Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0368 Compare Versions

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99 S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
1010 IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
1111 JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
1212 ____________
1313
1414 A N A C T
1515 RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- COMPREHENSIVE COMMUN ITY--
1616 POLICE RELATIONSHIP ACT OF 2015
1717 Introduced By: Senators Quezada, Cano, Euer, DiMario, Acosta, Britto, Lawson,
1818 Valverde, Bell, and McKenney
1919 Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
2020 Referred To: Senate Judiciary
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2222
2323 It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
2424 SECTION 1. Sections 31-21.2-6 and 31-21.2-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-21.2 1
2525 entitled "Comprehensive Community-Police Relationship Act of 2015" are hereby amended to read 2
2626 as follows: 3
2727 31-21.2-6. Continued data collection. Data collection. 4
2828 (a) The office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or a 5
2929 designee to be chosen by the department of transportation by January 1, 2017, is authorized to and 6
3030 shall conduct a study of routine traffic stops by the Rhode Island state police and each municipal 7
3131 police department in order to determine whether racial disparities in traffic stops exist, and to 8
3232 examine whether searches of vehicles and motorists are being conducted in a disparate manner. 9
3333 (b)(a) The office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or its 10
3434 designee shall, no later than January 1, 2016 January 1, 2024, develop a form or electronic 11
3535 equivalent to be used by each police officer when making a traffic stop and/or search to record the 12
3636 data required under this chapter, which form shall include for each motor vehicle stop and/or search, 13
3737 the race and ethnicity of the driver based on the officer’s perception, and the information listed in 14
3838 § 31-21.1-4. the following data: 15
3939 (1) The date, time and general location of the traffic stop; 16
4040 (2) The race and ethnicity, gender, and approximate age of the driver stopped; provided 17
4141 that the identification of these characteristics shall be based on the observation and perception of 18
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4545 the police officer making the stop and the information shall not be requested of the person stopped; 1
4646 (3) The reason for the stop; 2
4747 (4) Whether a search was instituted as a result of the stop; 3
4848 (5) The scope of any search conducted; 4
4949 (6) Whether the search was conducted pursuant to consent, probable cause, or reasonable 5
5050 suspicion to suspect a crime; 6
5151 (7) Whether any contraband, including money, was seized in the course of the search, and 7
5252 if so, the nature of the contraband; 8
5353 (8) Whether any warning or citation was issued as a result of the stop; 9
5454 (9) Whether an arrest was made as a result of either the stop or the search; 10
5555 (10) The approximate duration of the stop; and 11
5656 (11) Whether the vehicle is registered in Rhode Island or out of the state. 12
5757 (b) For those motor vehicle stops or searches where a citation was issued or an arrest was 13
5858 made, the data collection form shall include a citation or arrest number. It shall also include the 14
5959 name or badge number of the officer completing the form; provided, however, that the name and 15
6060 the badge number of the officer shall not be public. 16
6161 (c) The office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or its 17
6262 designee shall advise the Rhode Island state police and each municipal police department of the 18
6363 date that data collection shall commence. Data collection shall begin not later than January 1, 2016 19
6464 January 1, 2024, but may begin prior to that time upon notification to police departments from the 20
6565 office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or its designee. 21
6666 (d) A traffic stop and search data collection card or electronic equivalent shall be completed 22
6767 for each routine traffic stop and/or search by the Rhode Island state police and each municipal 23
6868 police department during the term of this study. 24
6969 (e) Upon commencement of data collection, and monthly thereafter, each municipal police 25
7070 department and the Rhode Island state police shall transmit to the office of highway safety of the 26
7171 Rhode Island department of transportation or its designee all forms or electronic data collected to 27
7272 date of motorists who were stopped and/or searched, and any other information the police 28
7373 department or the Rhode Island state police deem appropriate. Data collection shall continue for 29
7474 forty-eight (48) months following commencement of data collection. 30
7575 (f) Within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this section, each municipal department 31
7676 and the Rhode Island state police shall transmit all traffic stop and search data collected between 32
7777 July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023 for analysis in the annual study required by § 31-21.2-10. 33
7878 (f)(g) Appropriate funding may shall be made available to implement the provision 34
