2023 -- H 5693

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LC001140

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- WEAPONS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Noret, Hull, Baginski, Vella-Wilkinson, Finkelman,
Place, Dawson, Azzinaro, Lima, and Costantino

     Date Introduced: February 17, 2023

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 11-47-15.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47 entitled "Weapons"

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is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-47-15.3. Commission on law enforcement standards and training.

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     (a) In lieu of the provisions of §§ 11-47-15.1, 11-47-15.2 and 11-47-17, each law

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enforcement department of this state and its political subdivisions may, on an annual basis, submit

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to the commission on law enforcement standards and training, referred to in this section as the

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“commission”, a proposal for the training and qualification of their officers on all firearms which

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they are authorized to carry or use in the performance of their official duties.

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     (b) Each proposal shall include training and qualification in the following areas:

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     (1) Decision shooting;

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     (2) Reduced light shooting;

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     (3) Moving targets;

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     (4) Use of cover;

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     (5) Non-dominate hand shooting;

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     (6) Alternate position shooting;

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     (7) Reloading drills;

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     (8) Malfunction drills.

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     (c) A minimum number of one hundred (100) three hundred (300) rounds shall be fired by

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each officer during the training and qualification.

 

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     (d) Qualification shall be no less than twenty percent (20%) nor more than fifty percent

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(50%) of the total rounds fired. A minimum qualifying score shall be sixty-six percent (66%) of

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the rounds fired during the qualification phase.

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     (e) The commission shall review each proposal and, within fourteen (14) days, notify the

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department, in writing, whether the proposal is accepted or rejected. In the case of rejection, the

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commission shall make recommendations to the department which, if implemented, would make

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the proposal acceptable. Upon receipt of this notification, the department shall have fourteen (14)

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days to submit a new proposal that is acceptable to the commission.

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     (f) In the event that a department neglects to submit a proposal to the commission or fails

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to submit a proposal that is approved by the commission, the officers of that department shall be

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required to fulfill the requirements for qualification as set out in § 11-47-15.1, 11-47-15.2, 11-47-

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17 or 11-47-17.1.

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     (g) All law enforcement officers of this state and its political subdivisions whose permanent

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appointment shall take place after July 1, 1997, will be required to qualify under the provisions of

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this section with all weapons which they are authorized to carry or use in the execution of their

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official duties.

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     (h) Any law enforcement officer of this state and its political subdivisions whose permanent

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appointment took place prior to July 1, 1997, may elect to qualify under the applicable provisions

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of § 11-47-15.1, 11-47-15.2, 11-47-17 or 11-47-17.1.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2023.

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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 increase the number of minimum rounds fired from one hundred (100) to

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three hundred (300) during the qualification and training of police officers.

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     This act would take effect on July 1, 2023.

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