2017 -- H 5311

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LC001072

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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 MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- MISCELLANEOUS RULES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, Fellela, Canario, Vella-Wilkinson, and Williams

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2017

     Referred To: House 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"Miscellaneous Rules" is hereby repealed.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.

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     (a) All law enforcement officers in this state are authorized to provide a verbal warning to

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any person who shall be deemed to have left a child under the age of seven (7) unattended in a

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motor vehicle. The warning shall apprise the offending person of the dangers of this practice

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including, but not limited to, the risk of kidnapping and/or abduction, and the dangers which may

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result from the 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 confinement in motor vehicles prohibited.

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     (a) No person shall intentionally or knowingly leave a child under the age of seven (7)

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years unattended in a motor vehicle for longer than five (5) minutes. For the purposes of this

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section, a child shall be deemed unattended if not accompanied by a person who is at least

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fourteen (14) years of age.

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     (b) No person shall leave any child younger than fourteen (14) years in a motor vehicle

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for any length of time if the child would be subject to extreme heat or cold or subjected to a lack

 

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of adequate ventilation.

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     (c) Any law enforcement officer who has reason to believe that this section is being

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violated shall have the authority to enter the motor vehicle by any reasonable means necessary to

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protect the health or well-being of the child. If the circumstances allow, a reasonable effort shall

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first be made by the law enforcement officer to locate a person responsible for the child who has

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been left unattended.

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     (d) Any person who knowingly violates subsections (a) or (b) of this section shall be

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punished by imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or by a fine of no more than one

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thousand dollars ($1,000). Any injury sustained by a child caused by any violation of this section

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may result in a charge of child abuse under ยง11-9-5.3 or any other applicable provision of law.

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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 for longer than five minutes, punishable by imprisonment for a

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term not exceeding one year or by a fine of no more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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