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8282 provisions of this chapter and completion of this the annual study shall be contingent upon such 1
8383 funding. Additional funding may be made available to the advisory committee established by § 31-2
8484 21.2-13 to assist police departments, community groups and others in training, research, and 3
8585 community outreach to further the goals of this chapter. 4
8686 (g) The study shall include a multivariate analysis of the collected data in accordance with 5
8787 general statistical standards and shall be substantially similar to the study prepared pursuant to 6
8888 chapter 21.1 of this title. The study shall be prepared by an organization, company, person, or other 7
8989 entity with sufficient expertise in the field of statistics and the study of traffic stop data collection 8
9090 to assist with the implementation of this chapter, and chosen by the office of highway safety of the 9
9191 Rhode Island department of transportation or its designee. The study shall be released on an annual 10
9292 basis, with the first release not later than eighteen (18) months after commencement of data 11
9393 collection under this chapter. The report, findings, and conclusions submitted pursuant to this 12
9494 subsection shall be a public record. 13
9595 (h) The office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation, or its 14
9696 designee, shall be exempt from the provisions of chapter 2 of title 37 in connection with its 15
9797 procurement of equipment and services necessary to the implementation of this chapter. 16
9898 (i) On a quarterly basis, a summary report of the monthly data provided by each police 17
9999 department and the state police for that quarterly period shall be issued. The report shall be a public 18
100100 record. The summary report shall include, at a minimum, a monthly breakdown by race, age, 19
101101 gender, and outcome for operators for each police department of the number of traffic stops made 20
102102 and of searches conducted. For those police departments collecting data through the use of mobile 21
103103 display terminals in police vehicles, the report shall also include a breakdown by race and outcome 22
104104 for operators. The report shall be released not more than ninety (90) days after the end of each 23
105105 quarterly period. No information revealing the identity of any individual shall be contained in the 24
106106 report. 25
107107 (j) Every law enforcement agency collecting data pursuant to this chapter shall ensure that 26
108108 supervisory personnel review each officer’s stop and search documentation and data results on a 27
109109 monthly basis to ensure compliance with all policies, prohibitions, and documentation 28
110110 requirements. 29
111111 (k) The head of every law enforcement agency subject to this chapter, or his or her 30
112112 designee, shall review the data on a regular basis in an effort to determine whether any racial 31
113113 disparities in the agency’s traffic stops enforcement exists, and to appropriately respond to any such 32
114114 disparities. It is understood that disparities may or may not equate to racial profiling. 33
115115 (l) An organization chartered for the purpose of combating discrimination, racism, or of 34
116116
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119119 safeguarding civil liberties, or of promoting full, free, or equal employment opportunities, and/or a 1
120120 governmental or quasi-governmental entity may seek appropriate relief in a civil action against any 2
121121 police department for failing to collect or transmit the data required in this chapter, and may be 3
122122 awarded its costs, including attorney’s fees, for bringing such an action. As a condition precedent 4
123123 to the filing of a civil action by an organization under this section, the organization shall send a 5
124124 notice to the office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or its 6
125125 designee identifying the police department which is failing to collect or transmit the data and the 7
126126 organization shall then allow fifteen (15) days to elapse. 8
127127 (m)(i) The office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or its 9
128128 designee shall consult with community, police and civil rights representatives the CCPRA advisory 10
129129 committee in the development of the form required by subsection (b) and on at least a quarterly 11
130130 basis shall consult on other issues that arise relating to the implementation and enforcement of this 12
131131 chapter including the information generated by the issuance of the reports required by subsection 13
132132 (i) this chapter. 14
133133 31-21.2-7. Data collection and use Data use and enforcement. 15
134134 (a) Data acquired under this chapter shall not be used in any civil proceeding to establish 16
135135 or rebut an inference of discrimination except by court order or when otherwise admissible in 17
136136 accordance with rules of civil procedure. It is understood that disparities may or may not equate to 18
137137 racial profiling. 19
138138 (b) All data collected and the reports and studies compiled pursuant to this chapter shall be 20
139139 public, except information identifying any specific law enforcement officer. For those motor 21
140140 vehicle stops where a citation was issued or an arrest was made, the forms prepared pursuant to § 22
