2016 -- S 2065

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LC003097

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES

     

     Introduced By: Senators Raptakis, Conley, Lombardi, Satchell, and Archambault

     Date Introduced: January 13, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 31-22-22.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-22 entitled

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"Miscellaneous Rules" is hereby repealed.

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     31-22-22.1. Child passenger protection -- Warnings of hazard and risk. -- (a) All law

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enforcement officers in this state are authorized to provide a verbal warning to any person who

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shall be deemed to have left a child under the age of seven (7) unattended in a motor vehicle. The

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warning shall apprise the offending person of the dangers of this practice including, but not

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limited to, the risk of kidnapping and/or abduction, and the dangers which may result from the

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accumulation of excessive temperatures within the motor vehicle.

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      (b) No fine or sanction shall be imposed for a violation of this section, other than a

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verbal warning, and no record of any kind shall be maintained of the warning.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 31-22 of the General Laws entitled "Miscellaneous Rules" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     31-22-22.2. Child passenger protection. – (a) It shall be a violation for any person in

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control of a motor vehicle to leave a child under the age of seven (7) unattended in a motor

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vehicle.

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     (b) Any person charge with a violation of this section shall, upon conviction, be fined not

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more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), and may have his or her license to operate a motor

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vehicle suspended for not more than three (3) years.

 

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES

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     This act would make it an offense to leave a child under seven (7) years of age

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unattended in a motor vehicle, punishable by a fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000), and

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possible suspension of license not to exceed three (3) years.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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