R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-98-3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-98 / Section 23-98-3
§ 23-98-3. Annual statewide inventory of sexual assault evidence kits.
Status: in_force

(a) Within one hundred eighty (180) days of June 29, 2022, and annually thereafter, all medical facilities, law enforcement agencies, crime laboratories, and any other facilities that receive, maintain, store, or preserve sexual assault evidence kits (kits) shall submit a report containing the following information to the department of health:

(1) The total number of all untested kits in possession of each medical facility, law enforcement agency, crime laboratory, and any other facility that receives, maintains, stores, or preserves kits;

(2) For each kit the facility shall provide:

(i) The category of the kit:

(A) Whether sexual assault was reported to law enforcement; or

(B) Whether the victim chose not to file a report with law enforcement.

(ii) The status of the kit:

(A) For kits of medical facilities: The date when the kit was reported to law enforcement, and the date when the kit was delivered to the state health laboratory;

(B) For kits of a law enforcement agency: The date the kit was picked up from a medical facility, the date when the kit was submitted to a crime laboratory, and for any kit not submitted to a crime lab, the reason the kit was not submitted;

(C) For kits belonging to another jurisdiction: The date that the jurisdiction was notified and the date the kit was picked up; and

(D) For kits in possession of crime laboratories: The date the kit was received from law enforcement and from which agency the kit was received; the date when the kit was tested; the date when the resulting information was entered into CODIS or other relevant state or local DNA databases, and the reasoning, if applicable, that a kit was not tested or a DNA profile was not created;

(3) The total number of kits in possession of the entity for more than thirty (30) days or beyond the statutory time frame for kit submission and testing; and

(4) The total number of kits destroyed and the reason for destruction.

(b) The department of health shall compile the data from the reports in a summary report. The summary report shall include a list of all agencies or facilities that failed to participate in the preparation of the report. The annual summary report shall be made publicly available on the department of healths website, and shall be submitted to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the office of the attorney general.

(c) Within ninety (90) days of June 29, 2022, all previously untested kits in medical facilities or other facilities that collect kits shall be submitted to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

(d) Within one hundred eighty (180) days of June 29, 2022, each law enforcement agency shall submit all previously untested kits, including those sexual assaults past the statute of limitations, to the accredited public crime laboratory or laboratories.

(1) Anonymous or unreported kits are exempted from this section unless the victim files a report and consents to the testing of their kit.

(2) Anonymous and unreported kits shall be safely stored by the state health laboratory in a manner that preserves evidence for a duration of ten (10) years or the applicable statute of limitations, whichever is greater.

(3) Victims who do not file a report with law enforcement at the time the kit was collected shall not negate their right to report the crime and have the kit tested in the future.

(e) An accredited public crime laboratory shall test all previously untested sexual assault kits within ninety (90) days of receipt from the local law enforcement agency.

(f) Testing shall be pursued to develop autosomal DNA profiles that are eligible for entry into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and local DNA databases.

(1) With the goal of generating a CODIS-eligible DNA profile, if a laboratory is unable to obtain an autosomal CODIS-eligible DNA profile, the laboratory should evaluate the case to determine if any other DNA-typing results could be used for investigative purposes.

(2) In cases where testing has resulted in a DNA profile, the laboratory shall enter the full profile into the Combined DNA Index System Database (CODIS) and local DNA databases. The average completion rate for this analysis and classification shall not exceed ninety (90) days.

(3) If an accredited public crime laboratory is unable to meet the deadline set forth in subsection (f)(2) of this section, the kits shall be outsourced for testing to an accredited private crime laboratory.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-63-4.6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-63 / Section 23-63-4.6
§ 23-63-4.6. Deficiency determination  Determination without return.
Status: in_force

If any retailer fails to file a return or to keep records described in § 23-63-4.5, or if the tax administrator is not satisfied with the amount of fees paid to him or her, the tax administrator may compute and determine the amount required by this chapter to be paid to him or her upon the basis of the facts contained in the returns which have been filed or upon the basis of any information in the tax administrators possession or that may come into his or her possession.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-9 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-9
§ 23-26-9. Removal or defacement of tags.
Status: in_force