141141 31-21.2-6(b) of this chapter shall include a citation or arrest number for reference. The data 23
142142 collection form shall not include the name or badge number of the officer completing the form. The 24
143143 report from the department of transportation or its designee shall not be officer specific. 25
144144 (b)(c) Any police officer who in good faith records traffic stop or search information 26
145145 pursuant to the requirements of this chapter shall not be held civilly liable for the act of recording 27
146146 the information unless the officer’s conduct was reckless. 28
147147 (c)(d) All police departments shall submit to the office of highway safety of the department 29
148148 of transportation, or its designee, on an annual basis beginning on July 15, 2016, and for four (4) 30
149149 years following the conclusion of data collection, a report indicating what action, if any, has been 31
150150 taken, to address any racial disparities in traffic stops and/or searches documented in the studies 32
151151 authorized by §§ 31-21.1-4 and 31-21.2-6, and to otherwise implement any recommendations of 33
152152 those studies, including, but not limited to, any changes to agency policies; revisions to traffic 34
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156156 enforcement practices; detailed analysis and review of traffic stop data and the results of such 1
157157 review; or the initiation of any disciplinary action. Any reference to disciplinary action shall not 2
158158 identify the officer. The office of highway safety of the department of transportation or its designee, 3
159159 in consultation with the CCPRA advisory committee, shall issue guidelines for police departments 4
160160 to follow in preparing these reports the annual reports required by § 31-21.2-12, including 5
161161 establishing a form for the certification of compliance to be verified under oath. The reports shall 6
162162 be public records and shall contain a certification that the department has complied with § 31-21.2-7
163163 6(j) and (k). 8
164164 (d) Every twelve (12) months, each state and municipal law enforcement agency shall 9
165165 submit to the office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation, or its 10
166166 designee, on a brief form prepared by that office, or its designee, information summarizing what, 11
167167 if any, actions were taken by the agency in response to any racial disparities documented in the 12
168168 previous reports issued pursuant to § 31-21.2-6(i). The summary shall include, but not be limited 13
169169 to: any changes to agency policies; revisions to traffic enforcement practices; detailed analysis and 14
170170 review of traffic stop data and the results of such review; or the initiation of any disciplinary action. 15
171171 Any references to disciplinary action shall not identify the officer. The forms shall be public 16
172172 records, and shall contain a certification that the department has complied with § 31-21.2-6(j) and 17
173173 (k). 18
174174 (e) An organization chartered for the purpose of combating discrimination, racism, or of 19
175175 safeguarding civil liberties, or of promoting full, free, or equal employment opportunities, and/or a 20
176176 governmental or quasi-governmental entity may seek appropriate relief in a civil action against any 21
177177 police department for failing to collect or transmit the data required in this chapter, or for failing to 22
178178 comply with the other requirements of this chapter, and may be awarded its costs, including 23
179179 attorney's fees, for bringing such an action. As a condition precedent to the filing of a civil action 24
180180 by an organization under this section, the organization shall send a notice to the office of highway 25
181181 safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or its designee identifying the police 26
182182 department which is failing to collect or transmit the data and the organization shall then allow 27
183183 fifteen (15) days to elapse before filing a civil action. 28
184184 SECTION 2. Chapter 31-21.2 of the General Laws entitled "Comprehensive Community-29
185185 Police Relationship Act of 2015" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: 30
186186 31-21.2-9. Quarterly data reports by office of highway safety. 31
187187 (a) On a quarterly basis, a summary report of the monthly data provided by each police 32
188188 department and the state police for that quarterly period shall be issued by the office of highway 33
189189 safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or its designee. The summary report shall 34
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193193 include, at a minimum, a monthly breakdown by race, age, gender, and outcome for operators for 1
194194 each police department of the number of traffic stops made and of searches conducted. For those 2
195195 police departments collecting data through the use of mobile display terminals in police vehicles, 3
196196 the report shall also include a breakdown by race and outcome for operators. 4
197197 (b) The report shall be released not more than ninety (90) days after the end of each 5
198198 quarterly period. No information revealing the identity of any individual shall be contained in the 6
199199 report. 7
200200 31-21.2-10. Annual study and data interface by office of highway safety. 8
