2019 -- S 0597

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LC001784

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- WEAPONS

     

     Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, Rogers, Paolino, McCaffrey, and Lombardo

     Date Introduced: March 14, 2019

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 11-47-2, 11-47-8 and 11-47-42 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-

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47 entitled "Weapons" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-47-2. Definitions.

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     When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases are construed as follows:

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     (1) "Antique firearm" is defined as that term is defined under the provisions of 18 U.S.C.

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§ 921.

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     (2) "Binary trigger" means a device that replaces a standard trigger on a semi-automatic

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weapon and is designed to fire one round on the pull of the trigger and another round upon release

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of the trigger.

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     (3) "Bump-fire stock" means any device that replaces a semi-automatic weapon's

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standard stock and is designed to slide back and forth rapidly, harnessing the weapon's recoil to

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rapidly fire the weapon.

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     (4) "Crime of violence" means and includes any of the following crimes or an attempt to

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commit any of them: murder, manslaughter, rape, first- or second-degree sexual assault, first- or

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second-degree child molestation, kidnapping, first- and second-degree arson, mayhem, robbery,

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burglary, breaking and entering, any felony violation involving the illegal manufacture, sale, or

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delivery of a controlled substance, or possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a

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controlled substance classified in schedule I or schedule II of § 21-28-2.08, any violation of § 21-

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28-4.01.1 or § 21-28-4.01.2 or conspiracy to commit any violation of these statutes, assault with a

 

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dangerous weapon, assault or battery involving grave bodily injury, or assault with intent to

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commit any offense punishable as a felony; upon any conviction of an offense punishable as a

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felony offense under § 12-29-5.

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     (5) "Firearm" includes any machine gun, pistol, rifle, air rifle, air pistol, "blank gun", "BB

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gun", "taser" or other instrument from which steel or metal projectiles are propelled, or that may

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readily be converted to expel a projectile, except crossbows, recurve, compound, or longbows,

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and except instruments propelling projectiles that are designed or normally used for a primary

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purpose other than as a weapon. The frame or receiver of the weapon shall be construed as a

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firearm under the provisions of this section.

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     (6) "Fugitive from justice" means any person who has fled from any state, territory, the

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District of Columbia, or possession of the United States to avoid prosecution for a crime of

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violence or to avoid giving testimony in any criminal proceeding.

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     (7) "Licensing authorities" means the board of police commissioners of a city or town

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where the board has been instituted, the chief of police or superintendent of police of other cities

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and towns having a regular organized police force, and, in towns where there is no chief of police

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or superintendent of police, it means the town clerk who may issue licenses upon the

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recommendation of the town sergeant, and it also means any other person or body duly authorized

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by the city or town charter or by state law.

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     (8) "Machine gun" means any weapon that shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily

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restored to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single

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function of the trigger. The term also includes the frame or receiver of the weapon, any

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combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun,

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and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if the parts are in the

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possession or under the control of a person.

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     (9) "Person" includes an individual, partnership, firm, association, or corporation.

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     (10) "Pistol" includes any pistol or revolver, and any shotgun, rifle, or similar weapon

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with overall length less than twenty-six inches (26"), but does not include any pistol or revolver

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designed for the use of blank cartridges only.

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     (11) "Sawed-off rifle" means any rifle with overall length of less than twenty-six inches

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(26") or barrel length of less than sixteen inches (16").

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     (12) "Sawed-off shotgun" means any shotgun with overall length of less than twenty-six

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inches (26") or barrel length of less than eighteen inches (18").

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     (13) "Sell" includes let or hire, give, lend, and transfer, and "purchase" includes hire,

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accept, and borrow, and "purchasing" shall be construed accordingly.

 

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     (14) "Stun gun" is a battery-powered handheld device that transmits an electric charge

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from the device to a person, while touching or applying the device to a person, and is activated by

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a trigger or button.

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     (15) "Taser" is a battery-powered handheld device that transmits an electrical charge

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from the device to a person, by means of expelling a projectile, darts or other device attached to

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electric wires which strike or attach to a person, and is activated by a trigger or button.

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     (14)(16) "Trigger crank" means a trigger actuator that attaches to the trigger of a semi-

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automatic weapon and causes the weapon to fire by turning the crank handle.

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     11-47-8. License or permit required for carrying pistol -- Possession of machine gun

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License or permit required for carrying pistol or stun gun-- Possession of machine gun.

