R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-4-4: Expectant estates not dependent on precedent estates.

No expectant estate shall be defeated or barred by an alienation or other act of the owner of the precedent estate, nor by the destruction of the precedent estate by disseisin, forfeiture, surrender, or merger, nor shall a contingent remainder be defeated by the termination of a precedent estate before the occurrence of the contingency on which the remainder was limited to take effect. If that contingency subsequently occurs, the remainder takes effect in the same manner as a springing or shifting executory interest.