H 7647Criminal Procedure

Delinquent and Dependent Children - Proceedings in Family Court - Juvenile Records

This bill allows sealed juvenile records to be accessed for firearm background checks (NICS) for individuals under twenty-one.

Held for study

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Affected

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Introduced Feb 11, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation amends Rhode Island state law regarding the confidentiality of juvenile court and police records. Specifically, it creates an exception to the rule that usually keeps these records sealed. Under this bill, records of juveniles can be disclosed for the purpose of conducting a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check. This allows authorities to review juvenile records when determining if an individual under the age of twenty-one is disqualified from possessing a firearm under federal law.

For younger readers

When young people under 18 get in trouble with the police, those records are usually kept secret to help them move on with their lives. This bill changes the rule for people who are between 18 and 21 years old and want to buy a gun. It says that the government can look at their old records to make sure they are allowed to have a gun. This helps check if they have done anything in the past that would make having a gun unsafe. Once they turn 21, the records become secret again.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Young adults (18-21) purchasing firearmsFirearm dealersLaw enforcement agenciesFamily Court administrationGun safety advocates

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

None

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Enhances public safety by ensuring that thorough background checks, including juvenile history, are conducted before firearms are sold to young adults.
Aligns state policy with federal efforts to close loopholes that allow individuals with violent histories to legally acquire weapons simply because their records were sealed.
Maintains the general privacy of juvenile records for all other purposes, balancing the need for rehabilitation with the immediate necessity of gun violence prevention.
Erodes the fundamental protection of juvenile record sealing, potentially setting a precedent for further invasions of privacy regarding youth interactions with the justice system.
May disproportionately impact marginalized communities and minority youth, who are statistically more likely to have police records due to systemic over-policing.
Increases the reliance on carceral data systems rather than community-based interventions to address violence prevention.

For Conservatives

Strengthens the rule of law by ensuring that individuals who have committed serious offenses, even as juveniles, are properly identified before obtaining lethal weapons.
Aligns state procedures with federal disqualification criteria (18 U.S.C. §922(g)), ensuring consistent enforcement of existing statutes.
Prioritizes the safety of the community by ensuring that violent criminals cannot hide behind privacy laws to purchase firearms.
Infringes upon the privacy rights of citizens by granting federal agencies access to sealed state family court records.
Creates additional bureaucratic hurdles and government scrutiny for young adults attempting to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
Could be viewed as an expansion of the background check system that may lead to broader government tracking or registries in the future.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 9 additions

SECTION 1. Sections 14-1-6.1 and 14-1-64 of the General Laws in Chapter 14-1 entitled "Proceedings in Family Court" are hereby amended to read as follows: 14-1-6.1. Records.

(a) In any case where a court shall have obtained jurisdiction of a juvenile having attained the age of seventeen (17) years pursuant to 2007 P.L. 73, Article 22, section 1:

(i) All police records relating to the arrest, detention, apprehension and disposition of the juvenile and all records of identification maintained pursuant to chapter 12-1 of the general laws shall be treated as family court records in accordance with §§ 14-1-64 and 38-2-2 of the general laws; provided, however, that no person and no department, agency or any other instrumentality of the state or of any subdivision thereof shall be held liable or otherwise legally accountable for having disclosed or disseminated any such records in reasonable reliance upon the law in effect between July 1, 2007, and the effective date of this act [November 8, 2007]; and provided, further, that there shall be an exception allowing for the disclosure of juvenile records in conducting a NICS firearm background check until such time as the juvenile’s twenty-first birthday and provided further that nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the use of witness statements and other police records in the course of judicial proceedings initiated prior to the effective date of this act; and

(ii) All court records of such proceedings shall be sealed upon final disposition of the case or upon the individual attaining the age of twenty-one (21) in the event of a no information, dismissal or not guilty finding or upon the completion of any sentence, probation and/or parole imposed therein. 14-1-64. Disposition of juvenile records.

(a) All police records relating to the arrest, detention, apprehension, and disposition of any juveniles shall be kept in files separate and apart from the arrest records of adults and shall be withheld from public inspection, but the police report relating to the arrest or detention of a juvenile shall be open to inspection and copying upon request and upon payment of copying costs in accordance with § 38-2-4 by the parent, guardian, or attorney of the juvenile involved. After disposition of an offense and upon execution of an appropriate release and upon payment of copying costs in accordance with § 38-2-4 by the parent, guardian or attorney of the juvenile involved, records relating to the arrest, detention, apprehension and disposition of the juveniles shall be open to inspection and copying by the parent, guardian, or attorney of the juvenile involved.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, the identity of any juvenile waived pursuant to § 14-1-7.1 or certified and convicted pursuant to § 14-1-7.2 shall be made public.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, there shall be an exception allowing for the disclosure of juvenile records in conducting a NICS firearm background check and/or in determining whether the individual meets federal disqualification criteria under 18 U.S.C. §922(g).

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.