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     (a) No person shall, without a license or permit issued as provided in §§ 11-47-11, 11-47-

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12, and 11-47-18, carry a pistol, or revolver, or taser in any vehicle or conveyance or on or about

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his or her person whether visible or concealed, except in his or her dwelling house or place of

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business or on land possessed by him or her or as provided in §§ 11-47-9 and 11-47-10. The

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provisions of these sections shall not apply to any person who is the holder of a valid license or

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permit issued by the licensing authority of another state, or territory of the United States, or

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political subdivision of the state or territory, allowing him or her to carry a pistol or revolver in

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any vehicle or conveyance or on or about his or her person whether visible or concealed, provided

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the person is merely transporting the firearm through the state in a vehicle or other conveyance

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without any intent on the part of the person to detain him or herself or remain within the state of

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Rhode Island. No person shall manufacture, sell, purchase, or possess a machine gun except as

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otherwise provided in this chapter. Every person violating the provision of this section shall, upon

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conviction, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten (10) years, or by

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a fine up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both, and except for a first conviction under this

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section, shall not be afforded the provisions of suspension or deferment of sentence, nor a

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probation.

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     (b) No person shall have in his or her possession or under his or her control any sawed-

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off shotgun or sawed-off rifle as defined in § 11-47-2. Any person convicted of violating this

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subsection shall be punished by imprisonment for up to ten (10) years, or by a fine of up to five

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thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.

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     (c) No person shall have in his or her possession or under his or her control any firearm

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or taser while the person delivers, possesses with intent to deliver, or manufactures a controlled

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substance. Any person convicted of violating this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment

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for not less than two (2) years nor more than twenty (20) years, and the sentence shall be

 

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consecutive to any sentence the person may receive for the delivery, possession with intent to

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deliver, or the manufacture of the controlled substance. It shall not be a defense to a violation of

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this subsection that a person has a license or permit to carry or possess a firearm or taser.

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     (d) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess a bump-fire device, binary trigger,

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trigger crank, or any other device that when attached to a semi-automatic weapon allows full-

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automatic fire. Individuals who possess these items shall have ninety (90) days from the

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enactment of this section to either sell, destroy, or otherwise remove these items from the state of

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Rhode Island. Every person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be

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punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten (10) years, or by a fine up to

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ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both, and, except for a first conviction under this section, shall

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not be afforded the provisions of suspension or deferment of sentence, nor a probation.

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     11-47-42. Weapons other than firearms prohibited.

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     (a)(1) No person shall carry or possess or attempt to use against another any instrument

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or weapon of the kind commonly known as a blackjack, slingshot, billy, sandclub, sandbag, metal

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knuckles, slap glove, bludgeon, stun-gun, or the so called "Kung-Fu" weapons.

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     (2) No person shall with intent to use unlawfully against another, carry or possess a

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crossbow, dagger, dirk, stiletto, sword-in-cane, bowie knife, or other similar weapon designed to

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cut and stab another.

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     (3) No person shall wear or carry concealed upon his person, any of the above-mentioned

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instruments or weapons, or any razor, or knife of any description having a blade of more than

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three (3) inches in length measuring from the end of the handle where the blade is attached to the

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end of the blade, or other weapon of like kind or description.

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     (4) It shall be lawful for a person, who is over the age of eighteen (18) to purchase, carry,

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conceal, possess, use or attempt to use a stun gun against another person for self-defense.

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     (5) It shall be a defenses that the person using or attempting to use a stun gun that he or

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she had a reasonable belief that a person was about to inflict great bodily injury or death upon

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himself, herself or a third party.

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     (6) There shall be no duty to retreat for a person using or attempting to use a stun gun.

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     Any person violating the provisions of these subsections shall be punished by a fine of

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not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or

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both, and the weapon so found shall be confiscated.

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     Any person violating the provisions of these subsections while he or she is incarcerated

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within the confines of the adult correctional institutions shall be punished by a fine of not less

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than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000), or by

 

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imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five (5) years, or both, and the weapon so

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found shall be confiscated.

