2023 -- S 0892

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LC002375

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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 -- COMMERCIAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY

     

     Introduced By: Senator Tiara T. Mack

     Date Introduced: March 30, 2023

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 11-34.1-2, 11-34.1-3, 11-34.1-4 and 11-34.1-6 of the General Laws

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in Chapter 11-34.1 entitled "Commercial Sexual Activity" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-34.1-2. Prostitution.

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     (a) A person is guilty of prostitution when such person engages, or agrees, or offers to

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engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee. Any person found guilty under

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this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to imprisonment for a

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term not exceeding six (6) months, or to a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor

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more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

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     (b) Any person found guilty of a subsequent offense under this section shall be subject to

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imprisonment for a term of not more than one year, or a fine of not less than five hundred dollars

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($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

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     (c) In any prosecution for a violation under this section, it shall be an affirmative defense

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if the accused was forced to commit a commercial sexual activity by:

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     (1) Being threatened or subjected to physical harm;

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     (2) Being physically restrained or threatened to be physically restrained;

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     (3) Being subject to threats of abuse of law or legal process;

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     (4) Being subject to destruction, concealment, removal, or confiscation, of any passport or

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other immigration document or any other actual or purported governmental identification

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document; or

 

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     (5) Being subject to intimidation in which the accused’s physical well being was perceived

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as threatened.

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     (d) A person shall not be cited, arrested, or prosecuted under this section if the person

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witnessed or was a victim of, and reported to law enforcement in good faith and in a timely manner,

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one or more of the reported offenses listed in subsection (e) of this section.

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     (e) A reported offense covered by this chapter shall include any offense prohibited by the

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following chapters of the general laws: chapter 5 of title 11, assaults; chapter 18 of title 11, fraud

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and false dealing; chapter 23 of title 11, homicide, chapter 26 of title 11, kidnapping; chapter 37 of

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title 11, sexual assault; chapter 39 of title 11, robbery; chapter 41 of title 11, theft, embezzlement,

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false pretenses and misappropriation; chapter 42 of title 11, threats and extortion; chapter 57 of title

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11, racketeer violence; chapter 59 of title 11, stalking; chapter 67.1 of title 11, human trafficking;

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and § 11-9-1.3, child pornography.

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     11-34.1-3. Procurement of sexual conduct for a fee.

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     (a) A person is guilty of procuring or attempting to procure sexual conduct for the payment

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of a fee if they engage or seek to engage in sexual conduct for any type of fee and/or pay or agree

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to pay any type of fee for sexual conduct, regardless of the time, place or location of the

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procurement, attempted procurement, payment, attempted payment or conduct. Any person found

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guilty under this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be subject to

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imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or to a fine of not less than two hundred fifty

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dollars ($250) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

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     (b) Any person found guilty of a subsequent offense under this section shall be subject to

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imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or a fine of not less than five hundred dollars

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($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

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     (c) A person shall not be cited, arrested, or prosecuted under this section if the person

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witnessed or was a victim of, and reported to law enforcement in good faith and in a timely manner,

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one or more of the reported offenses listed in subsection (d) of this section.

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     (d) A reported offense covered by this chapter shall include any offense prohibited by the

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following chapters of the general laws: chapter 5 of title 11, assaults; chapter 18 of title 11, fraud

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and false dealing; chapter 23 of title 11, homicide, chapter 26 of title 11, kidnapping; chapter 37 of

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title 11, sexual assault; chapter 39 of title 11, robbery; chapter 41 of title 11, theft, embezzlement,

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false pretenses and misappropriation; chapter 42 of title 11, threats and extortion; chapter 57 of title

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11, racketeer violence; chapter 59 of title 11, stalking; chapter 67.1 of title 11, human trafficking;

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and § 11-9-1.3, child pornography.

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     11-34.1-4. Loitering for prostitution.

 

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     (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to stand or wander in or near any public highway or

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street, or any public or private place, and attempt to engage passersby in conversation, or stop or

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attempt to stop motor vehicles, for the purpose of prostitution or other commercial sexual activity.

