Title 8
Courts and Civil Procedure — Courts

Chapter 8.3
Extreme Risk Protection Orders

R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-8.3-1

§ 8-8.3-1. Definitions.

When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:

(1) “Court” means the superior court in the county in which the respondent resides.

(2) “Extreme risk protection order” means either a temporary order or a one-year order granted under this chapter.

(3) “Family or household member” means present and former family members (as defined in § 15-15-1), parents (as defined in § 15-15-1), stepparents, legal guardians, persons who are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship within the past one year (as defined in § 15-15-1), and cohabitants (as defined in § 8-8.1-1).

(4) “Firearm” means and includes any machine gun, pistol, rifle, air rifle, air pistol, “blank gun,” “BB gun,” or other instrument from which steel or metal projectiles are propelled, or that may readily be converted to expel a projectile, except crossbows, recurve, compound, or longbows, and except instruments propelling projectiles that are designed or normally used for a primary purpose other than as a weapon. The frame or receiver of the weapon shall be construed as a firearm pursuant to the provisions of this section.

(5) “Law enforcement agency” means the police department of any city or town, and the division of the Rhode Island state police established pursuant to chapter 28 of title 42.

(6) “Law enforcement officer” means a sworn member of a law enforcement agency as defined herein.

(7) “One-year extreme risk protection order” means an extreme risk protection order granted pursuant to the provisions of § 8-8.3-5 or renewed pursuant to the provisions of § 8-8.3-7.

(8) “Petitioner” means a law enforcement agency that petitions for an order pursuant to this chapter.

(9) “Respondent” means the person who is identified as the respondent in a petition filed pursuant to this chapter.

(10) “Social media” means any cell phone- or internet-based tools and applications that are used to share and distribute information.

(11) “Temporary extreme risk protection order” means an extreme risk protection order issued pursuant to the provisions of § 8-8.3-4.

History of Section.
P.L. 2018, ch. 6, § 1; P.L. 2018, ch. 7, § 1.