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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: Senators Tikoian, Gallo, Felag, LaMountain, Britto, DiMario, Dimitri,
Appollonio, Burke, and Thompson

     Date Introduced: March 07, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     (Secretary of State)

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) 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, any election official, or a member

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

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

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

guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be imprisoned for not more than one year, or fined not more than

one thousand dollars ($1,000), or both.

     (b)(c) 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 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) “Election official” means a person who is appointed, hired or assigned to any polling

place and includes, but is not limited to, any poll worker, election worker, warden, moderator, clerk,

and any member of the board of canvassers, in accordance with any statute, town charter or

ordinance and whose qualifications and duties are prescribed by statute, town charter or ordinance;

     (2)(3) “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 make threats to election officials, to include election workers, poll workers,

wardens, moderators and the board of canvassers, a misdemeanor.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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