2015 -- H 6017

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LC002245

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES - WEAPONS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Carnevale, Chippendale, Corvese, O'Brien, and

     Date Introduced: April 01, 2015

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 11-47-12 and 11-47-18 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47

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entitled "Weapons" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-47-12. License or permit fee. -- A fee of forty dollars ($40.00) shall be charged and

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shall be paid for each license or permit to the licensing authority issuing it upon the issuance of

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the permit. Every license or permit shall be valid for four (4) years from the date when issued

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unless sooner revoked. Provided, that a renewal of a license or permit to carry a pistol or revolver

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pursuant to § 11-47-18 may be issued and be valid for up to six (6) years from the date of

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renewal. The fee charged for issuing of the license or permit shall be applied for the use and

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benefit of the city, town, or state of Rhode Island. A licensing authority may not charge any

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administrative fee, application fee, processing fee, or any other fee with the exception of a

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reimbursement cost for a federal background check fee.

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     11-47-18. License or permit issued by attorney general on showing of need --

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Issuance to retired police officers. -- (a) The attorney general may shall issue a license or permit

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to any person twenty-one (21) years of age or over to carry a pistol or revolver, whether

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concealed or not, upon his or her person upon a proper showing of need, subject to the provisions

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of §§ 11-47-12 and 11-47-15; that license or permit may be issued notwithstanding the provisions

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may not be issued to and shall immediately be revoked for an individual who is in violation of §

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11-47-7.

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      (b) All state police officers and permanent members of city and town police forces of

 

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this state who have retired in good standing after at least twenty (20) years of service, or retired in

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good standing due to a physical disability other than a psychological impairment, may be issued a

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license or permit by the attorney general subject to the provisions of §§ 11-47-12 and 11-47-15.

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The term "in good standing" means that at the time of retirement, the police officer was not facing

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disciplinary action that could have resulted in his or her termination for misconduct or unfitness

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for office. Any member of the licensing authority, and its agents, servants, and employees shall

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be immune from suit in any action, civil or criminal, based upon any official act or decision,

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performed or made in good faith in issuing a license or permit under this chapter.

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      (c) Notwithstanding any other chapter or section of the general laws of the state of

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Rhode Island, the attorney general shall not provide or release to any individual, firm, association

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or corporation the name, address, or date of birth of any person who has held or currently holds a

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license or permit to carry a concealed pistol or revolver. This section shall not be construed to

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prohibit the release of any statistical data of a general nature relative to age, gender and racial or

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ethnic background nor shall it be construed to prevent the release of information to parties

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involved in any prosecution of § 11-47-8 or in response to a lawful subpoena in any criminal or

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civil action which said person is a party to such action.

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     (d) The attorney general's application for a license to carry a concealable weapon shall be

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filled out completely by the applicant, dated and signed by the applicant and notarized.

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     (e) The attorney general may request only the following information on the application:

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     (1) Applicant's full name, prior name, if legally changed, all nicknames and aliases, full

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residence address and mailing address if different (no post office boxes accepted).

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     (2) All of the applicant's available phone numbers, including, but not limited to, business

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cellular, mobile and land line phone numbers.

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     (3) The applicant's height, weight, color of eyes and hair, date and place of birth, full

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social security number.

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     (4) Applicant's occupation, job description, years of employment and employer's full

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address and contact information, including, but not limited to, the name of the applicants direct

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supervisor and contact phone number.

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     (5) Applicant's proof of citizenship, length of citizenship and if applicant is not a citizen

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of the United States, a copy of both sides of a current and valid alien registration card.

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     (6) A listing of all the applicant's addresses, for the last three (3) years, including the full

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address with dates of residence.

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     (7) Information relating to the applicants arrest record including, but not limited to, the

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date applicant was arrested, the name of the city/town or arresting agency, the state the arrest

 

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occurred in, the arresting charge and disposition.

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     (8) Information relating to the applicant's plea of nolo contendere to any charge or

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violation including, but not limited to, the date the applicant was arrested, the name of the

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city/town or arresting agency, the state the plea occurred in, the arresting charge and disposition.

