2017 -- H 5207 SUBSTITUTE A

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LC000961/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Lancia, Lima, Jacquard, Hull, and Nunes

     Date Introduced: January 26, 2017

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 11-37.1 of the General Laws entitled "Sexual Offender Registration

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and Community Notification" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     11-37.1-21. Duty of shelters and homeless shelters to notify law enforcement of the

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presence of sex offenders.

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     (a) If any person convicted of any offense that requires sex offender registration pursuant

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to this title, or otherwise has a duty to register their address with the law enforcement agency in

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the municipality in which they reside, is provided residence in any homeless shelter, that person

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shall be required to inform the shelter of their status and duty to register and to provide their name

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and date of birth to each shelter or homeless shelter where they reside overnight.

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     (b) The obligation of the sex offender to provide the information required in subsection

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(a) of this section, shall be on a continuing daily and nightly basis and they shall provide said

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information to each and every shelter or homeless shelter at which they take up temporary

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residence regardless of the length of time they stay at such shelter.

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     (c) The homeless shelter that receives information from any sex offender shall be

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required to transmit that information to the local law enforcement agency and if there be none, to

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the closest Rhode Island state police barracks before midnight of that day of the offender

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registering or signing in for the day, night or any portion of a day.

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     (d) Any homeless shelter that violates the provisions of this section shall upon a first

 

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violation, be fined a civil penalty of up to five hundred dollars ($500), for a second violation, by a

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civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) and for a third or subsequent violation, by a

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civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000).

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     (e) Jurisdiction over any violation by a homeless shelter shall be in the District Court in

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the county in which the shelter is physically located.

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     (f) Any sex offender who fails to disclose information as required by this chapter shall be

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subject to the same penalties as set forth in ยง11-37.1-10.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND

COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION

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     This act would provide that sex offenders register their presence and status with any

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homeless shelter at which they may temporarily stay and would provide that said shelters notify

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the local law enforcement agency of the presence of said offenders within one hour of the

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offender signing in for any portion of the day or night.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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