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Any person found guilty of the crime of loitering for prostitution shall be subject to a sentence of

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up to six (6) months incarceration or by a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor

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more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

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     (b) Any person found guilty of a subsequent offense under this section shall be subject to

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imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or a fine of not less than five hundred dollars

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($500) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

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     (c) A person shall not be cited, arrested, or prosecuted under this section if the person

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witnessed or was a victim of, and reported to law enforcement in good faith and in a timely manner,

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one or more of the reported offenses listed in subsection (d) of this section.

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     (d) A reported offense covered by this chapter shall include any offense prohibited by the

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following chapters of the general laws: chapter 5 of title 11, assaults; chapter 18 of title 11, fraud

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and false dealing; chapter 23 of title 11, homicide, chapter 26 of title 11, kidnapping; chapter 37 of

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title 11, sexual assault; chapter 39 of title 11, robbery; chapter 41 of title 11, theft, embezzlement,

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false pretenses and misappropriation; chapter 42 of title 11, threats and extortion; chapter 57 of title

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11, racketeer violence; chapter 59 of title 11, stalking; chapter 67.1 of title 11, human trafficking;

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and § 11-9-1.3, child pornography.

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     11-34.1-6. Soliciting from motor vehicles for indecent purposes — Forfeiture of motor

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vehicle.

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     (a) It shall be unlawful for any person, while an operator or passenger in a motor vehicle

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to stop, or attempt to stop another vehicle or pedestrian, or to engage or attempt to engage persons

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in another vehicle or pedestrians in conversation, for the purposes of prostitution or other indecent

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act, or to patronize, induce, or otherwise secure another person to commit any commercial sexual

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activity. Any person found guilty under this section shall be subject to a sentence of up to six (6)

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months incarceration or a fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) nor more than one

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thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

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     (b) Any person found guilty of a subsequent offense under this section shall be subject to

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imprisonment for a term of not more than one year and a fine of not less than seven hundred fifty

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dollars ($750) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000). No fine imposed under this section

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may be suspended.

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     (c) The motor vehicle being unlawfully operated as defined in this chapter by a person

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convicted of a second or subsequent offense of soliciting from a motor vehicle for indecent

 

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purposes pursuant to this chapter which vehicle is owned by the operator, may be seized by the law

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enforcement agency and forfeited at the discretion of the court. Any funds received from the

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forfeiture shall be deposited in the victim’s of crimes indemnity fund (VCIF).

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     (d) A person shall not be cited, arrested, or prosecuted under this section if the person

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witnessed or was a victim of, and reported to law enforcement in good faith and in a timely manner,

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one or more of the reported offenses listed in subsection (e) of this section.

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     (e) A reported offense covered by this chapter shall include any offense prohibited by the

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following chapters of the general laws: chapter 5 of title 11, assaults; chapter 18 of title 11, fraud

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and false dealing; chapter 23 of title 11, homicide, chapter 26 of title 11, kidnapping; chapter 37 of

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title 11, sexual assault; chapter 39 of title 11, robbery; chapter 41 of title 11, theft, embezzlement,

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false pretenses and misappropriation; chapter 42 of title 11, threats and extortion; chapter 57 of title

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11, racketeer violence; chapter 59 of title 11, stalking; chapter 67.1 of title 11, human trafficking;

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and § 11-9-1.3, child pornography.

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     SECTION 2. Section 23-20.8-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-20.8 entitled "Licensing

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of Massage Therapists" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     23-20.8-3. Practice of massage therapy — License required — Use of title limited —

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Qualifications for licenses continuing education — Fees.

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     (a) A person shall not practice, or hold himself or herself out to others as practicing massage

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therapy, or as a massage therapist, without first receiving from the board a license to engage in that

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practice.

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     (b) A person shall hold himself or herself out to others as a massage therapist when the

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person adopts or uses any title or description, including: “massage therapist,” “masseur,”

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“masseuse,” “massagist,” “massotherapist,” “myotherapist,” “body therapist,” “massage

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technician,” “massage practitioner,” or any derivation of those terms that implies this practice.

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     (c) It shall be unlawful to advertise the practice of massage therapy using the term massage

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therapy, or any other term that implies a massage technique or method, in any public or private

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publication or communication by a person not licensed by the state of Rhode Island department of

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health as a massage therapist. Any person who holds a license to practice as a massage therapist in

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this state may use the title “licensed massage therapist” and the abbreviation “LMT.” No other

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persons may assume this title or use such abbreviation or any other word, letters, signs, or figures

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to indicate that the person using the title is a licensed massage therapist. A massage therapist’s

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name and license number must conspicuously appear on all of the massage therapist’s print and

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electronic material. A massage therapist licensed under this chapter must have available his or her

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license in all places of business practice.