No person other than a purchaser at retail for his or her own use, or except as otherwise provided in this chapter, shall remove, deface, alter, or cause to be removed, defaced, or altered any tag attached to an article of bedding; but immediately after material used for filling has been removed from its container, the tag and inspection stamp thereon shall be removed and destroyed by the person removing the material.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-81-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-81 / Section 23-81-4
§ 23-81-4. Powers of the health care planning and accountability advisory council.
Status: in_force

Powers of the council shall include, but not be limited to the following:

(a) The authority to develop and promote studies, advisory opinions and to recommend a unified health plan on the states healthcare delivery and financing system, including but not limited to:

(1) Ongoing assessments of the states healthcare needs and healthcare system capacity that are used to determine the most appropriate capacity of and allocation of healthcare providers, services, including transportation services, and equipment and other resources, to meet Rhode Islands healthcare needs efficiently and affordably. These assessments shall be used to advise the determination of need for new healthcare equipment and new institutional health services or certificate of need process through the health services council;

(2) The establishment of Rhode Islands long-range healthcare goals and values, and the recommendation of innovative models of healthcare delivery, that should be encouraged in Rhode Island;

(3) Healthcare payment models that reward improved health outcomes;

(4) Measurements of quality and appropriate use of healthcare services that are designed to evaluate the impact of the health planning process;

(5) Plans for promoting the appropriate role of technology in improving the availability of health information across the healthcare system, while promoting practices that ensure the confidentiality and security of health records; and

(6) Recommendations of legislation and other actions that achieve accountability and adherence in the healthcare community to the councils plans and recommendations.

(b) Convene meetings of the council no less than every sixty (60) days, which shall be subject to the open meetings laws and public records laws of the state, and shall include a process for the public to place items on the councils agenda.

(c) Appoint advisory committees as needed for technical assistance throughout the process.

(d) Modify recommendations in order to reflect changing healthcare systems needs.

(e) Promote responsiveness to recommendations among all state agencies that provide health service programs, not limited to the five (5) state agencies coordinated by the executive office of the health and human services.

(f) Coordinate the review of existing data sources from state agencies and the private sector that are useful to developing a unified health plan.

(g) Formulating, testing, and selecting policies and standards that will achieve desired objectives.

(h) In consultation with the office of the health insurance commissioner, the council shall review health system total cost drivers and provide findings, and, if appropriate related recommendations to the governor and general assembly on or before July 1, 2014.

(i) Coordinate a comprehensive review of mental health and substance abuse incidence rates, service use rates, capacity and potentially high and rising spending.

(j) Examine the volume and spending trends for pediatric inpatient and outpatient services, including the evolving role of intensive care units (ICUs).

(k) Subject to available resources and time, in consultation with the department of health, provide periodic assessments beginning on or before October 1, 2014, to the general assembly on the appropriate mix of Rhode Islands primary care workforce. The assessments shall include analyses of current and future primary care professional supply and demand, recruitment, scope of practice and licensure, workforce training issues, and potential incentives with recommendations to enhance the supply and diversity of the primary care workforce.

(l) Provide an annual report each July, after the convening of the council, to the governor and general assembly on implementation of the plan adopted by the council. This annual report shall:

(1) Present the strategic recommendations, updated annually;

(2) Assess the implementation of strategic recommendations in the healthcare market;

(3) Compare and analyze the difference between the guidance and the reality;

(4) Recommend to the governor and general assembly legislative or regulatory revisions necessary to achieve the long-term goals and values adopted by the council as part of its strategic recommendations, and assess the powers needed by the council or governmental entities of the state deemed necessary and appropriate to carry out the responsibilities of the council.

(5) Include the request for a hearing before the appropriate committees of the general assembly.

