabilities because of the existence of a marriage or marital relationship.
• Merger: means a transaction authorized by subpart 2. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Merging entity: means an entity that is a party to a merger and exists immediately before the merger becomes effective. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. ^{Source: OCC}
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• oath: includes affirmation; the word "sworn" includes affirmed; and the word "engaged" includes either sworn or affirmed. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-11
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Official sample: means any sample of commercial fertilizer taken by the director or his or her agent and designated as "official" by the director. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Organic law: means the law of an entity's jurisdiction of formation governing the internal affairs of the entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Organic rules: means the public organic record and private organic rules of an entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Other thing of value: means any item of tangible real or personal property of a fair-market value in excess of one hundred dollars ($100). See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Paid personal services: means personal services of every kind and nature, the cost or consideration for which is paid or provided by someone other than the committee or candidate for whom the services are rendered, but shall not include personal services provided without compensation by persons volunteering their time. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Partner: means a limited partner or general partner. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Partnership agreement: means the agreement, whether or not referred to as a partnership agreement and whether oral, implied, in a record, or in any combination thereof, of all the partners of a limited partnership concerning the matters described in § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• percentage: means the percentage by weight. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Person: means any individual, partnership, corporation, company, society, or association. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Person: includes individual, partnership, association, firm, and corporation. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Person: means an individual, partnership, committee, association, corporation, union, charity, and/or any other organization. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Person: means any individual, partnership, committee, association, corporation, city, town, or other governmental unit and any other organization. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25.2-3
• Person: means an individual, business corporation, nonprofit corporation, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, general cooperative association, limited cooperative association, unincorporated nonprofit association, cooperative housing corporation, workers' cooperative, producers' cooperative, consumer's cooperative, statutory trust, business trust, common-law business trust, estate, trust, association, joint venture, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or any other legal or commercial entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Plan: means a plan of merger, plan of interest exchange, plan of conversion, or plan of domestication. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Plan of conversion: means a plan under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Plan of domestication: means a plan under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Plan of interest exchange: means a plan under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Plan of merger: means a plan under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• Political action committee: means any group of two (2) or more persons that accepts any contributions to be used for advocating the election or defeat of any candidate or candidates. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Political party offices: means any state, city, town, ward, or representative or senatorial district committee office of a political party or delegate to a political party convention, or any similar office. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Principal office: means the principal executive office of a limited partnership or foreign limited partnership, whether or not the office is located in this state. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Private organic rules: means the rules, whether or not in a record, that govern the internal affairs of an entity, are binding on all its interest holders, and are not part of its public organic record, if any. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• Probate: Proving a will
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Prohibited noxious weed seeds: means the seeds of perennial weeds that not only reproduce by seed but also spread by underground roots, stems and other reproductive parts, and which, when well established, are highly destructive and difficult to control in this state by ordinary good cultural practice. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Property: means all property, whether real, personal, or mixed or tangible or intangible, or any right or interest therein. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Protected agreement: means :

  (i)  A record evidencing indebtedness and any related agreement in effect on January 1, 2023;

  (ii)  An agreement that is binding on an entity on January 1, 2023;

  (iii)  The organic rules of an entity in effect on January 1, 2023; or

  (iv)  An agreement that is binding on any of the governors or interest holders of an entity on January 1, 2023. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101

• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public office: means any state, municipal, school, or district office or other position that is filled by popular election, except political party offices. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Public organic record: means the record the filing of which by the secretary of state is required to form an entity and any amendment to or restatement of that record. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• real estate: may be construed to include lands, tenements, and hereditaments and rights thereto and interests therein. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-10
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• referendum: means the same as the definition set forth in § 17-5-1. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• Registered agent: means an agent of a limited partnership or foreign limited partnership which is authorized to receive service of any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the partnership. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Registrant: means the person who registers commercial fertilizer under the provisions of this chapter. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Remainderman: One entitled to the remainder of an estate after a particular reserved right or interest, such as a life tenancy, has expired.
• Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
• Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
• Restricted noxious weed seeds: means the seeds of weeds that are objectionable in fields, lawns, and gardens of this state, but can be controlled by good cultural practices. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• seal: shall be construed to include an impression of the seal made with or without the use of wax or wafer on the paper. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-15
• Secretary of agriculture: means the secretary of agriculture of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-5-1
• Seller: means a person who sells or contracts to sell goods. See Rhode Island General Laws 6A-2-103
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Soil conservation and domestic allotment act: means the federal soil conservation and domestic allotment act, 16 U. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-5-1
• State: means state of Rhode Island. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-25-3
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Statement of interest exchange: means a statement under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Statement of merger: means a statement under § 7-13. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Surviving entity: means the entity that continues in existence after or is created by a merger. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testator: A male person who leaves a will at death.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Ton: means a net weight of two thousand (2,000) pounds avoirdupois. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-7-3
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• Transfer: includes :

  (i)  An assignment;

  (ii)  A conveyance;

  (iii)  A sale;

  (iv)  A lease;

  (v)  An encumbrance, including a mortgage or security interest;

  (vi)  A gift; and

  (vii)  A transfer by operation of law. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102

• Transferable interest: means the right, as initially owned by a person in the person's capacity as a partner, to receive distributions from a limited partnership, whether or not the person remains a partner or continues to own any part of the right. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-102
• Treated: means given an application of a substance or subjected to a process designed to reduce, control, or repel disease organisms, insects, or other pests which attack seeds or seedlings growing therefrom. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Type: means a group of varieties so nearly similar that the individual varieties cannot be clearly differentiated except under special conditions. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Type of entity: means a generic form of entity:

  (i)  Recognized at common law; or

  (ii)  Formed under an organic law, whether or not some entities formed under that organic law are subject to provisions of that law that create different categories of the form of entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 7-13.1-1101

• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8
• Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
• Variety: means a subdivision of a kind characterized by growth, yield, plant, fruit, seed, or other characteristics, by which it can be differentiated from other plants of the same kind. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Vegetable seeds: means the seeds of those crops which are grown in gardens and on truck farms and are generally known and sold under the name of vegetable seeds in this state. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Warden: includes moderator and vice versa; and

  (7)  "Write-in candidate" means any individual receiving votes or seeking election to office by virtue of having irregular ballots cast for him or her pursuant to § 17-19-31. See Rhode Island General Laws 17-19-1

• Weed seeds: means the seeds of all plants generally recognized as weeds within this state and includes noxious weed seeds. See Rhode Island General Laws 2-6-2
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.