2023 -- H 5214
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LC000603
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- WEAPONS
Introduced By: Representatives Craven, Shanley, Vella-Wilkinson, Noret, and
Costantino
Date Introduced: January 19, 2023
Referred To: House Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 11-47-35.1 and 11-47-35.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47 1
entitled "Weapons" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
11-47-35.1. Persons exempt from § 11-47-35. 3
The provisions of § 11-47-35 shall not apply to full-time members of the state police, full-4
time members of the state marshal’s office capitol police, full-time members of city or town police 5
departments, or state marshals or correctional officers or persons licensed under § 11-47-11. 6
11-47-35.2. Sale of rifles/shotguns. 7
(a) No person shall deliver a rifle or shotgun to a purchaser until seven (7) days shall have 8
elapsed from twelve o’clock (12:00) noon of the day following the day of application for the 9
purchase, and when delivered, the rifle or shotgun shall be unloaded and securely wrapped, with 10
the bill of sale for it to be enclosed within the wrapper with the rifle or shotgun. Any citizen of the 11
United States and/or lawful resident of this state who is twenty-one (21) years of age or older, and 12
any nonresident member of the armed forces of the United States who is stationed in this state and 13
who is twenty-one (21) years of age or older, may, upon application, purchase or acquire a rifle or 14
shotgun. At the time of applying for the purchase of a shotgun or rifle the purchaser shall complete 15
and sign in triplicate and deliver to the seller the application form described in this section, and in 16
no case shall it contain the serial number of the rifle or shotgun. 17
(Face of application form) 18
Application to Purchase Shotgun or Rifle 19
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Date ………………………………………… Hour ………………………………… A.M. P.M. 1
Name ............................................................................................................................................... 2
Address ........................................................................................................................................... 3
(Street and number) (City or town) (State) 4
Date of Birth ....................................................... Place of Birth ................................................... 5
Height ............................................. Weight ......................... Color hair ....................................... 6
Color eyes ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Scars ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Tattoos ............................................................................................................................................ 9
Other identifying marks .................................................................................................................. 10
Are you a citizen of the United States ............................................................................................. 11
Are you a citizen of Rhode Island ................................................................................................... 12
How long ......................................................................................................................................... 13
Where stationed .............................................................................................................................. 14
(Armed Forces only) 15
Number of rifles and/or shotguns to be purchased ......................................................................... 16
Have you ever been convicted of a crime of violence .................................................................... 17
(See § 11-47-2 General Laws of Rhode Island) 18
Have you ever been adjudicated or under confinement as addicted to a controlled substance 19
......................................................................................................................................................... 20
Have you ever been adjudicated or under confinement for alcoholism .......................................... 21
......................................................................................................................................................... 22
Have you ever been confined or treated for mental illness ............................................................. 23
From whom is shotgun or rifle being purchased ............................................................................. 24
Seller's address ................................................................................................................................ 25
Seller's signature ............................................................................................................................. 26
Applicant's signature ....................................................................................................................... 27
(See § 11-47-23 for penalty for false information on this application) 28
(Reverse side of application form) 29
AFFIDAVIT: I certify that I have read and am familiar with the provisions of §§ 11-47-1 — 11-30
47-59, inclusive, of the general laws of the State of Rhode Island, and that I am aware of the 31
penalties for violation of the provisions of the cited sections. 32
Signed ............................................................................................................................................. 33
County of ........................................................................................................................................ 34
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State of Rhode Island 1
Subscribed and sworn before me this ……… day of ……. A.D. 20.... 2
Notary Public 3
...................................... 4
(b) The person who is selling the rifle or shotgun shall, on the date of application, sign and 5
forward by registered mail or by delivery in person, or by electronic mail if approved by the 6
applicable police department, the original and duplicate copies of the application to the chief of 7
police in the city or town in which the purchaser has his or her residence or to the superintendent 8
of the Rhode Island state police in the instance where the purchaser either resides in the town of 9
Exeter or resides out of state. The superintendent of the Rhode Island state police or the chief of 10
police in the city or town in which the purchaser has his or her residence shall mark or stamp the 11
original copy of the application form with the date and time of receipt and return it by the most 12
expeditious means to the seller. The triplicate copy duly signed by the seller shall within seven (7) 13
days be sent by him or her by registered mail, by delivery in person, or by electronic mail, to the 14
attorney general. The person who is selling the rifle or shotgun shall retain the original copy duly 15
receipted by the police authority to whom sent or delivered for a period of six (6) years with other 16
records of the sale. It shall be the duty of the police authority to whom the duplicate copy of the 17
application form is sent or delivered to make a background check of the applicant to ascertain 18
whether he or she falls under the provisions of § 11-47-5, § 11-47-6, § 11-47-7, or § 11-47-23. If, 19
after the lapse of seven (7) days from twelve o’clock (12:00) noon of the day following application, 20
no disqualifying information has been received from the investigating police authority by the 21
person who is selling the rifle or shotgun, he or she will deliver the firearm applied for to the 22
purchaser. Upon the finding of no disqualifying information under the provisions of the above cited 23
sections of this chapter, and in no case later than thirty (30) days after the date of application, the 24
duplicate and triplicate copies of the application will be destroyed. Retention of the duplicate and 25
triplicate copies in violation of this chapter or any unauthorized use of the information contained 26
in them by a person or agency shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars 27
($1,000). The provisions of this section shall not apply to bona fide sales at wholesale to duly 28
licensed retail dealers, nor to purchases by retail dealers duly licensed under the provisions of § 11-29
47-39. 30
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to full-time members of the state police, 31
full-time members of the capitol police, full-time members of city or town police departments, 32
persons licensed under §§ 11-47-9 and 11-47-11, or to sales of air rifles or “BB guns” or to sales 33
of antique firearms as defined in § 11-47-2. 34
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 1
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- WEAPONS
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This act would exempt full-time members of the capitol police from the seven (7) day 1
waiting period and other requirements for purchasing concealable firearms or rifles and shotguns. 2
This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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