(6) Include a response letter from each state agency that is affected by the state health plan describing the actions taken and planned to implement the plans recommendations.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-26 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-26
§ 23-19-26. Tax exemption.
Status: in_force

(a) The exercise of the powers granted by this chapter will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the state, for their well-being and prosperity and for the improvement of their social and economic conditions, and the corporation shall not be required to pay any tax or assessment on any property owned by the corporation under the provisions of this chapter or upon the income from that property; nor shall the corporation be required to pay any recording fee or transfer tax of any kind on account of instruments recorded by it or on its behalf; nor shall the corporation be required to pay gasoline and diesel engine fuel taxes for the fuel consumed by its vehicles and equipment and used exclusively in the performance of its on-site duties pursuant to this chapter. The corporation shall pay each municipality in which the corporation sites a facility, as a payment in lieu of taxes, a minimum fee of: (1) Two dollars ($2.00) per ton for each ton of acceptable waste processed at that facility during each operating year of that facility, or (2) five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) per operating year, whichever sum is greater. Each of the minimum sums shall escalate in accordance with the same escalation formula by which the operation and maintenance fee set forth in the service agreement covering the facility escalates; provided further, however, the corporation may direct payments in lieu of taxes to be paid to a city or town in which other properties or facilities are located. Nothing in this section shall preclude the corporation and a municipality within which a facility has been sited, from negotiating and entering into a host community agreement that provides for benefits to the municipality, either monetary or non-monetary, in addition to the payments in lieu of taxes set forth in this section.

(b) Any bonds, notes, or other obligations issued by the corporation under the provisions of this chapter, the transfer, and the income from the obligations (including any profits made by their sale ), shall at all times be free from taxation by the state or any political subdivision or other instrumentality of the state, excepting inheritance, estate, and gift taxes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-19.1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-19.1
§ 23-17-19.1. Rights of patients.
Status: in_force

Every healthcare facility licensed under this chapter shall observe the following standards and any other standards that may be prescribed in rules and regulations promulgated by the licensing agency with respect to each patient who utilizes the facility:

(1) The patient shall be afforded considerate and respectful care.

(2) Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with the name of the physician responsible for coordinating the patients care.

(3) Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with the name of the physician or other person responsible for conducting any specific test or other medical procedure performed by the healthcare facility in connection with the patients treatment.

(4) The patient shall have the right to refuse any treatment by the healthcare facility to the extent permitted by law.

(5) The patients right to privacy shall be respected to the extent consistent with providing adequate medical care to the patient and with the efficient administration of the healthcare facility. Nothing in this section shall be construed to preclude discreet discussion of a patients case or examination by appropriate medical personnel.

(6) The patients right to privacy and confidentiality shall extend to all records pertaining to the patients treatment except as otherwise provided by law.

(7) The healthcare facility shall respond in a reasonable manner to the request of a patients physician, certified nurse practitioner, and/or a physicians assistant for medical services to the patient. The healthcare facility shall also respond in a reasonable manner to the patients request for other services customarily rendered by the healthcare facility to the extent the services do not require the approval of the patients physician, certified nurse practitioner, and/or a physicians assistant or are not inconsistent with the patients treatment.

(8) Before transferring a patient to another facility, the healthcare facility must first inform the patient of the need for, and alternatives to, a transfer.

(9) Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with the identities of all other healthcare and educational institutions that the healthcare facility has authorized to participate in the patients treatment and the nature of the relationship between the institutions and the healthcare facility.

(10)(i) Except as otherwise provided in this subparagraph, if the healthcare facility proposes to use the patient in any human-subjects research, it shall first thoroughly inform the patient of the proposal and offer the patient the right to refuse to participate in the project.

(ii) No facility shall be required to inform prospectively the patient of the proposal and the patients right to refuse to participate when an institutional review board approves the human-subjects research pursuant to the patient consent and/or de-identification requirements of 21 C.F.R. Pt. 50 and/or 45 C.F.R. Pt. 46 (relating to the informed consent of human subjects).

(11) Upon request, the patient shall be allowed to examine and shall be given an explanation of the bill rendered by the healthcare facility irrespective of the source of payment of the bill.

(12) Upon request, the patient shall be permitted to examine any pertinent healthcare facility rules and regulations that specifically govern the patients treatment.

(13) The patient shall not be denied appropriate care on the basis of age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, color, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, national origin, source of income, source of payment, or profession.

(14) Patients shall be provided with a summarized medical bill within thirty (30) days of discharge from a healthcare facility. Upon request, the patient shall be furnished with an itemized copy of the patients bill. When patients are residents of state-operated institutions and facilities, the provisions of this subsection shall not apply.