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     (b) No person shall sell to a person under eighteen (18) years of age, without the written

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authorization of the minor's parent or legal guardian, any stink bomb, blackjack, slingshot, bill,

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sandclub, sandbag, metal knuckles, slap glove, bludgeon, stungun, paint ball gun, so called

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"kung-fu" weapons, dagger, dirk, stiletto, sword-in-cane, bowie knife, razor, or knife of any

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description having a blade of more than three inches (3") in length as described in subsection (a)

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of this section, or any multi-pronged star with sharpened edges designed to be used as a weapon

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and commonly known as a Chinese throwing star, except that an individual who is actually

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engaged in the instruction of martial arts and licensed under § 5-43-1 may carry and possess any

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multi-pronged star with sharpened edges for the sole purpose of instructional use. Any person

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violating the provisions of this subsection shall be punished by a fine of not less than one

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thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than three thousand dollars ($3,000), or by imprisonment for

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not less than one year nor more than five (5) years, or both, and the weapons so found shall be

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confiscated.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 11-47 of the General Laws entitled "Weapons" is hereby amended

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by adding thereto the following section:

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     11-47-8.2. Review and appeal of the decision of the licensing authority or attorney

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general.

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     (a) A decision denying a permit pursuant to either §§ 11-47-11 or 11-47-18 shall be final

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unless further review or appeal is initiated in writing within fifteen (15) days after the decision

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has been mailed to the applicant at the address listed on the application.

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     (b) An aggrieved individual may submit a written request to reconsider the denial to the

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licensing authority or the department of the attorney general. Said request must be submitted

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within fifteen (15) days after the decision has been mailed to the address provided by the

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applicant.

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     (1) The licensing authority or the department of the attorney general shall schedule and

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conduct an in-person meeting within fourteen (14) days of the request to review and discuss the

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decision. Said meeting shall only be scheduled or rescheduled beyond the initial fourteen (14) day

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period by agreement of the parties or for good cause, but in no event exceed sixty (60) days.

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     (2) The applicant may submit any supplemental documentation relative to the application,

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which shall become part of the application.

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     (3) The meeting shall be conducted as an informal meeting, not as an administrative

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hearing. The licensing authority or the department of the attorney general shall receive and

 

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consider documents and other evidence without regard to statutory and common law rules. A

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stenographic record, transcription, video, audio or other recording is only allowed by agreement

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of the parties.

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     (4) The applicant may be represented at this meeting by an attorney.

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     (5) The licensing authority or the department of the attorney general shall, within seven

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(7) days after the meeting mail, a decision to the applicant granting or denying the application.

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Any denial shall be in writing and state with specificity the reason(s) and evidence upon which

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the denial was based and the rationale for the denial.

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     (c) An aggrieved individual may submit an appeal of the decision denying a permit

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pursuant to either §§ 11-47-11 or 11-47-18 or of the decision of the request to reconsider to the

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superior court for the county in which the licensing authority or attorney general is located, in the

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form of a miscellaneous petition, within fifteen (15) days after the decision has been mailed to the

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applicant at the address listed on the application.

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     (1) The petition for review shall state the grounds upon which review is sought but need

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not be verified.

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     (2) Upon appeal, the petitioner is entitled to a trial de novo before a justice of the superior

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court without a jury.

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     (3) Within thirty (30) days of the notice of appeal the licensing authority or attorney

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general shall provide a full, complete and certified copy of the application and all submitted

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documents to both the petitioner and the superior court.

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     (d) Pursuant to chapter 3 of title 38, the request to reconsider and the appeal to the

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superior court, shall not be deemed public. All documents, records and proceedings before the

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licensing authority, the department of the attorney general and the superior court are not open to

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the public, but may be accessed by law enforcement personnel to be used for law enforcement

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purposes only and shall remain otherwise confidential.

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     (e) An applicant may have his or her hearing open to the public upon written request to

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the superior court.

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     (f) The superior court may award reasonable attorneys' fees, costs and filing fees to the

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prevailing applicant if the court finds that there is no justiciable issue of either law of fact or to

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the prevailing applicant if the licensing authority or the department of the attorney general did not

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have a good faith basis in the denial of the license or permit.

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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 -- WEAPONS

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     This act would amend the definition of firearms to include tasers, as well as define taser

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and stun gun. This act would permit any person over the age of eighteen (18) to lawfully possess

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a stun gun and allow such individual to use or attempt to use the stun gun against another person

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in self-defense as long as that individual had a reasonable belief that a person was about to inflict

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great bodily injury of death upon himself, herself or a third party. The act would also provide the

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review and appeal process for individuals applying for a permit or license to carry with the

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licensing authority or attorney general.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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