2025 -- H 5667

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LC001843

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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 EDUCATION -- MAINTENANCE OF ORDER ON CAMPUS

     Introduced By: Representative William W. O'Brien

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2025

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 16-52-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-52 entitled "Maintenance

of Order on Campus [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is

hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-52-2. Appointment of campus police.

     (a) The board of governors for higher education may appoint one or more persons who may

act as police officers upon the property and highways of state colleges and universities subject to

the control of the board. The campus police officers shall protect the property of each college or

university, suppress nuisances and disturbances and breaches of the peace, and enforce laws and

regulations for the preservation of good order. They shall have the same powers and authority as

that conferred upon municipal police officers, including the power to arrest persons for violations

of state criminal statutes or for violations of city or town ordinances of the city or town in which

the institution is located. They shall not carry firearms unless expressly authorized by the board of

governors. They shall be equipped with ballistic body armor of the same or similar standard worn

by the state police. Additionally, any campus police officer observing the violation of any rule or

regulation of the board adopted pursuant to this chapter, including but not limited to parking and

traffic regulations, may issue a summons in the manner and form set forth in § 31-27-12 or § 31-

41.1-1 returnable to the district court, the police court of the city or town where the violation occurs,

or the traffic tribunal as provided by law.

     (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all fines and penalties recovered for

violation of rules and regulations made under authority of this section shall be accounted for by the

appropriate authority, which shall forward all fines or penalties for nonmoving traffic violations to

the general treasurer for use by the college or university on whose campus the citation or violation

was issued in accordance with § 16-32-27.

     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 EDUCATION -- MAINTENANCE OF ORDER ON CAMPUS

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     This act would require that all campus police officers be equipped with ballistic body

armor.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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