(15) Upon request, the patient shall be allowed the use of a personal television set provided that the television complies with underwriters laboratory standards and O.S.H.A. standards, and so long as the television set is classified as a portable television.

(16) No charge of any kind, including, but not limited to, copying, postage, retrieval, or processing fees, shall be made for furnishing a health record or part of a health record to a patient, the patients attorney, or authorized representative if the record, or part of the record, is necessary for the purpose of supporting an appeal under any provision of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. § 301 et seq., and the request is accompanied by documentation of the appeal or a claim under the provisions of the Workers Compensation Act, chapters 29  38 of title 28, or for any patient who is a veteran and the medical record is necessary for any application for benefits of any kind. A provider shall furnish a health record requested pursuant to this section by mail, electronically, or otherwise, within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the request. For the purposes of this section, provider shall include any out-of-state entity that handles medical records for in-state providers. Further, for patients of school-based health centers, the director is authorized to specify by regulation an alternative list of age appropriate rights commensurate with this section.

(17) The patient shall have the right to have their pain assessed on a regular basis.

(18) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, upon request, patients receiving care through hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living residences and home healthcare providers, shall have the right to receive information concerning hospice care, including the benefits of hospice care, the cost, and how to enroll in hospice care.

(19) The patient shall not be asked about their immigration status or asked to present proof of their legal presence in the United States.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-32 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-25 / Section 23-25-32
§ 23-25-32. Budget  Receipt and disposition of funds.
Status: in_force

(a) The director shall include in the annual budget sums of money necessary: to carry out the pesticide control program as required by this chapter and the EPA approved plan for certifying applicators, for the registration of pesticides, for office and other expenses including travel necessary for inspection and enforcement, and to employ sufficient employees to effectively carry out the provisions of this chapter.

(b) All money received by the director under the provisions of this chapter, 23-25-12(b)(2), 23-25-13(b)(3), 23-25-14(b)(3), and 23-25-15(c)(5) shall be deposited into the general treasury as general revenues.

(c) All money received by the director as federal grants-in-aid, contracts, and the like, to assist the state in carrying out a certification program shall be deposited into the general treasury to the credit of a special fund to be used only for carrying out the provisions of this chapter.

(d) All money appropriated for the pesticide enforcement and certification program shall be made available immediately and are specifically appropriated to the director for the following purposes:

(1) To support the pesticide enforcement and certification program;

(2) For payment of ancillary services, personnel, and equipment incurred to carry out the purposes of pesticide enforcement and certification.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-9-22 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-9 / Section 23-9-22
§ 23-9-22. Settlement of wages and charges.
Status: in_force

The city and town councils of the respective cities and towns shall fix, settle, and adjust all wages and charges demanded by persons employed by them to secure a vessel, or to air and cleanse those goods, or to attend upon and nurse those persons as provided in this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-23-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-23 / Section 23-23-4
§ 23-23-4. Administration  Agency for federal acts.
Status: in_force

(a) It shall be the responsibility of the director of environmental management to administer this chapter. Within the department of environmental management, the director may employ personnel who shall come within the classified service in accordance with the laws of this state for the purposes of this chapter, and may delegate to a subordinate or subordinates any or all the powers and duties vested in him or her under this chapter. The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sums that it may deem necessary for the expenses of administering this chapter.

(b) The department of environmental management is designated as the state air pollution control agency for this state for all purposes of any federal air pollution control laws, acts, or programs, and is authorized to take all action necessary or appropriate to secure to this state the benefit of those laws, acts, or programs.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-13 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-25 / Section 23-25-13
§ 23-25-13. Certification of commercial applicators  Renewal  Regulations.
Status: in_force

(a) No commercial applicator shall purchase, acquire, possess, apply, or supervise the application of any pesticide classified for use only by or under the direct supervision of a certified applicator by EPA or by the director without first becoming certified under this section and regulations adopted under this section, except that the pesticide purchase, acquisition, possession, or application may be made without certification if done under the direct supervision of a certified applicator.

