2014 -- H 7620

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LC004439

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Corvese, Hull, Azzinaro, Malik, and Marcello

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2014

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Attorney General)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 11-34.1-2 and 11-34.1-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-34.1

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entitled "Commercial Sexual Activity" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-34.1-2. Prostitution. -- (a) A person is guilty of prostitution when such person

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engages, or agrees, or offers to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee.

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Any person found guilty under this section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be

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subject to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six (6) months, or to a fine of not less than two

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hundred fifty 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 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) Any proceeds derived directly from a violation of this section are subject to seizure

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and forfeiture and further proceedings shall be had for their forfeiture as is prescribed by law in

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chapter 21 of title 12.

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

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defense 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

 

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or 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

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perceived as threatened.

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     11-34.1-7. Pandering or permitting prostitution -- Not allowed. -- (a) It shall be

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unlawful for any person, by any promise or threat, by abuse of person, or by any other device or

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scheme, to cause, induce, persuade, or encourage a person to become a prostitute or to come into

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this state or leave this state for the purpose of prostitution. It shall be unlawful for any person to

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receive or give, or agree to receive or give, any money or thing of value for procuring or

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attempting to procure any person to become a prostitute or to come into this state or leave this

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state for the purpose of prostitution.

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      (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly permit, allow, transport, or offer or

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agree to receive any person into any place, structure, house, building, room, or business for the

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purpose of committing any commercial sexual activity, or knowingly permit any person to remain

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in the premises for those purposes, or to, in any way, aid or abet or participate in any of the acts

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or things enumerated in this chapter. It shall also be unlawful for any Any person, knowing a

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person to be a prostitute, who shall live or derive support or maintenance, in whole or in part,

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from the earnings or proceeds of commercial sexual activity, from moneys loaned, advanced to,

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or charged against the prostitute by a landlord, manager, owner of a spa or business, or any other

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place where commercial sexual activity is practiced or allowed, or who shall share in the

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earnings, proceeds, or moneys shall be guilty of the crime of permitting prostitution.

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      (c) Every person who commits any of the offenses described in subsection (a) of this

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section, or who assists, abets, or aids another to commit any of those offenses, shall be guilty of

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pandering. For the first offense, that person shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than

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one year and not more than five (5) years and a fine of not less than two thousand dollars

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($2,000), nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). For every subsequent offense, that person

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shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than three (3) years and not more than ten (10)

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years and a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000), nor more than ten thousand

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dollars ($10,000).

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     (d) Any proceeds derived directly from a violation of this section are subject to seizure

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and forfeiture and further proceedings shall be required for their forfeiture as is prescribed by law

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in chapter 21 of title 12.

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     SECTION 2. Section 21-28-5.04 of the General Laws in Chapter 21-28 entitled "Uniform

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Controlled Substances Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

 

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     21-28-5.04. Forfeiture of property and money. -- (a) Any property, real or personal,

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including, but not limited to, vessels, vehicles, or aircraft, and money or negotiable instruments,

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securities, or other things of value or any property constituting, or derived from any proceeds,

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furnished, or intended to be furnished, by any person for the transportation of, or in exchange for,

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a controlled substance and which that has been, or is being used, in violation of section §§21-28-

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4.01(a) or 21-28-4.01 (b) or in, upon, or by means of which any violation of section §§21-28-

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4.01(a) or 21-28-4.01 (b) or section §§ 21-28-4.01.1 or 21-28-4.01.2 or 21-28-4.08 has taken, or

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is taking place, and all real property including any right, title, and interest in the whole of any lot

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or tract of land and any appurtenances or improvements which is used in the commission of a

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violation of section §§21-28-4.01(a) or 21-28-4.01 (b) or section §§21-28-4.01.1 or 21-28-4.01.2

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or 21-28-4.08, or which that was purchased with funds obtained as a result of the commission of a

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violation of section §§21-28-4.01(a) or 21-28-4.01 (b) or section §§21-28-4.01.1 or 21-28-4.01.2

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or 21-28-4.08, shall be seized and forfeited; provided that no property or money, as enumerated in

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this subsection, used by any person shall be forfeited under the provisions of this chapter unless it

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shall appear that the owner of the property or money had knowledge, actual or constructive, and

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was a consenting party to the alleged illegal act. All moneys, coin and currency, found in close

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proximity to forfeitable controlled substances, to forfeitable drug manufacturing or distributing

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paraphernalia, or to forfeitable records of the importation, manufacture, or distribution of

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controlled substances, are presumed to be unlawfully furnished in exchange for a controlled

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substance or used in violation of this chapter. The burden of proof is upon claimants of the

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property to rebut this presumption.

