AN ACT RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN FAMILY COURT -- JUVENILE RECORDS (Allows access to juvenile criminal records in order to conduct firearm background checks.)

H7647

2026 -- H 7647
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LC004952
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN
FAMILY COURT -- JUVENILE RECORDS

Introduced By:
Representatives McEntee, Spears, Craven, Casimiro, Bennett, Fogarty,
and Caldwell

Date Introduced:
February 11, 2026

Referred To:
House Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Sections 14-1-6.1 and 14-1-64 of the General Laws in Chapter 14-1 entitled
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"Proceedings in Family Court" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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14-1-6.1. Records.
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(a) In any case where a court shall have obtained jurisdiction of a juvenile having attained
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the age of seventeen (17) years pursuant to 2007 P.L. 73, Article 22, section 1:
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(i) All police records relating to the arrest, detention, apprehension and disposition of the
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juvenile and all records of identification maintained pursuant to chapter 12-1 of the general laws
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shall be treated as family court records in accordance with §§ 14-1-64 and 38-2-2 of the general
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laws; provided, however, that no person and no department, agency or any other instrumentality of
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the state or of any subdivision thereof shall be held liable or otherwise legally accountable for
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having disclosed or disseminated any such records in reasonable reliance upon the law in effect
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between July 1, 2007, and the effective date of this act [November 8, 2007];
and provided, further,
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that there shall be an exception allowing for the disclosure of juvenile records in conducting a NICS
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firearm background check until such time as the juvenile’s twenty-first birthday
and provided
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further that nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the use of witness statements and
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other police records in the course of judicial proceedings initiated prior to the effective date of this
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act; and
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(ii) All court records of such proceedings shall be sealed upon final disposition of the case

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or upon the individual attaining the age of twenty-one (21)
in the event of a no information,
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dismissal or not guilty finding or upon the completion of any sentence, probation and/or parole
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imposed therein.
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14-1-64. Disposition of juvenile records.
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(a) All police records relating to the arrest, detention, apprehension, and disposition of any
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juveniles shall be kept in files separate and apart from the arrest records of adults and shall be
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withheld from public inspection, but the police report relating to the arrest or detention of a juvenile
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shall be open to inspection and copying upon request and upon payment of copying costs in
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accordance with § 38-2-4 by the parent, guardian, or attorney of the juvenile involved. After
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disposition of an offense and upon execution of an appropriate release and upon payment of
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copying costs in accordance with § 38-2-4 by the parent, guardian or attorney of the juvenile
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involved, records relating to the arrest, detention, apprehension and disposition of the juveniles
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shall be open to inspection and copying by the parent, guardian, or attorney of the juvenile involved.
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(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the identity of any juvenile waived
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pursuant to § 14-1-7.1 or certified and convicted pursuant to § 14-1-7.2 shall be made public.
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(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, there shall be an exception allowing for
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the disclosure of juvenile records in conducting a NICS firearm background check and/or in
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determining whether the individual meets federal disqualification criteria under 18 U.S.C. §922(g).
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC004952
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN
FAMILY COURT -- JUVENILE RECORDS
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This act would allow access to juvenile criminal records in order to conduct firearm
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background checks.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC004952
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LC004952 - Page 3 of 3