(b) The director is authorized to adopt regulations, including but not limited to regulations:

(1) Establishing procedures for filing an application for certification and determining prior experience and qualifications of applicants, their proposed operations, categories, and subcategories, or special pesticide uses for which the applicant wishes to qualify for certification, and setting annual expiration dates and type of documentation verifying certification if qualified;

(2) Requiring written examinations and, as necessary, other types of examinations designed to enable the applicant to demonstrate his or her knowledge, in accordance with the standards established under § 23-25-10, of pesticides and their effects, and his or her competency to handle and use the restricted use and/or limited use pesticides he or she may apply under the categories, subcategories, or special uses for which he or she is being examined;

(3) Establishing an annual certification fee not to exceed forty-five dollars ($45.00) and requiring certified commercial applicators to keep records of their purchase and use of restricted use and/or limited use pesticides;

(4) Establishing limits of liability covering the applicants spraying operations;

(5) Requiring the display of a decal, indicating that the applicant has met the requirements of this chapter, in a prominent place on any vehicle used in the applicants spraying operations.

(c) If the director finds the applicant qualified to apply pesticides in the categories, subcategories, or special uses he or she has applied for, the director shall issue a certified commercial applicators certificate limited to the categories for which he or she is qualified which shall expire on an annual expiration date as determined by regulation unless it has been revoked or suspended prior to the expiration by the director for cause. The director may limit the certificate to the use of certain pesticides, or to certain areas, or to certain types of equipment if the applicant is only so qualified. If a certificate or renewal is not granted as applied for, the director shall inform the applicant in writing of the reasons for not granting it and, if requested, provide opportunity for a hearing before the director.

(d) The director shall send a renewal application to each certified commercial applicator at least thirty (30) days prior to the expiration date, and the director may renew any applicants certification under the classification(s) for which the applicant is certified subject to reexamination or other requirements imposed by the director by regulation to ensure that the applicator continues to meet the requirements of changing technology and to assure a continuing level of competence and ability to use pesticides safely and properly.

(e) Certified commercial applicators who in any year fail to file a renewal application, even though they did not receive a mailed renewal application, prior to an expiration date established by regulation shall lose their certification as of sixty (60) days later and prior to that date shall be notified in writing. Those applicators may regain certification under this section by reexamination.

(f) Any commercial applicator certified under this section shall not be required to obtain a commercial applicators license under § 23-25-12 as long as his or her certification remains in effect.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-14 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-14
§ 23-26-14. Contents of tag on articles renovated for owner.
Status: in_force

Every remade or renovated article of bedding not for sale, but for return to the owner for his or her own use, shall have attached thereto a tag which, in addition to the statements otherwise required by this chapter, shall state the name and address of the owner, the date of the sterilization, that the article is not for sale, and that the article contains the same material and the name and amount of any material added during remaking.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-61-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-61 / Section 23-61-6
§ 23-61-6. Notification to the department.
Status: in_force

The owner of any public and high priority building who intends to take measures, including but not limited to renovation of the building for the purpose of reducing radon/radon progeny levels and/or installation of recognized radon mitigation systems, must submit formal notification to the department prior to commencing the radon/radon progeny mitigation activities.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-102-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-102 / Section 23-102-2
§ 23-102-2. Behavioral Health Education, Training, and Coordination Fund established  Uses of the fund.
Status: in_force

(a) There is established a separate fund within the general fund to be called the behavioral health education, training, and coordination fund which shall be administered by the general treasurer in accordance with the same laws and fiscal procedures as the general funds of the state. The fund shall consist of sums collected as a result of the taxpayer check-off as provided for in § 44-30-2.12. The general treasurer is authorized to accept any grant, devise, bequest, donation, gift, or assignment of money, bonds, or other valuable securities for deposit in and credit of the behavioral health education, training, and coordination fund.

(b) The monies received under this chapter and § 44-30-2.12 shall be made available and distributed by the treasurer annually by September 30, or as soon thereafter as the application is approved, to eligible organizations certified by the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals for the calendar year.

(c) Upon distribution to eligible organizations with an approved application, the monies shall be used exclusively to provide education, training, or coordination of behavioral health treatment or service providers.

