2018 -- H 7645

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LC003264

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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 CRIMINAL OFFENSES - WEAPONS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Regunberg, Knight, Donovan, Ranglin-Vassell, and
Kazarian

     Date Introduced: February 15, 2018

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 11-47-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47 entitled "Weapons"

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is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     11-47-2. Definitions.

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     When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases are construed as follows:

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     (1) "Antique firearm" is defined as that term is defined under the provisions of 18 U.S.C.

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§ 921.

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     (2) "Crime of violence" means and includes any of the following crimes or an attempt to

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commit any of them: murder, manslaughter, rape, first or second degree sexual assault, first or

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second degree child molestation, kidnapping, first and second degree arson, mayhem, robbery,

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burglary, breaking and entering, any felony violation involving the illegal manufacture, sale, or

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delivery of a controlled substance, or possession with intent to manufacture, sell, or deliver a

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controlled substance classified in schedule I or schedule II of § 21-28-2.08, any violation of § 21-

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28-4.01.1 or 21-28-4.01.2 or conspiracy to commit any violation of these statutes, assault with a

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dangerous weapon, assault or battery involving grave bodily injury, and/or assault with intent to

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commit any offense punishable as a felony; upon any conviction of an offense punishable as a

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felony offense under § 12-29-5.

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     (3) "Firearm" includes any machine gun, pistol, rifle, air rifle, air pistol, "blank gun," "BB

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gun," or other instrument from which steel or metal projectiles are propelled, or which may

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readily be converted to expel a projectile, except crossbows, recurve, compound, or longbows,

 

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and except instruments propelling projectiles which are designed or normally used for a primary

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purpose other than as a weapon. The frame or receiver of the weapon shall be construed as a

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firearm under the provisions of this section.

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     (4) "Fugitive from justice" means any person who has fled from any state, territory, the

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District of Columbia, or possession of the United States to avoid prosecution for a crime of

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violence or to avoid giving testimony in any criminal proceeding.

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     (5) "Licensing authorities" means the board of police commissioners of a city or town

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where the board has been instituted, the chief of police or superintendent of police of other cities

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and towns having a regular organized police force, and, in towns where there is no chief of police

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or superintendent of police, it means the town clerk who may issue licenses upon the

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recommendation of the town sergeant, and it also means any other person or body duly authorized

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by the city or town charter or by state law.

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     (6) "Machine gun" means any weapon which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be

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readily restored to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single

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function of the trigger. The term also includes the frame or receiver of the weapon, any

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combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun,

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and any combination of parts from which a machine gun can be assembled if the parts are in the

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possession or under the control of a person.

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     (7) "Person" includes an individual, partnership, firm, association, or corporation.

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     (8) "Pistol" includes any pistol or revolver, and any shotgun, rifle, or similar weapon with

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overall length less than twenty-six inches (26"), but does not include any pistol or revolver

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designed for the use of blank cartridges only.

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     (9) "Sawed-off rifle" means any rifle with overall length of less than twenty-six inches

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(26") and/or barrel length of less than sixteen inches (16").

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     (10) "Sawed-off shotgun" means any shotgun with overall length of less than twenty-six

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inches (26") and/or barrel length of less than eighteen inches (18").

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     (11) "Sell" includes let or hire, give, lend, and transfer, and "purchase" includes hire,

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accept, and borrow, and "purchasing" shall be construed accordingly.

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     (12) "Detachable magazine" means an ammunition feeding device that can be loaded or

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unloaded while detached from a firearm and readily inserted into a firearm.

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     (13) "Fixed magazine" means an ammunition feeding device contained in, or

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permanently attached to, a firearm in such a manner that the device cannot be removed without

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disassembly of the firearm action.

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     (14) "High capacity magazine" and "large capacity ammunition magazine" means any

 

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ammunition feeding device with the capacity to accept more than ten (10) rounds, or any

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conversion kit, part, or combination of parts, from which such a device can be assembled if those

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parts are in the possession or under the control of the same person, but shall not be construed to

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include any of the following:

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     (i) A feeding device that has been permanently altered so that it cannot accommodate

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more than ten (10) rounds;

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     (ii) A .22 caliber tube ammunition feeding device; and

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     (iii) A tubular magazine that is contained in a lever-action firearm.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 11-47 of the General Laws entitled "Weapons" is hereby amended

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by adding thereto the following section:

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     11-47-64. High capacity magazines.

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     (a) No person, corporation, or other entity in the state may manufacture, import, possess,

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purchase, sell or transfer any high capacity magazine. Every person violating the provisions of

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this section shall, upon conviction, be subject to imprisonment for no more than ten (10) years.

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     (b) Subsection (a) of this section, shall not apply to:

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     (1) Any government officer, agent, or employee, member of the armed forces of the

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United States, or peace officer, to the extent that such person is otherwise authorized to acquire or

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possess a high capacity magazine, and does so while acting within the scope of their duties;

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     (2) The manufacture of a high capacity magazine by a firearms manufacturer for the

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purpose of sale to any branch of the armed forces of the United States, or to a law enforcement

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agency in this state for use by that agency or its employees, provided the manufacturer is properly

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licensed under federal, state and local laws; and

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     (3) The sale or transfer of a high capacity magazine by a dealer that is properly licensed

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under federal, state and local laws to any branch of the armed forces of the United States, or to a

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law enforcement agency in this state for use by that agency or its employees for law enforcement

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purposes.

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     (c) Any person who, prior to the effective date of this section, was legally in possession

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of a high capacity magazine, shall have one hundred twenty (120) days from such effective date

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to do any of the following without being subject to prosecution:

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     (1) Remove the high capacity magazine from the state;

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     (2) Sell the high capacity magazine to a licensed firearms dealer; or

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     (3) Surrender the high capacity magazine to the appropriate law enforcement agency for

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destruction subject to specific agency regulations.

 

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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 - WEAPONS

***

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     This act would criminalize the manufacture, import, possession, purchase, sale or transfer

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of any ammunition feeding device capable of accepting more than ten (10) rounds, known as high

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capacity magazines. This act would make exceptions for law enforcement and the United States

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armed forces.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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