201201 (a) The office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of transportation or a 9
202202 designee to be chosen by the department of transportation shall, with input from the CCPRA 10
203203 advisory committee, select an organization, company, person, or other entity with sufficient 11
204204 expertise in the field of statistics, and expertise in the study of traffic stop and search data collection 12
205205 and/or the study of data related to racial disparities to conduct an annual study. 13
206206 (b) The study shall compile and examine data of routine traffic stops made and searches 14
207207 conducted by the Rhode Island state police and each municipal police department in order to 15
208208 determine whether racial disparities in traffic stops and searches exist, and to further examine 16
209209 whether searches of vehicles and motorists are being conducted in a racially disparate manner. The 17
210210 study shall include a multivariate analysis of the collected data in accordance with general statistical 18
211211 standards, and may include an analysis of data at and above the eighty-five percent (85%) 19
212212 confidence level. The study shall be substantially similar to the study prepared pursuant to chapter 20
213213 21.1 of title 31, and may include a multi-year data analysis. The annual study shall not identify 21
214214 specific officers. 22
215215 (c) Appropriate funding shall be made available to implement the provisions of this chapter 23
216216 and completion of the annual study shall be contingent upon such funding. 24
217217 (d) On an annual basis, the office of highway safety of the Rhode Island department of 25
218218 transportation or its designee shall present all data submitted in accordance with § 31-21.2-6 in an 26
219219 online interface designed to enhance public interaction with the data. In providing a visual 27
220220 presentation of the data, the interface shall allow for user-generated analysis of the stop and search 28
221221 data points required to be collected pursuant to this chapter. The interface shall generate analyses 29
222222 of the data such that the public may view the data by race or ethnicity in conjunction with any of 30
223223 the data points collected, and shall allow users to view the data statewide and for individual 31
224224 municipal law enforcement agencies both cumulatively and by year. Within one year of the 32
225225 effective date of this section, the interface shall include all the annual data collected since the 33
226226 effective date of this chapter. 34
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230230 31-21.2-11. Monthly review. 1
231231 (a) The head of every law enforcement agency collecting data pursuant to this chapter shall 2
232232 regularly review the agency-wide data in an effort to determine whether any racial disparities in 3
233233 the agency's traffic stops or searches exist, and to appropriately respond to any such disparities. 4
234234 (b) The head of every law enforcement agency shall ensure that supervisory personnel have 5
235235 conducted monthly verifications of each officer's stop and search documentation and officer 6
236236 specific data results to verify compliance, or document any noncompliance, with all policies, 7
237237 prohibitions, and documentation requirements. Such monthly verifications shall include whether a 8
238238 review of an officer’s stop and search documentation and data results indicate the presence of racial 9
239239 disparities. 10
240240 31-21.2-12. Annual report by law enforcement agency heads. 11
241241 (a) The head of every law enforcement agency shall submit a traffic stop and search report 12
242242 which includes the information in § 31-21.2-11 to the office of highway safety of the department 13
243243 of transportation, or its designee, and to the CCPRA advisory committee on an annual basis 14
244244 beginning on July 1, 2024. 15
245245 (b) The head of the agency shall submit as part of each annual report, a certification of 16
246246 compliance with this section, documentation of monthly verifications, and a summary of any racial 17
247247 disparities found through the review. 18
248248 (c) Additionally, the annual report shall indicate what action, if any, has been taken, to 19
249249 address any racial disparities in traffic stops and/or searches documented in each department’s 20
250250 ongoing data collection and, in the study authorized by § 31-21.2-10, and to otherwise implement 21
251251 any recommendations of the data collection and/or traffic studies, including, but not limited to: 22
252252 (1) Any changes to agency policies; 23
253253 (2) Revisions to traffic enforcement practices; 24
254254 (3) Detailed analysis and review of traffic stop data and the results of such review; 25
255255 (4) Steps taken to present the data and recommendations to the community; 26
256256 (5) The initiation of any disciplinary action; and 27
257257 (6) Where no remedial action has been taken in response to documented racial disparities, 28
258258 an explanation for the department’s inaction. 29
259259 (d) The annual report, including any reference to disciplinary action, shall not identify 30
260260 specific officers. 31
261261 31-21.2-13. Advisory committee -- Establishment -- Duties. 32
262262 (a) The CCPRA advisory committee is hereby established. The advisory committee shall 33
