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[HN25] See R.I. Gen. Laws § 6-13.1-5.

[HN26] It is well-settled that statutes and their amendments are presumed to apply prospectively. Only when it appears by clear, strong language or by necessary implication that the legislature intended a statute to have retroactive application will the courts apply it retroactively. When a statute lacks the requisite specificity or necessary implication regarding retroactivity, the distinction between a substantive statute and a remedial or procedural statute comes into play. However, the clear enunciation of a legislative choice overrides any constructional preference for prospective or retrospective application that otherwise might obtain.