2023 -- H 6071

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LC002171

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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 STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF

POLICE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Sanchez, Potter, Felix, Henries, and Tanzi

     Date Introduced: March 03, 2023

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND

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GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 165

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PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF POLICE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY

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     42-165-1. Definitions.

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     When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

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     (1) "Law enforcement officer" means any permanently employed city or town police

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officer, state police officer, or peace officer as defined in ยง 12-7-21; provided that, this shall not

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include members of the explosive operation division of law enforcement bureau of the office of the

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state fire marshal.

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     (2) "Police robot dog" means any machine, that looks similar in appearance to a dog, that

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can collect information, process it, and use it to act upon the world and is operated either

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autonomously by computers or by an individual remotely.

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     (3) "Robot" means any machine that can collect information, process it, and use it to act

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upon the world and is operated either autonomously by computers or by an individual remotely.

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     (4) "UAVs" is an acronym that means unmanned aerial vehicles.

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     (5) "Unmanned aerial vehicles" means an aircraft that is navigated without a pilot on board.

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     (6) "Weapon" means a device designed to inflict death or serious physical injury.

 

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     42-165-2. Use of robots prohibited.

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     (a) No law enforcement officer shall, while carrying out their duties, whether on-duty or

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off-duty, authorize the use, attempted use or threatened use of a robot, police robot dog, or UAVs

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armed with any weapon.

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     (b) The prohibition against the use of an armed robot does not apply to situations when an

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armed robot is being used to mitigate an explosives-related incident or to breach a barricade.

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     (c) No law enforcement officer shall, while carrying out their duties, whether on-duty or

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off-duty, authorize the use of a robot, police robot dog, or UAVs in a physical manner that is

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substantially likely to cause death or serious physical injury, regardless of whether or not the robot

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or UAV is armed with a weapon.

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     (d) No department that employs peace officers shall receive or accept any public or private

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financial funding for the purchase or procurement of any police robot dogs.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF

POLICE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY

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     This act would prohibit any on-duty or off-duty law enforcement officer from utilizing any

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armed robot, police robot dog, or UAV, within the scope of their employment except for situations

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when an armed robot is being used to mitigate an explosives-related incident or to breach a

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barricade. This act would also prohibit any department employing police officers from receiving or

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accepting any public or private funding for the purchase or procurement of any police robot dogs.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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