2023 Rhode Island General Laws › Title 33 - Probate Practice and Procedure › Chapter 33-27.1 - Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act › Section 33-27.1-15. - Fiduciary duty and authority.

§ 33-27.1-15. Fiduciary duty and authority.
(a)
The legal duties imposed on a fiduciary charged with managing tangible property apply to the management of digital assets, including:
(1)
The duty of care;
(2)
The duty of loyalty; and
(3)
The duty of confidentiality.
(b)
A fiduciary’s or designated recipient’s authority with respect to a digital asset of a user:
(1)
Except as otherwise provided in § 33-27.1-4, is subject to the applicable terms of service;
(2)
Is subject to other applicable law, including copyright law;
(3)
In the case of a fiduciary, is limited by the scope of the fiduciary’s duties; and
(4)
May not be used to impersonate the user.
(c)
A fiduciary with authority over the property of a decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor has the right to access any digital asset in which the decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor had a right or interest and that is not held by a custodian or subject to a terms-of-service agreement.
(d)
A fiduciary acting within the scope of the fiduciary’s duties is an authorized user of the property of the decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor for the purpose of applicable computer fraud and unauthorized computer access laws, including chapter 52 of title 11.
(e)
A fiduciary with authority over the tangible, personal property of a decedent, protected person, principal, or settlor:
(1)
Has the right to access the property and any digital asset stored in it; and
(2)
Is an authorized user for the purpose of computer fraud and unauthorized computer access laws, including chapter 52 of title 11.
(f)
A custodian may disclose information in an account to a fiduciary of the user when the information is required to terminate an account used to access digital assets licensed to the user.
(g)
A fiduciary of a user may request a custodian to terminate the user’s account. A request for termination must be in writing, in either physical or electronic form, and accompanied by:
(1)
If the user is deceased, a certified copy of the death certificate of the user;
(2)
A certified copy of the letter of appointment of the representative or a small estate affidavit, court order, power of attorney, or trust giving the fiduciary authority over the account;
(3)
A number, username, address, or other unique subscriber or account identifier assigned by the custodian to identify the user’s account;
(4)
Evidence linking the account to the user; and
(5)
If the user is a decedent or protected person:
(i)
A finding by the court that termination of the account is reasonably necessary for the administration of the estate of a decedent or the performance of the duties of the conservator or guardian; and
(ii)
If requested by the custodian, a finding by the court that the user had a specific account with the custodian, identifiable by the information specified in subsection (g)(3) of this section.
(h)
This chapter does not affect any right or remedy of a protected person, a principal, a beneficiary or an estate against a guardian or conservator, an agent, a trustee, or a personal representative, respectively, for any violation of this chapter by such fiduciary.
History of Section.
P.L. 2019, ch. 200, § 2; P.L. 2019, ch. 262, § 2.