Chapter 214
2016 -- H 7283 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/30/2016

A N   A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES - WEAPONS

Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Lombardi, Regunberg, and Blazejewski
Date Introduced: January 21, 2016

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Chapter 11-47 of the General Laws entitled "Weapons" is hereby amended
by adding thereto the following section:
     11-47-5.3. Surrender of firearms by persons convicted of domestic violence offenses.
-- (a) Pleading nolo contendere to or conviction of an offense under §12-29-2 which is punishable
as a felony shall prohibit the defendant from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or
having in their possession or control any firearm. Upon such a plea or conviction, the court shall
issue an order declaring that the defendant surrender all firearm(s) owned by the defendant, or in
the defendant's possession, care, custody, or control as described in this section.
     (1) Surrender shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours of prohibition to a law-
enforcement agency or to a federally licensed firearms dealer. The arresting law-enforcement
agency shall be immediately notified of the order to surrender firearm(s). A law-enforcement
agency or federally licensed firearms dealer taking possession of a firearm(s) shall issue proof of
surrender to the person surrendering the firearm(s). The proof of surrender shall include the name
of the person; the name of the law-enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer; the
date of surrender; the serial number; the manufacturer; and model of all surrendered firearm(s).
     (2) The defendant may transport their firearm(s) during the twenty-four (24) hour (24)
surrender period directly to the law-enforcement agency or federally licensed firearms dealer,
provided that the firearm(s) is broken down, unloaded, and carried as openly as circumstances
will permit, or provided that the pistols or revolvers are unloaded and secured in a separate
container suitable for the purpose.
     (3) The defendant shall, within forty-eight (48) hours after being served with the order,
either:
     (i) File a copy of proof of surrender with the court and attest that all firearm(s) owned by
the defendant, or in the defendant's possession, care, custody, or control at the time of the plea or
conviction, have been surrendered in accordance with this section and that the defendant currently
owns no firearm(s) or has any firearm(s) in their care, custody, or control; or
     (ii) Attest that, at the time of the plea or conviction, the defendant owned no firearm(s)
and had no firearm(s) in their care, custody, or control, and that the defendant currently owns no
firearm(s) and has no firearm(s) in their possession, care, custody, or control.
     (4) The list of firearm(s) surrendered shall be kept under seal and shall not be part of the
public record.
     (5)(i) If the defendant chooses to surrender a firearm(s) to a law-enforcement agency, the
law-enforcement agency shall follow the policies established by the police officer's commission
on standards and training for the return or disposal of the firearm(s).
     (ii) The police officer's commission on standards and training shall establish policies for
the return or disposal of firearms that are surrendered pursuant to any court order, provided that
such policies require that the defendant be notified of the return or disposal, and that the owner
receive any financial value received from the disposal, less the cost associated with taking
possession of, storing, and disposing of the firearm(s) and provided that no disposal shall occur
while any appeal of the conviction is pending.
     (6) If the defendant, or their designee, transfers a firearm(s) to a federally licensed
firearms dealer pursuant to this section, the defendant may instruct the federally licensed firearms
dealer to sell the firearm(s) or to transfer ownership pursuant to state and federal law to a
qualified named individual who is not a member of the defendant's dwelling house. The owner of
any firearm(s) sold shall receive any financial value received from their sale, less the cost
associated with taking possession of, storing, and transferring of the firearm(s).
     (7) Every individual, to whom ownership of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this
section, shall be prohibited from transferring or returning any firearm(s) to the defendant and
shall be informed of this prohibition.
     (i) Any knowing violation of subsection (a)(7) of this section is a felony which shall be
punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment for a
term of not less than one year and not more than five (5) years, or both.
     SECTION 2. Section 12-29-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-29 entitled "Domestic
Violence Prevention Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:
     12-29-5. Disposition of domestic violence cases. -- (a) Every person convicted of, or
placed on probation for, a crime involving domestic violence or whose case is filed pursuant to §
12-10-12 where the defendant pleads nolo contendere, in addition to any other sentence imposed
or counseling ordered, shall be ordered by the judge to attend, at his or her own expense, a
batterer's intervention program appropriate to address his or her violent behavior; provided,
however, that the court may permit a servicemember or veteran to complete any court-approved
counseling program administered or approved by the Veterans' Administration. This order shall
be included in the conditions of probation. Failure of the defendant to comply with the order shall
be a basis for violating probation and/or the provisions of § 12-10-12. This provision shall not be
suspended or waived by the court.
      (b) Every person convicted of, or placed on probation for, a crime involving domestic
violence, as enumerated in § 12-29-2 or whose case if filed pursuant to § 12-10-12 where the
defendant pleads guilty or nolo contendere, in addition to other court costs or assessments
imposed, shall be ordered to pay a one hundred twenty-five dollar ($125) assessment. Eighty
percent (80%) of the assessment collected pursuant to this section shall be provided to the Rhode
Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence for programs to assist victims of domestic violence
and twenty percent (20%) of the assessment shall be deposited as general revenue.
      (c) (1) Every person convicted of an offense punishable as a misdemeanor involving
domestic violence as defined in § 12-29-2 shall:
      (i) For a second violation be imprisoned for a term of not less than ten (10) days and not
more than one year.
      (ii) For a third and subsequent violation be deemed guilty of a felony and be imprisoned
for a term of not less than one year and not more than ten (10) years.
      (2) No jail sentence provided for under this section can be suspended.
      (3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as limiting the discretion of the judges
to impose additional sanctions authorized in sentencing.
      (d) For the purposes of this section, "batterers intervention program" means a program
which is certified by the batterers intervention program standards oversight committee according
to minimum standards, pursuant to §§ 12-29-5.1, 12-29-5.2, and 12-29-5.3.
      (e) For purposes of this section, "servicemember" means a person who is presently
serving in the armed forces of the United States, including the Coast Guard, a reserve component
thereof, or the National Guard. "Veteran" means a person who has served in the armed forces,
including the Coast Guard of the United States, a reserve component thereof, or the National
Guard, and has been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.
     (f) The court shall indicate on every record of conviction or a plea of nolo contendere for
an offense punishable as a felony involving domestic violence, as defined in §12-29-2, that the
defendant is prohibited under §§11-47-5 and 11-47-5.3 from purchasing, owning, carrying,
transporting, or having in their possession, any firearm(s). The court shall inform the defendant of
their prohibited status and shall order the defendant to surrender any firearm(s) in their
ownership, possession, care, custody or control in accordance with §11-47-5.3.
     (g) No proceeds shall be provided to any person if the firearm(s) is destroyed pursuant to
this section.
     (h) Any firearm(s) used in the commission of the offense leading to the conviction
pursuant to this section shall be forfeited to the state upon conviction.
     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2017.
========
LC003793/SUB A
========