Gun Legislation in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is considered one of the strictest states on gun control according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The Law Center has a gun law state scorecard that evaluates each state on the laws in place to strengthen/relax gun restrictions in each state. As of last year, Rhode Island was scored number 9 in the country on strongest gun control legislation.
Proposed Legislation
The House Judiciary Committee will be holding hearings on Tuesday to hear the various proposed gun legislation. Two Democrat-backed bills include preventing people convicted of certain domestic violence offenses from owning or buying a gun. The other proposed legislation would criminalize the owning/selling of ammunition feeding devices that can accept more than ten rounds. Other bills include as follows:
- Prohibiting the use of state funds to enforce federal firearms rules.
- Allowing the automatic renewal of a gun permit or license.
- Allowing people who have concealed carry permits issued in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and other states to carry concealed weapons in Rhode Island.
Self-defense Legislation
Rhode Island is also known for being strict with other forms of handheld devices for protection, such as stun guns and tasers. Rhode Island is one of a handful of states that ban the carry of tasers or devices that can incapacitate or shock an individual. The Supreme Court hasn’t ruled directly on the issue but did make its opinion clear. The Supreme Court just released an unsigned opinion that self-defense weapons/tools are covered by the 2nd amendment, not just ones that can be “useful in wartime.”
