Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5353 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 5353
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7	7	LC001266
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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14	14	H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO EXAMINE AND MA KE
16	16	RECOMMENDATIONS TO C OMBAT THE RISING THREAT OF TARGETED VIOLENCE
17	17	AGAINST FAITH COMMUN ITIES
18	18	Introduced By: Representatives Fenton-Fung, Shallcross Smith, Biah, and Cotter
19	19	Date Introduced: February 03, 2023
20	20	Referred To: House Health & Human Services
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23	23	WHEREAS, Rhode Island was historically the first colony to be founded upon and 1
24	24	governed by the principles of religious liberty and freedom; and 2
25	25	WHEREAS, In recent years, a troubling and divisive pattern of increased aggression and 3
26	26	violence against faith communities has substantially escalated; and 4
27	27	WHEREAS, It is essential that police, businesses, individuals and law makers at all 5
28	28	levels, develop a framework to establish ways to educate, prevent, and ultimately alleviate this 6
29	29	violence against faith communities; now, therefore be it 7
30	30	RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created 8
31	31	consisting of fifteen (15) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the Rhode Island 9
32	32	House of Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by 10
33	33	the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Chair of the Rhode Island Commission on 11
34	34	Prejudice and Bias, or designee; one of whom shall be the Colonel of the Rhode Island State 12
35	35	Police, or designee; one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs' 13
36	36	Association, or designee; six (6) of whom shall be community faith leaders, one each representing 14
37	37	the Jewish, Roman Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Protestant faith communities, to 15
38	38	be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a member of the leadership of 16
39	39	the International Brotherhood of Police Officers (IBPO), to be appointed by the Speaker of the 17
40	40	House; one of whom shall be a member of the leadership of the Fraternal Order of Police, to be 18
41	41	appointed by the Speaker of the House; and one of whom shall be the Rhode Island Attorney 19
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45	45	General, or designee. 1
46	46	In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study 2
47	47	commission, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu 3
48	48	of a legislator; provided that, the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party 4
49	49	which is entitled to the appointment consents to the member of the general public. 5
50	50	The purpose of said commission shall be to examine and provide recommendations to 6
51	51	combat the rising threat of targeted violence against faith communities including, but not limited 7
52	52	to: 8
53	53	• Research and analyze statewide trends, relevant risk factors, and stressors related to 9
54	54	targeted violence and prevention against faith communities; 10
55	55	• Examine methods and policies to establish or enhance state-wide capabilities to prevent 11
56	56	targeted violence against faith communities; 12
57	57	• Develop a robust and sustainable local prevention framework against targeted violence 13
58	58	against faith communities; 14
59	59	• Assess procedures to address online aspects of targeted violence against faith 15
60	60	communities; and 16
61	61	• Examine, investigate and provide recommendations for potential methods to fund, 17
62	62	establish and enhance training, increase public and societal awareness, and develop partnerships 18
63	63	across every level of the government, the private sector, and in local communities to address 19
64	64	violence against faith communities. 20
65	65	Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at 21
66	66	the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a Chairperson from among the 22
67	67	legislators. 23
68	68	Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment. 24
69	69	The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services. 25
70	70	All departments and agencies of the state, shall furnish such advice and information, 26
71	71	documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or 27
72	72	desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution. 28
73	73	The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters 29
74	74	for said commission; and be it further 30
75	75	RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the 31
76	76	House of Representatives no later than February 7, 2024, and said commission shall expire on 32
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80	80	May 7, 2024. 1
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87	87	EXPLANATION
88	88	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
89	89	OF
90	90	H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
91	91	CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO EXAMINE AND MAK E
92	92	RECOMMENDATIONS TO C OMBAT THE RISING THREAT OF TARGETED VIOLENCE
93	93	AGAINST FAITH COMMUN ITIES
94	94	***
95	95	This resolution would create a fifteen (15) member special legislative commission whose 1
96	96	purpose it would be to examine and make recommendations to combat the rising threat of 2
97	97	targeted violence against faith communities, and who would report back to the House of 3
98	98	Representatives no later than February 7, 2024, and whose life would expire on May 7, 2024. 4
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