Rhode Island General Laws 11-5-11. Assault on persons with severe impairments
(a) For the purposes of this section:
(1) “adult” means a person over the age of eighteen (18).
(2) “major life activities” means: (i) mobility; (ii) self-care; (iii) communication; (iv) receptive and/or expressive language; (v) learning; (vi) self-direction; (vii) capacity for independent living; or (viii) economic self-sufficiency.
(3) “person with severe impairments” means a child or adult who has a disability which is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments which results in a substantial limitation on the person’s ability to function independently in the family or community and in one or more major life activities.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 11-5-11
- person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
(b) Any person who shall commit an assault and battery upon a person who is severely impaired as defined in subsection (a) of this section, causing bodily injury, shall be deemed to have committed a felony and shall be imprisoned not exceeding five (5) years, or fined not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or both.
(c) Violations of this section shall be reported to the local police department.
(d) After July 1, 2007 pursuant to § 40-8.5-2, the local police department may request the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals provide crisis intervention services for the adult victim with severe impairments when:
(1) Necessary to ensure the immediate health and safety of the adult victim;
(2) The adult victim relies on the person believed to have committed the assault and/or battery, for assistance in performing three (3) or more major life activities; and
(3) After the victim is informed of his or her right to refuse crisis intervention and/or supportive services.
History of Section.
P.L. 1982, ch. 445, § 1; P.L. 1985, ch. 374, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 423, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 10; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 10; P.L. 2006, ch. 175, § 1; P.L. 2006, ch. 268, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 254, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 264, § 1.