The bill amends Section 11-47-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47, which pertains to weapons, by introducing a new definition for "crime gun," defined as any firearm used in a crime or identified by law enforcement as suspected of having been used in a criminal offense. The bill does not clarify existing definitions related to firearms, such as "3D printing process," "binary trigger," and "bump-fire stock," nor does it update the definitions of "firearm," "ghost gun," and "undetectable firearm."

Additionally, the bill adds Section 12-1-10.2 to Chapter 12-1, which mandates that in cases where a crime gun is seized, the arresting or investigating police department must submit the firearm or at least two test-fired cartridge cases to the state crime laboratory, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF), or any qualified law enforcement agency for ballistic testing and entry into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). The department is also required to submit information related to the firearm, including its make, model, and serial number, to the BATF for tracing. Furthermore, if law enforcement recovers any spent cartridge cases or shell casings at a crime scene, they must submit the ballistics information to NIBIN as soon as practicable. The bill specifies that if a firearm seized is not classified as a "crime gun," no ballistic testing will be conducted. This act is set to take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
59: 11-47-2
59  SUB A: 11-47-2