2017 -- S 0800

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LC001845

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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 ELECTIONS - ELECTION OFFENSES

     Introduced By: Senator Erin P. Lynch Prata

     Date Introduced: April 25, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Board of Elections)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 17-23-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-23 entitled "Election

Offenses" is hereby repealed.

     17-23-2. Signature of posters, fliers, and circulars.

     No person shall intentionally write, print, post, or distribute, or cause to be written,

printed, posted, or distributed, a circular, flier, or poster designed or tending to injure or defeat

any candidate for nomination or election to any public office, by criticizing the candidate's

personal character or political action, or designed or tending to aid, injure, or defeat any question

submitted to the voters, unless there appears upon the circular, flier, or poster in a conspicuous

place the name of the author and either the names of the chairperson and secretary, or of two (2)

officers, of the political or other organization issuing the poster, flier, or circular, or of some voter

who is responsible for it, with the voter's name and residence, and the street and numbers, if any.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC001845

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO ELECTIONS - ELECTION OFFENSES

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     This act would eliminate the requirement of identifying the name or names of the author

of a circular, flier, or poster designed to injure or defeat any candidate for election to public

office.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001845

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