2018 -- S 2952

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LC005619

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

     RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- EXPLOSIVES AND FIREWORKS

     

     Introduced By: Senators Lynch Prata, Ruggerio, and Goodwin

     Date Introduced: May 31, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 11-13-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-13 entitled "Explosives

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and Fireworks" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-13-9. Threats, false report of or placing bombs in buildings. Placing of explosive

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devices, threats, possession of readily convertible components.

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     (a) Every person who, without lawful authority, places a bomb, or other explosive in any

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public or private building, or area where persons may lawfully assemble as provided in § 11-11-1

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device or any destructive or incendiary device or substance or falsely reports the placing of a

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bomb, explosive device or any destructive or incendiary device or substance shall upon

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conviction be imprisoned not less than three (3) years nor more than twenty (20) years and fined

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not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

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     (b) Every person who threatens to place a bomb, or other explosive in any public or

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private building, or area where persons may lawfully assemble as provided in § 11-11-1, device,

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or any destructive or incendiary device or substance, or falsely reports the placing of a bomb, or

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other explosive in the building or area device, or any destructive or incendiary device or

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substance, shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned not less than one year nor more than ten (10)

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years and fined not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than five thousand dollars

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($5,000).

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     (c) Whoever, without lawful authority, has in their possession or under their control any

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bomb, explosive device, or any destructive or incendiary device or substance or combination of

 

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materials that are readily convertible to a bomb, explosive device, or any destructive or

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incendiary device or substance shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three (3) years

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nor more than twenty (20) years, or by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor

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more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 11-13 of the General Laws entitled "Explosives and Fireworks" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     11-13-10. Definitions.

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     For purposes of this chapter unless the context otherwise requires:

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     (1) "Destructive or incendiary device or substance" means an explosive, article or device

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designed or adapted to cause physical harm to persons or property by means of fire, explosion,

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deflagration or detonation and consisting of any substance capable of being ignited, whether or

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not contrived to ignite or explode automatically.

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     (2) "Explosive" means any chemical compound, mechanical mixture, or device that

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contains any oxidizing and combustible units, or other ingredients, in such proportions, quantities,

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or packing that ignition by fire, by friction, by concussion, by percussion, or by detonation of the

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compound, mixture, or device or any part thereof may cause an explosion; any chemical

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compound, mixture, or device, the primary or common purpose of which is to function by

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explosion; the term includes, but is not limited to high and low explosives, black powder,

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smokeless powder, pellet powder, initiating explosives, detonators, safety fuses, squibs,

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detonating cord, igniter cord, igniters; and other materials which are classified as Division 1.1,

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1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 or 1.6 explosives by the United States Department of Transportation or listed

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pursuant to 18 USC § 841 or 27 CFR 555.23. "Explosive" shall not include a pyrotechnic, small

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arms ammunition, small arms ammunition primers, smokeless powder and black powders

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possessed in quantities allowable by law and unless possessed or used for an illegal purpose.

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     (3) "Hoax explosive", "hoax destructive or incendiary device or substance" or "hoax

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chemical, biological or nuclear weapon" means any device, article or substance that would cause

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a person to reasonably believe that such device, article or substance is: (i) An explosive; (ii) A

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destructive or incendiary device or substance; or (iii) A chemical, biological or nuclear weapon,

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harmful radioactive substance or poison capable of causing bodily injury which is actually an

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inoperable facsimile.

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     (4) "Oxidizer" means a substance that yields oxygen readily to stimulate the combustion

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of organic matter or other fuel.

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     (5) "Places" means to set or put in a particular space.

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     (6) "Pyrotechnic" means any commercially manufactured combustible or explosive

 

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composition or manufactured article designed and prepared for the purpose of producing an

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audible effect or a visible display including, but not limited to: (i) Fireworks, firecrackers; (ii)

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Flares, fuses and torpedoes, so-called, and similar signaling devices.

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     (7) "Readily converted" means any combination of components that have been brought

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together in a manner for assembly that is designed or adapted to cause physical harm to persons

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or property by means of fire, explosion, deflagration or detonation but are not yet in a completed

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stage. Elements to determine whether an item is "readily converted" include, but are not limited

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to: (1) Time required to convert the components; (2) Ease of conversion; (3) Expertise needed;

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(4) Necessary equipment; (5) Availability of parts and the ease in which they can be obtained; (6)

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Expense; (7) Scope to which the item(s) have already been modified; and (8) Feasibility.

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     (8) "Small arms ammunition" means any shotgun, rifle, pistol, or revolver cartridge, and

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cartridges for propellant-actuated power devices and industrial guns.

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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 CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- EXPLOSIVES AND FIREWORKS

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     This act would make it illegal to possess, place, or threaten to place, without lawful

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authority, a bomb, or other explosive device, or any destructive or incendiary device or substance

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and/or any substance or combination of materials that are readily convertible to a bomb,

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explosive device, or any destructive or incendiary device or substance and would create criminal

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violations for such violations.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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