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      (b) Property taken or detained under this section shall not be repleviable, but shall be

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deemed to be in the custody of the law enforcement agency making the seizure and whenever

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property or money is forfeited under this chapter it shall be utilized as follows:

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      (1) Where the seized property is a vessel, vehicle, aircraft, or other personal property it

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may be retained and used by the law enforcement agency that seized the property where the use

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of the property is reasonably related to the law enforcement duties of the seizing agency. If the

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seized property is a motor vehicle that is inappropriate for use by the law enforcement agency due

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to style, size, or color, the seizing agency shall be allowed to apply the proceeds of sale or the

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trade-in value of the vehicle towards the purchase of an appropriate vehicle for use for in

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activities reasonably related to law enforcement duties.

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      (2) The law enforcement agency may sell any forfeited property, which is not required

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by this chapter to be destroyed and which is not harmful to the public. The proceeds from the sale

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are to be distributed in accordance with subdivision (3) of this subsection.

 

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      (3) As to the proceeds from the sale of seized property as referred to in subdivision (2) of

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this subsection, and as to moneys, coin and currency, negotiable instruments, securities, or other

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things of value as referred to in subsection (a) of this section, the distribution shall be as follows:

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      (i) (A) All proceeds of the forfeiture of real or personal property shall be distributed as

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follows: All costs of advertising administrative forfeitures shall first be deducted from the amount

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forfeited. Of the remainder, twenty percent (20%) of the proceeds shall be provided to the

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attorney general's department to be used for further drug-related law enforcement activities

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including, but not limited to, investigations, prosecutions, and the administration of this chapter;

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seventy percent (70%) of the proceeds shall be divided among the state and local law

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enforcement agencies proportionately based upon their contribution to the investigation of the

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criminal activity related to the asset being forfeited; and ten percent (10%) of the proceeds shall

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be provided to the department of health for distribution to substance abuse treatment programs.

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      (B) The law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation, with the assistance of

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the attorney general, shall by agreement determine the respective proportionate share to be

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received by each agency. If the agencies are unable to reach agreement, application shall be made

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by one or more of the agencies involved to the presiding justice of the superior court, who shall

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determine the respective proportionate share attributable to each law enforcement agency. The

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proceeds from all forfeitures shall be held by the general treasurer in a separate account until such

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time as an allocation is determined by agreement of the agencies or by the presiding justice. It

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shall be the duty and responsibility of the general treasurer to disburse the allocated funds from

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the separate account to the respective law enforcement agencies.

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      (ii) Each state or local law enforcement agency shall be entitled to keep the forfeited

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money or the proceeds from sales of forfeited property. The funds shall be used for law

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enforcement purposes and investigations of violations of this chapter. The funds received by a

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state law enforcement agency shall be maintained in a separate account by the general treasurer.

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The funds received by a local law enforcement agency shall be maintained in a separate account

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by the local agency's city or town treasurer.

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      (c) (1) There is established in the state's treasury a special fund to be known as the asset

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forfeiture fund in which shall be deposited the excess proceeds of forfeitures arising out of

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criminal acts occurring before July 1, 1987. The asset forfeiture fund shall be used to fund drug-

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related law enforcement activity and the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of drug abuse.

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The fund shall be administered through the office of the general treasurer. The presiding justice of

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the superior court shall have the authority to determine the feasibility and amount of disbursement

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to those state or local law enforcement agencies which that have made application.

 

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      (2) Upon the application of any law enforcement agency of the state of Rhode Island

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when a special need exists concerning the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter, the

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attorney general, or his or her designee, may apply to the presiding justice of the superior court

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for the release from the general treasury of sums of money. When the presiding justice upon

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consideration of the reasons set forth by that agency deems them to be reasonable and necessary

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to the accomplishment of a goal within the powers and duties of that law enforcement agency, he

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or she may issue an order ex parte providing for the release of the funds.

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      (d) Each law enforcement agency making any seizure(s) which that result(s) in a

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forfeiture pursuant to this section shall certify and file with the state treasurer between January 1

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and January 30 an annual report detailing the property or money forfeited during the previous

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calendar year and the use or disposition of the property or money. The report shall be made in the

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form and manner as may be provided or specified by the treasurer and these annual law

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enforcement agency reports shall be provided to the local governmental body governing the

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agency and to the house and senate judiciary committees.

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      (e) Any law enforcement agency whose duty it is to enforce the laws of this state relating

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to controlled substances is empowered to authorize designated officers or agents to carry out the

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seizure provisions of this chapter. It shall be the duty of any officer or agent authorized or

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designated, or authorized by law, whenever he or she shall discover any property or monies

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which that have been, or are being, used in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, or in,

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upon, or by means of which any violation of this chapter has taken or is taking place, to seize the

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property or monies and to place it in the custody of the person as may be authorized or designated

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for that purpose by the respective law enforcement agency pursuant to those provisions.

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      (f) For purposes of this section and section §30-14-2 only, the Rhode Island national

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guard shall be deemed a law enforcement agency eligible to participate in the forfeiture of money

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and assets seized through counterdrug operations in which members of the guard support federal,

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state or municipal efforts.

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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

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     This act would subject the proceeds derived from pandering or permitting prostitution

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from conspiracy to violate the uniformed controlled substances act to seizure and forfeiture.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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