2018 -- H 7167

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LC003412

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION

     

     Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Solomon, McEntee, Serpa, and Marshall

     Date Introduced: January 12, 2018

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 15-15-3 of the General Laws in Chapter 15-15 entitled "Domestic

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Abuse Prevention" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     15-15-3. Protective orders -- Penalty -- Jurisdiction.

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     (a) A person, or a parent, custodian, or legal guardian on behalf of a minor child or the

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director of the department of children, youth and families ("DCYF") or its designee for a child in

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the custody of DCYF, pursuant to §§ 40-11-7 and 40-11-7.1, suffering from domestic abuse or

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sexual exploitation as defined in § 15-15-1, may file a complaint in the family court requesting

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any order that will protect and support her or him from abuse or sexual exploitation, including,

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but not limited to, the following:

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     (1) Ordering that the defendant be restrained and enjoined from contacting, assaulting,

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molesting, sexually exploiting, or interfering with the plaintiff at home, on the street, or

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elsewhere, whether the defendant is an adult or a minor;

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     (2) Ordering the defendant to vacate the household immediately, and further providing in

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the order for the safety and welfare of all household animals and pets;

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     (3) Awarding the plaintiff custody of the minor children of the parties, if any;

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     (4) Ordering the defendant to surrender physical possession of all firearms in his or her

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possession, care, custody, or control and shall further order a person restrained not to purchase or

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receive, or attempt to purchase or receive, any firearms while the protective order is in effect. The

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defendant shall surrender said firearms within twenty-four (24) hours of notice of the protective

 

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order to the Rhode Island state police or local police department or to a federally licensed

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firearms dealer.

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     (i) A person ordered to surrender possession of any firearm(s) pursuant to this section

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shall, within seventy-two (72) hours after being served with the order, either:

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     (A) File with the court a receipt showing the firearm(s) was physically surrendered to the

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Rhode Island state police or local police department, or to a federally licensed firearms dealer; or

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     (B) Attest to the court that, at the time of the order, the person had no firearms in his or

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her immediate physical possession or control, or subject to their immediate physical possession or

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control, and that the person, at the time of the attestation, has no firearms in their immediate

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physical possession or control, or subject to their immediate physical possession or control.

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     (ii) If a person restrained under this section transfers a firearm(s) to a federally licensed

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firearms dealer pursuant to this section, the person restrained under this section may instruct the

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federally licensed firearms dealer to sell the firearm(s) or to transfer ownership, in accordance

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with state and federal law, to a qualified named individual who is not a member of the person's

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dwelling house, who is not related to the person by blood, marriage, or relationship as defined by

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§ 15-15-1(7), and who is not prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal law. The

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owner of any firearm(s) sold shall receive any financial value received from its sale, less the cost

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associated with taking possession of, storing, and transferring of the firearm(s).

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     (iii) Every individual to whom ownership of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this

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subsection shall be prohibited from transferring or returning any firearm(s) to the person

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restrained under this section while the protective order remains in effect and shall be informed of

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this prohibition, Any knowing violation of this subsection is a felony that shall be punishable by a

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fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment for a term of not less

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than one year and not more than five (5) years, or both.

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     (iv) An individual to whom ownership of a firearm(s) is transferred pursuant to this

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subsection shall return a firearm(s) to the person formerly restrained under this section only if the

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person formerly restrained under this section provides documentation issued by a court indicating

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that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person from

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purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been extended;

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     (5) After notice to the respondent and a hearing, ordering either party to make payments

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for the support of a minor child or children of the parties as required by law for a period not to

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exceed ninety (90) days, unless the child support order is for a child or children receiving public

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assistance pursuant to chapter 5.1 of title 40. In these cases, legal counsel for the division of

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taxation, child support enforcement, shall be notified as a party in interest to appear for the

 

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purpose of establishing a child support order under a new or existing docket number previously

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assigned to the parties and not under the protective docket number. The child support order shall

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remain in effect until the court modifies or suspends the order.

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     (b) After notice to the respondent and a hearing, which shall be held within fifteen (15)

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days of surrendering said firearms, the court, in addition to any other restrictions, may, for any

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protective order issued after or renewed on or after July 1, 2017, continue the order of surrender,

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and shall further order a person restrained under this section not to purchase or receive, or attempt

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to purchase or receive, any firearms while the protective order is in effect.

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     (c) The Family Court shall provide a notice on all forms requesting a protective order that

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a person restrained under this section shall be ordered pursuant to § 11-47-5 to surrender

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possession of any firearms while the protective order is in effect. The form shall further provide

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that any person who has surrendered his or her firearms shall be afforded a hearing within fifteen

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(15) days of surrendering his or her firearms.

