R.I. Gen. Laws § 43-2-2.1
When an act of a general and permanent nature passed by the general assembly becomes a law and is filed with the secretary of state, the law revision director of the joint committee on legislative services shall examine the act and, if as enacted it has not been assigned to sections of the general laws or if section numbers of the general laws have been improperly assigned, the law revision director of the joint committee on legislative services shall assign each section of the act, which is proper for incorporation in the general laws, an official section number of the general laws. Where necessary, sections may be combined or divided in the assignment of the numbers. The assigned official section numbers shall be entered upon the original bill, as enacted. Sections of the general laws shall be cited and referred to by the assigned official numbers and may be amended by reference thereto. The official section numbers of the general laws as assigned by the law revision director of the joint committee on legislative services shall be used in the publication of the public laws, and internal section references in any act shall be changed to correspond to the assigned official numbers.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 43-2-2.1