263263 consist of twelve (12) members: 34
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267267 (1) One of whom shall be appointed by the governor; 1
268268 (2) One of whom shall be appointed by the senate president; 2
269269 (3) One of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house; 3
270270 (4) One of whom shall be the attorney general, or designee; 4
271271 (5) One of whom shall be the public defender, or designee; 5
272272 (6) One of whom shall be the director of the department of public safety, or designee; 6
273273 (7) One of whom shall be the executive director of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs 7
274274 Association, or designee; 8
275275 (8) One of whom shall be the executive director of the Rhode Island commission for human 9
276276 rights, or designee; 10
277277 (9) One of whom shall be the executive director of Rhode Island for Community & Justice, 11
278278 or designee or other organization chartered for the purpose of combating discrimination, racism or 12
279279 of safeguarding civil liberties; 13
280280 (10) One of whom shall be the president of the NAACP Providence branch, or designee; 14
281281 (11) Two (2) of whom shall be community members. 15
282282 (b) The members of the advisory committee shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years; 16
283283 provided, however that, with regard to the initial appointments, four (4) members shall be appointed 17
284284 for terms of one year; four (4) members shall be appointed for a term of two (2) years; and four (4) 18
285285 members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years. Members may be reappointed, and their 19
286286 appointments shall continue until their successors are appointed. A vacancy other than by 20
287287 expiration shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment, but only for the unexpired 21
288288 portion of the term. 22
289289 (c) The members of the advisory committee shall receive no compensation. 23
290290 (d) The governor’s appointee shall be the chairperson; a vice-chairperson and secretary 24
291291 shall be elected by the advisory committee members annually. All officers of the advisory 25
292292 committee shall serve until their successors have been duly appointed or elected. 26
293293 (e) The advisory committee shall meet at least quarterly and at the call of the chairperson 27
294294 of the committee. 28
295295 (f) The advisory committee shall have the following purposes and duties: 29
296296 (1) Advise the office of highway safety of the department of transportation or designee on 30
297297 all matters pertaining to the duties and powers of the committee, including evaluating and making 31
298298 recommendations regarding plans, programs, and strategies relating to the CCPRA; 32
299299 (2) Provide input to the office of highway safety of the department of transportation or 33
300300 designee to choose an organization, company, person or entity to conduct an annual traffic stop and 34
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304304 search study; 1
305305 (3) Advise the study consultant on the recommended design of each study; 2
306306 (4) Consult with the office of highway safety of the department of transportation or 3
307307 designee on guidelines for police departments to follow in preparing the reports required pursuant 4
308308 to § 31-21.2-7(d); 5
309309 (5) Receive, review and discuss each CCPRA study; 6
310310 (6) Receive, review and discuss each law enforcement agency’s annual report required 7
311311 pursuant to § 31-21.2-12(a); 8
312312 (7) Consult with the CAD/RMS board of advisors, as established in § 42-28.10-2; 9
313313 (8) Recommend appropriate assessments for the studies; 10
314314 (9) Recommend policies for stops, searches and seizures; 11
315315 (10) Recommend appropriate enforcement mechanisms to address any study results; and 12
316316 (11) Promote the involvement and investment of the public in CCPRA research, the annual 13
317317 studies, and the work of the CCPRA advisory committee. 14
318318 (g) The office of highway safety of the department of transportation, or designee, in 15
319319 conjunction with the department of administration, shall provide space and secretarial services to 16
320320 the advisory committee without charge to the committee. 17
321321 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 18
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328328 EXPLANATION
329329 BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
330330 OF
331331 A N A C T
332332 RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- COMPREHENSIVE COMMUN ITY--
333333 POLICE RELATIONSHIP ACT OF 2015
334334 ***
335335 This act would amend the comprehensive community-police relationship act of 2015 to 1
336336 require an annual study by an outside agency chosen by the department with input from the CCPRA 2
337337 advisory committee on traffic stop and search data related to racial disparities and would require a 3
338338 monthly review and annual reporting by law enforcement agencies statewide on the traffic stop and 4
339339 search data. The act would also create a twelve (12) member CCPRA advisory committee to advise 5
340340 the office of highway safety on all matters pertaining to the committee's duties relating to stop and 6
341341 search data. 7
342342 This act would take effect upon passage. 8
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