2025 -- H 5262

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LC000926

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- THREATS AND EXTORTION

     Introduced By: Representatives Noret, Cortvriend, Speakman, Donovan, Messier,
Phillips, McNamara, Craven, Shallcross Smith, and Casimiro

     Date Introduced: January 31, 2025

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 11-42-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-42 entitled "Threats and

Extortion" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     11-42-4. Threats to public officials.

     (a) Whoever knowingly and willfully delivers or conveys, directly or indirectly, a verbal

or written threat to take the life of, or to inflict bodily harm upon, a public official or a member of

his or her immediate family because of the performance or nonperformance of some public duty;

because of hostility of the person making the threat toward the status or position of the public

official; or because of some other factor related to the official’s public existence, shall be guilty of

a felony and shall be imprisoned for not more than five (5) years, or fined not more than five

thousand dollars ($5,000), or both.

     (b) For purposes of this section:

     (1) “Public official” means a person who is elected or appointed to office in accordance

with the constitution, a statute, or a city or town charter, or who is a judge, magistrate, assistant

attorney general, special assistant attorney general, or law enforcement officer, or in the case of

schools, a school superintendent, central office official, school principal, and all other school

employees, or in the case of an elective office, any person who has filed the required documents

for nomination or election to that office or who is appointed by the governor to serve as the director

or his or her designee of a state department that is established and the qualifications and duties of

which are prescribed by statute to discharge a public duty for the state of Rhode Island;

     (2) “Immediate family” means a public official’s spouse, child, or children.

     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 -- THREATS AND EXTORTION

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     This act would add school superintendents, central office officials, school principals, and

all other school employees, to the definition of a “public official” for purposes of the criminal

prohibition against making threats to public officials.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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