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:

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

is hereby amended to read as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

     (1) Decision shooting;

     (2) Reduced light shooting;

     (3) Moving targets;

     (4) Use of cover;

     (5) Non-dominate hand shooting;

     (6) Alternate position shooting;

     (7) Reloading drills;

     (8) Malfunction drills.

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

each officer during the training and qualification.

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

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

the rounds fired during the qualification phase.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

17 or 11-47-17.1.

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

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

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

official duties.

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

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

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

     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

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

     This act would take effect on July 1, 2023.

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