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     (9) Information relating to the applicant's conviction record including, but not limited to,

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the date the applicant was arrested, the name of the city/town or arresting agency, the state the

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arrest occurred in, the arresting charge and disposition.

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     (10) Information relating to the applicant's indictment in any court for a crime punishable

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for more than one year, including, but not limited to, the name of the city/town or indicting

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agency, the state of the indictment, the indicting charge and disposition.

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     (11) Information relating to the applicant if he/she was ever under a guardianship or been

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subject to confinement by virtue of being a mental incompetent, or who has been adjudicated or is

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under treatment or confinement as a drug addict, including, but not limited to, the dates thereof.

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     (12) Information relating to the applicant's current and prior applications for a permit for

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a concealed weapon from the Rhode Island attorney general, any local city or town, or any other

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state, including, but not limited to, if any permit is active, expired, denied or revoked, with the

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dates and reasons thereof. The attorney general may require notarized photocopies of the front

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and back of all valid permits.

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     (13) All non-resident applicants must include a copy of both the front and the back of

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their home state permit.

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     (14) A dated, signed and notarized typed statement from the applicant outlining the

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applicant's specific reasons and details regarding his or her need for a Rhode Island permit. Only

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a typed letter may be submitted. If the permit is to be used for employment, a typed and signed

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letter of explanation must be submitted on the applicant's letterhead and included with the

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application. In addition, the applicant must submit a copy of the business license as proof that the

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business exists.

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     (15) Enclose two (2) 1" X 1" pictures of the applicant taken without headgear or glasses.

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This photo must be a clear, colored picture of the head and face. The applicant must print his/her

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name on the back of each picture. No laminated photos will be accepted.

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     (16) Copies of both the front and the back of two (2) types of positive identification for

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the applicant, examples include, but are not limited to, birth certificate, United States passport, a

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Rhode Island or other state driver's license or a Rhode Island identification card. The photocopies

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submitted must be signed and dated by a notary public attesting to the photocopies as being true

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copies.

 

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     (17) The application must include the applicant's full set of fingerprints submitted on a

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FBI Fingerprint Applicant Card [FD-258 (Rev. 12-29-82)] included with the application.

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Fingerprint card must be signed by the applicant. This is not necessary for a renewal application.

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     (18) Three (3) dated, signed and notarized typed reference letters from individuals who

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personally know the applicant. The individuals used as references must include on the letters the

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following information: their full names, residence address, phone number with area code and the

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years they have known the applicant. An applicant's reference letter dated more than three (3)

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months prior to the date of the permit application will be considered invalid. Reference letters

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must be written by the reference, not the applicant and cannot be identical.

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     (19) A certification that the applicant has qualified in accordance with § 11-47-15 (law

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enforcement personnel may submit a certification of the Rhode Island combat course). A National

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Rifle Association (N.R.A.) instructor or a police range office must sign and complete the

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certification which shall include the date of the qualification, the printed name, phone number of

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the instructor, instructor N.R.A. number, the caliber of the weapon and the applicant's score. An

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applicant's qualification certification dated more than one year prior to the date of the permit

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application will be considered invalid.

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     (20) A copy of the N.R.A. instructor certification and/or the police officer's range

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certification must be submitted with the application.

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     (f) A copy of the application shall be delivered to the applicant's local licensing authority

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or to the city or town police department for the police chief's signature. The licensing authority or

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the police chief shall have a period of thirty (30) days from the date of the submission of the

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application to either sign the application or to issue a written letter stating the reasons for not

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signing the application. After thirty (30) days from submission the applicant may submit a copy

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of the permit application to the attorney general if the licensing authority or police chief has either

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not signed or has not issued a written letter opposing the applicant's application. The attorney

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general shall then process the application without the signature as a constructive approval from

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the licensing authority or the police chief.

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     (g) The applicant shall sign an affidavit certifying that he or she has read and is familiar

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with the provisions of §§ 11-47-l through 11-47-63, and acknowledges the penalties for violations

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of the provisions of the cited sections. He or she shall further attest that any alteration of the

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permit is just cause for revocation. The affidavit shall be dated and notarized and shall indicate

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the date it was submitted to the licensing authority or the police department.

