2024 -- S 2113 | |
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LC004128 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF | |
POLICE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY | |
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Introduced By: Senators Acosta, Mack, Bell, Kallman, and Murray | |
Date Introduced: January 12, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Judiciary | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND |
2 | GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
3 | CHAPTER 166 |
4 | PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF POLICE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY |
5 | 42-166-1. Definitions. |
6 | When used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the following meanings: |
7 | (1) "Law enforcement officer" means any permanently employed city or town police |
8 | officer, state police officer, or peace officer as defined in ยง 12-7-21; provided that, this shall not |
9 | include members of the explosive operation division of law enforcement bureau of the office of the |
10 | state fire marshal. |
11 | (2) "Police robot dog" means any machine, that looks similar in appearance to a dog, that |
12 | can collect information, process it, and use it to act upon the world and is operated either |
13 | autonomously by computers or by an individual remotely. |
14 | (3) "Robot" means any machine that can collect information, process it, and use it to act |
15 | upon the world and is operated either autonomously by computers or by an individual remotely. |
16 | (4) "UAVs" is an acronym that means unmanned aerial vehicles. |
17 | (5) "Unmanned aerial vehicles" means an aircraft that is navigated without a pilot on board. |
18 | (6) "Weapon" means a device designed to inflict death or serious physical injury. |
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1 | 42-166-2. Use of robots prohibited. |
2 | (a) No law enforcement officer shall, while carrying out their duties, whether on-duty or |
3 | off-duty, authorize the use, attempted use or threatened use of a robot, police robot dog, or UAVs |
4 | armed with any weapon. |
5 | (b) The prohibition against the use of an armed robot does not apply to situations when an |
6 | armed robot is being used to mitigate an explosives-related incident or to breach a barricade. |
7 | (c) No law enforcement officer shall, while carrying out their duties, whether on-duty or |
8 | off-duty, authorize the use of a robot, police robot dog, or UAVs in a physical manner that is |
9 | substantially likely to cause death or serious physical injury, regardless of whether or not the robot |
10 | or UAV is armed with a weapon. |
11 | (d) No department that employs peace officers shall receive or accept any public or private |
12 | financial funding for the purchase or procurement of any police robot dogs. |
13 | 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 STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF | |
POLICE ROBOT TECHNOLOGY | |
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1 | This act would prohibit any on-duty or off-duty law enforcement officer from utilizing any |
2 | armed robot, police robot dog, or UAV, within the scope of their employment except for situations |
3 | when an armed robot is being used to mitigate an explosives-related incident or to breach a |
4 | barricade. This act would also prohibit any department employing police officers from receiving or |
5 | accepting any public or private funding for the purchase or procurement of any police robot dogs. |
6 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC004128 | |
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