Rhode Island SB 55: AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION (Provides that sex offenders register their presence with any homeless shelter at which they may temporarily stay and provides that said shelters notify the local law enforcement agency of the presence.)

Bill Text

2017 -- S 0055 SUBSTITUTE A
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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. 2017
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A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND
COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION
Introduced By: Senators Lombardi, Lynch Prata, McCaffrey, Lombardo, and Jabour
Date Introduced: January 18, 2017
Referred To: Senate Judiciary

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 11-37.1 of the General Laws entitled "Sexual Offender Registration 1
and Community Notification" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 2
11-37.1-21. Duty of shelters and homeless shelters to notify law enforcement of the 3
presence of sex offenders. 4
(a) If any person convicted of any offense that requires sex offender registration pursuant 5
to this title, or otherwise has a duty to register their address with the law enforcement agency in 6
the municipality in which they reside, is provided residence in any homeless shelter, that person 7
shall be required to inform the shelter of their status and duty to register and to provide their name 8
and date of birth to each shelter or homeless shelter where they reside overnight. 9
(b) The obligation of the sex offender to provide the information required in subsection 10
(a) of this section, shall be on a continuing daily and nightly basis and they shall provide said 11
information to each and every shelter or homeless shelter at which they take up temporary 12
residence regardless of the length of time they stay at such shelter. 13
(c) The homeless shelter that receives information from any sex offender shall be 14
required to transmit that information to the local law enforcement agency and if there be none, to 15
the closest Rhode Island state police barracks before midnight of that day of the offender 16
registering or signing in for the day, night or any portion of a day. 17
(d) Any homeless shelter that violates the provisions of this section shall upon a first 18

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violation, be fined a civil penalty of up to five hundred dollars ($500), for a second violation, by a 1
civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) and for a third or subsequent violation, by a 2
civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000). 3
(e) Jurisdiction over any violation by a homeless shelter shall be in the District Court in 4
the county in which the shelter is physically located. 5
(f) Any sex offender who fails to disclose information as required by this chapter shall be 6
subject to the same penalties as set forth in §11-37.1-10. 7
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 8
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO CRIMINAL OFFENSES -- SEXUAL OFFENDER REGISTRATION AND
COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION
***
This act would provide that sex offenders register their presence and status with any 1
homeless shelter at which they may temporarily stay and would provide that said shelters notify 2
the local law enforcement agency of the presence of said offenders within one hour of the 3
offender signing in for any portion of the day or night. 4
This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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