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     (h) The attorney general shall within thirty (30) days from the receipt of the application

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either to approve, deny or reject the application as incomplete.

 

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     (1) If the application is approved, the attorney general may indicate on the reverse of the

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license any restriction, if any, on the license. A permit issued without any restrictive language is

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deemed to be unrestricted.

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     (2) If the attorney general denies the application, the applicant shall be notified, either by

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mail or by phone, that the entire application is available for pick-up by the applicant along with a

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written response stating the reason(s) for the denial.

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     (3) If the attorney general deems the application incomplete, then the applicant shall be

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notified, either by mail or by phone, that the entire application is available for pick-up by the

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applicant along with a written response stating the reason(s) why the application was deemed

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incomplete.

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     (i) The attorney general shall within sixty (60) days from the receipt of the application

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destroy any denied or rejected application which has not been picked up by the applicant after

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notification.

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     (j) The provisions of § 11-47-35 shall not apply to persons licensed under § 11-47-18.

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     (k) The attorney general's renewal application for a license to carry a concealable weapon

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shall be as follows:

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     (1) The applicant must submit a fully complete, signed, dated and notarized renewal

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application to the applicant's local licensing authority or to the city or town police department at

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least forty-five (45) days prior to the expiration date of the permit.

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     (2) The renewal application shall include only the information included in subsection

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(e)(1) through (e)(13) of this section.

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     (3) The licensing authority or the police chief shall have a period of fourteen (14) days

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from the date of the submission of the renewal to either sign the renewal or to issue a written

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letter stating the reasons for not signing the renewal. After fourteen (14) days from submission

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the applicant may submit a copy of the renewal application to the attorney general if the licensing

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authority or police chief has either not signed or has not issued a written letter opposing the

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applicant's renewal. The attorney general shall then process the renewal without the signature as a

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constructive approval from the licensing authority or the police chief.

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     (4) The attorney general shall within fourteen (14) days of receipt of the renewal

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application, if there is no substantial change in the applicant's renewal application, no substantial

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change in need, no change in the applicant's criminal history and no change in the applicant's

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background check, automatically approve the renewal application.

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     (5) The renewal permit shall be, at a minimum, issued with the same restrictions, if any,

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as the prior permit, except that the renewal may be for a period of up to six (6) years from the

 

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date of renewal, pursuant to § 11-47-12.

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     (i) The attorney general shall establish and maintain an emergency permit extension on

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the renewal application for a license to carry a concealable weapon.

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     (A) The emergency permit extension is only available to renewal applicants who, at the

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time of the application, have an unexpired four (4) year attorney general license to carry a

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concealable weapon and who must maintain this license for work purposes.

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     (B) The applicant must submit to the attorney general a notarized affidavit, which form is

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approved by the attorney general, which states as of the date of the execution of the form he or

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she has submitted a fully complete, signed, dated and notarized renewal application to the

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applicant's local licensing authority or to the city or town police department within thirty (30)

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days prior to the expiration date of his or her permit.

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     (C) A complete copy of the permit application shall be delivered along with the affidavit

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to the department of the attorney general.

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     (D) The attorney general shall, within three (3) business days of receipt of the renewal

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application copy and affidavit, if there is no substantial change in the applicant's renewal

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application, no substantial change in need, no change in the applicant's criminal history and no

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change in the applicant's background check, automatically approve the emergency permit

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extension.

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     (E) A fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be charged and shall be paid to the attorney

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general for the emergency permit extension upon the issuance of the emergency permit.

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     (F) The emergency permit extension shall be valid for forty-five (45) days from issuance

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and shall not be extended.

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     (G) Nothing in the emergency permit extension section shall be construed or interpreted

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to stay or toll the time periods in the renewal process as outlined in subsection (h) of this section.

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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 CRIMINAL OFFENSES - WEAPONS

***

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     This act would require the forty dollar ($40.00) fee for a concealed weapon permit be

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paid once the permit is issued. It would also prohibit illegal aliens from holding a concealed carry

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permit, and make changes to the application process. It would also provide that the renewal of the

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permit to carry a concealed weapon could be renewed for up to six (6) years.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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