The bill amends Section 11-47-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 11-47 entitled "Weapons" to expand the categories of individuals prohibited from purchasing, owning, carrying, transporting, or possessing firearms. The new legal language inserted specifies that individuals who have entered a plea of nolo contendere to or been convicted of a felony, either in the state or elsewhere, are now included in the prohibition. Additionally, the bill clarifies that a disorderly conduct conviction will result in a prohibition only if the offense involves the use or attempted use of force or the threatened use of a dangerous weapon.

The bill also revises the penalties for violating the provisions of this section. It removes the possibility of suspension or deferment of sentence, as well as probation, for most violations, stating that the court may not suspend the first two years of the sentence. However, for violations of the newly added subsection (a)(2) regarding felony convictions, the punishment is imprisonment for not more than ten years. The act will take effect immediately upon passage, thereby disqualifying individuals with prior felony convictions from purchasing or possessing a firearm from the moment it is enacted.