 

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     (d)(1) The board shall, by rule, establish requirements for continuing education. The board

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may establish such requirements to be completed and verified annually. The board shall require no

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more than six (6) continuing education units annually.

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     (2) Applicants for annual licensure renewal shall meet continuing education requirements

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as prescribed by the board. On application for renewal of license, massage therapists shall attest to

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completion of six (6) continuing education units annually that may include, but not be limited to:

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     (i) Formal presentations;

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     (ii) Conferences;

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     (iii) Coursework from a massage school or program, accredited college/university; and/or

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     (iv) Self-study or online coursework.

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     The programs or offerings shall be approved or sponsored by a board-approved

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organization.

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     (3) A licensee who fails to complete the continuing education requirements described

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herein may be subject to disciplinary action pursuant to § 5-40-13.

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     (4) A license may be denied to any applicant who fails to provide satisfactory evidence of

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completion of continuing education relevant to massage therapy as required herein.

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     (5) The board may waive the requirement for continuing education if the board is satisfied

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that the applicant has suffered hardship that may have prevented meeting the educational

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requirements.

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     (e) The fee for original application for licensure as a massage therapist and for annual

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license renewal shall be as set forth in § 23-1-54. Fees for all other licenses under this chapter shall

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be fixed in an amount necessary to cover the cost of administering this chapter.

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     (f) Any person applying for a license under this chapter shall undergo a national criminal

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background check. Such persons shall apply to the bureau of criminal identification of the state

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police or local police department for a national criminal background check. Fingerprinting shall be

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required. Upon the discovery of any disqualifying information as defined in subsection (g), the

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bureau of criminal identification of the state police or the local police department shall inform the

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applicant, in writing, of the nature of the disqualifying information and, without disclosing the

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nature of the disqualifying information, shall notify the board, in writing, that disqualifying

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information has been found. In those situations in which no disqualifying information has been

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found, the bureau of criminal identification shall inform the applicant and the board in writing of

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this fact. An applicant against whom disqualifying information has been found may request that a

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copy of the national criminal background report be sent to the board, which shall make a judgment

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regarding the licensure of the applicant. The applicant shall be responsible for payment of the costs

 

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of the national criminal background check.

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     (g) “Disqualifying information” means those offenses, including, but not limited to, those

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defined in chapters 34, 34.1, and 37 of title 11, and § 23-17-37.

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     (h) Notwithstanding the above, any city or town may, by ordinance, regulate the opening,

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the presence, the location, and the operation of any body-works business or any business providing

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body-works services. Provided, however, no ordinance may impose additional qualifications

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beyond those adopted by the department of health pursuant to this chapter respecting national

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criminal background checks for persons applying for a license.

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     (i) A person shall not be cited, arrested, or prosecuted under this section if the person

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witnessed or was a victim of, and reported to law enforcement in good faith and in a timely manner,

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one or more of the reported offenses listed in subsection (j) of this section.

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     (j) A reported offense covered by this chapter shall include any offense prohibited by the

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following chapters of the general laws: chapter 5 of title 11, assaults; chapter 18 of title 11, fraud

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and false dealing; chapter 23 of title 11, homicide, chapter 26 of title 11, kidnapping; chapter 37 of

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title 11, sexual assault; chapter 39 of title 11, robbery; chapter 41 of title 11, theft, embezzlement,

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false pretenses and misappropriation; chapter 42 of title 11, threats and extortion; chapter 57 of title

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11, racketeer violence; chapter 59 of title 11, stalking; chapter 67.1 of title 11, human trafficking;

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and § 11-9-1.3, child pornography.

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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 -- COMMERCIAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY

***

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     This act would prohibit the arrest of any person who is engaged in commercial sexual

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activity or practicing massage without a license if they were a witness or victim of and, in good

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faith and in a timely manner, reported to law enforcement, the enumerated criminal offenses to

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include assault, sexual assault, homicide, robbery, larceny and the like.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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