| Chapter 162 |
| 2022 -- H 7807 Enacted 06/27/2022 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- CHILDREN |
Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Craven, Caldwell, and Carson |
| Date Introduced: March 03, 2022 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Chapter 11-9 of the General Laws entitled "Children" is hereby amended by |
| adding thereto the following section: |
| 11-9-5.4. Child endangerment. |
| (a) When used in this section, the following words and phrases are construed as follows: |
| (1) "Child" means any person under eighteen (18) years of age. |
| (2) "Serious bodily injury" shall have the same definition as contained in ยง 11-5-2(c). |
| (3) "Sexual abuse" means any sexual contact or penetration prohibited by chapter 37 of |
| title 11 of the general laws this title. |
| (b) A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child when being a parent, guardian, |
| or any other person who has custody or control of a child, the person: |
| (1) Wantonly or recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of serious |
| bodily injury to the child or sexual abuse of the child; or |
| (2) Wantonly or recklessly fails to take reasonable steps to alleviate such risk to the child |
| where there is a duty to act. |
| (c) For purposes of this section, such wanton and reckless behavior occurs when a person |
| is aware of and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that their acts, or |
| omissions where there is a duty to act, would result in a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to |
| the child or sexual abuse of the child for which whom they have custody or control. The risk must |
| be of such nature and degree that disregard of the risk constitutes a gross deviation from the |
| standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation. |
| (d) Any person who shall violate this section shall be guilty of a felony, and for the first |
| offense, be imprisoned up to three (3) years or be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars |
| ($1,000), or both. |
| (e) Any person who has been previously convicted of child endangerment under this |
| section and thereafter commits child endangerment shall be imprisoned up to ten (10) years or be |
| fined not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or both. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC005022 |
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