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     (d) Any firearm surrendered in accordance with this section to the Rhode Island state

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police or local police department shall be returned to the person formerly restrained under this

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section upon his or her request when:

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     (1) The person formerly restrained under this section produces documentation issued by a

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court indicating that the restraining order issued pursuant to this section that prohibited the person

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from purchasing, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms has expired and has not been

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extended; and

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     (2) The law enforcement agency in possession of the firearms determined that the person

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formerly restrained under this section is not otherwise prohibited from possessing a firearm under

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state or federal law.

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     (3) The person required to surrender their firearms pursuant to this section shall not be

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responsible for any costs of storage of any firearms surrendered pursuant to this section.

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     (e) The Rhode Island state police are authorized to develop rules and procedures

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pertaining to the storage and return of firearms surrendered to the Rhode Island state police or

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local police departments pursuant to this section. The Rhode Island state police may consult with

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the Rhode Island Police Chiefs' Association in developing rules and procedures.

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     (f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit, expand, or in any way modify

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orders issued under § 12-29-7 or § 15-5-19.

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     (g) Nothing in this section shall limit a defendant's right under existing law to petition the

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court at a later date for modification of the order.

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     (h) The court shall immediately notify the person suffering from domestic abuse whose

 

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complaint gave rise to the protective order, and the law enforcement agency where the person

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restrained under this section resides, of the hearing.

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     (i) The person suffering from domestic abuse, local law enforcement, and the person

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restrained under this section shall all have an opportunity to be present and to testify when the

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court considers the petition.

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     (j) At the hearing, the person restrained under this section shall have the burden of

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showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that, if his or her firearm rights were restored, he or

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she would not pose a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person.

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     (1) In determining whether to restore a person's firearm rights, the court shall examine all

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relevant evidence, including, but not limited to: the complaint seeking a protective order; the

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criminal record of the person restrained under this section; the mental health history of the person

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restrained under this section; any evidence that the person restrained under this section has, since

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being served with the order, engaged in violent or threatening behavior against the person

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suffering from domestic abuse or any other person.

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     (2) If the court determines, after a review of all relevant evidence and after all parties

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have had an opportunity to be heard, that the person restrained under this section would not pose

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a danger to the person suffering from domestic abuse or to any other person if his or her firearm

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rights were restored, then the court may grant the petition and modify the protective order and lift

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the firearm prohibition.

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     (3) If the court lifts a person's firearms prohibition pursuant to this subsection, the court

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shall issue the person written notice that he or she is no longer prohibited under this section from

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purchasing or possessing firearms while the protective order is in effect.

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     (k) The prohibition against possessing a firearm(s) due solely to the existence of a

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domestic violence restraining order issued under this section shall not apply with respect to sworn

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peace officers as defined in § 12-7-21 and active members of military service, including members

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of the reserve components thereof, who are required by law or departmental policy to carry

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departmental firearms while on duty or any person who is required by his or her employment to

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carry a firearm in the performance of his or her duties. Any individual exempted pursuant to this

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exception may possess a firearm only during the course of his or her employment. Any firearm

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required for employment must be stored at the place of employment when not being possessed for

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employment use; all other firearm(s) must be surrendered in accordance with this section.

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     (l) Upon motion by the plaintiff, his or her address shall be released only at the discretion

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of the family court judge.

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     (m) (1) Any violation of the protective orders in subsection (a) of this section shall

 

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subject the defendant to being found in contempt of court.

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     (2) The contempt order shall not be exclusive and shall not preclude any other available

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civil or criminal remedies. Any relief granted by the court shall be for a fixed period of time not

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to exceed three (3) years, at the expiration of which time the court may extend any order, upon

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motion of the plaintiff, for any additional time, that it deems necessary to protect the plaintiff

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from abuse. The court may modify its order at any time upon motion of either party.

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     (n) (1) Any violation of a protective order under this chapter of which the defendant has

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actual notice shall be a misdemeanor that shall be punished by a fine of no more than one

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thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

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     (2) The penalties for violation of this section shall also include the penalties as provided

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by § 12-29-5.

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     (o) Actual notice means that the defendant has received a copy of the order by service or

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by being handed a copy of the order by a police officer pursuant to § 15-15-5(d).

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     (p) (1) The district court shall have criminal jurisdiction over all adult violations of this

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chapter.

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     (2) The family court shall have jurisdiction over all juvenile violations of this chapter.

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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 DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- DOMESTIC ABUSE PREVENTION

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     This act would expand family court jurisdiction to enter protective orders to provide for

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the safety and welfare of household pets in domestic abuse situations.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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