H 7546

2026 -- H 7546
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LC005022
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  STATE  OF  RHODE  ISLAND
  IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
  JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
  ____________
  AN ACT
  RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- ARREST
  Introduced By: Representative Matthew S. Dawson
  Date Introduced: February 06, 2026
  Referred To: House Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1SECTION 1. Section 12-7-21 of the General Laws in Chapter 12-7 entitled "Arrest" is
2 hereby amended to read as follows:
312-7-21. “Peace officer” defined.
4“Peace officer,” as used within this chapter, means the following individuals or members
5 of:
6(1) Rhode Island state police;
7(2) Any member of a municipal or local police department;
8(3) Rhode Island airport corporation police;
9(4) Rhode Island park police;
10(5) Rhode Island capitol police;
11(6) Rhode Island conservation officers;
12(7) Rhode Island department of environmental management officers;
13(8) Rhode Island fire marshals;
14(9) Brown University police officers;
15(10) University of Rhode Island campus police officers;
16(11) Rhode Island College campus security;
17(12) Campus security at the Community College of Rhode Island;
18(13) Rhode Island sheriff’s department;
19(14) The investigators of the department of attorney general appointed pursuant to § 42-9-
1 8.1;
2(15) Any federal law enforcement officer;
3(16) Correctional investigators, chief inspector and inspectors within the office of
4 inspections, and correctional officers of the Rhode Island department of corrections;
5(17) The witness protection coordinator of the department of attorney general;
6(18) The warden, associate wardens, majors, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, correctional
7 officers and investigators employed by a project operated by a municipal detention facility
8 corporation, including, but not limited to, the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility; provided, such
9 parties listed in this subsection (18) herein shall be deemed to be peace officers while in
10 performance of their duties for the municipal detention facility only, and shall not be deemed to be
11 peace officers at any time when they are not in performance of said duties;
12(19) Retired non-permanent sworn members of any municipal police department shall be
13 deemed to be peace officers only while in the performance of their duties for any municipal police
14 department, and shall be permitted to carry their firearm while in the performance of their duties
15 for the municipal police department, and shall be subject to in-service training requirements of title
16 42, chapter 28;
17(20) Auto theft investigators appointed pursuant to § 31-50-1;
18(21) Providence fire department arson investigators; provided, that the arson investigator
19 is a graduate of a police-training academy; and
20(22) Rhode Island School of Design police officers; and
21(23) Juvenile program workers and shift coordinators of the department of children, youth
22 and families.
23SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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  EXPLANATION
  BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
  OF
  AN ACT
  RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEDURE -- ARREST
  ***
1This act would expand the definition of peace officers to include juvenile program workers
2 and shift coordinators at the department of youth, children and families.
3This act would take effect upon passage.
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