(d) Upon receipt of the annual application from an eligible organization as provided in this section, the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals shall review each application to determine if it complies with the intent and requirements of this chapter. Upon a finding by the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals that the application complies with the intent and requirements of this chapter, the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals shall certify that the eligible organization has an approved application for the calendar year. The director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals shall provide notice of approval or denial of certification not later than September 15 to each eligible organization that has submitted an annual application.

(e) The director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals is authorized to promulgate any rules or regulations and prescribe forms necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-90-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-90 / Section 23-90-7
§ 23-90-7. Regulations.
Status: in_force

The corporation is hereby authorized to promulgate additional rules and regulations pursuant to the administrative procedures act, chapter 35 of title 42, to implement the provisions of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-65-15 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-65 / Section 23-65-15
§ 23-65-15. Excluding requirement of state mandated cost.
Status: in_force

The provisions of §§ 45-13-7  45-13-10 shall not apply to this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-23-23 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-23 / Section 23-23-23
§ 23-23-23. Temporary pay reductions prohibited.
Status: in_force

No owner or operator of any source which uses a supplemental or intermittent air pollution control system or device for the purpose of meeting the requirements of an order entered by the director pursuant to § 23-23-8 or 23-23-15 of this chapter, shall, temporarily, reduce the pay of any employee by reason of the use of that supplemental or intermittent or other dispersion dependent air pollution control system or device.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-24-15 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-24 / Section 23-24-15
§ 23-24-15. Interpretation and severability.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this chapter shall be held to be in addition to, and not in substitution for a limitation of, the provisions of any other law. If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter and the application of those provisions to any other person or circumstances shall not be affected by this invalidity.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-9 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-25 / Section 23-25-9
§ 23-25-9. Authority of director  Determinations  Rules and regulations  Restricted use and limited use of pesticides and uniformity.
Status: in_force

(a) The director is authorized after due notice and an opportunity for a hearing:

(1) To declare as a pest any form of plant or animal life (other than humans and other than bacteria, viruses, and other micro-organisms on or in living humans or other living animals) which is injurious to health or the environment;

(2) To determine whether pesticides registered under the authority of § 24(c) of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. § 136v(c), are highly toxic to humans. The definition of highly toxic, as defined in title 40, Code of Federal Regulations 162.8, as issued or amended, shall govern the directors determination; and

(3) To determine pesticides and quantities of substances contained in pesticides which are injurious to the environment. The director shall be guided by EPA regulations in this determination.

(b) The director is authorized after due notice and a public hearing as provided for in the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42, to make appropriate regulations where those regulations are necessary for the enforcement and administration of this chapter, including but not limited to regulations providing for:

(1) The collection, examination, and reporting of samples of pesticides or devices pursuant to § 23-25-19;

(2) The safe handling, transportation, storage, display, distribution, and disposal of pesticides and their containers;

(3) Labeling requirements of all pesticides required to be registered under provisions of this chapter; provided, that the regulations shall not impose any requirements for federally registered labels in addition to or different from those required pursuant to FIFRA;

(4) Specifying classes of devices which shall be subject to the provisions of § 23-25-5(1);

(5) Prescribing methods to be used in the application of pesticides where the director finds that these regulations are necessary to carry out the purpose and intent of this chapter. The regulations may relate to the time, place, manner, methods, materials, and amounts and concentrations in connection with the application of the pesticide, may restrict or prohibit use of pesticides in designated areas during specified periods of time, and shall encompass all reasonable factors which the director deems necessary to prevent damage or injury by drift or misapplication to: plants, including forage plants, on adjacent or nearby lands; wildlife in the adjoining or nearby areas; fish and other aquatic life in waters in reasonable proximity to the area to be treated; and humans, animals, or beneficial insects.

(6) In issuing the regulations referred to in subdivision (5) of this subsection, the director shall give consideration to pertinent research findings and recommendations of other agencies of the state, the federal government, or other reliable sources. The director may by regulation require that notice of a proposed application of a pesticide be given to the public, if he or she finds that the notice is necessary to carry out the purpose of this chapter.

(7) Prescribing regulations requiring any pesticide registered for special local needs to be colored or discolored if he or she determines that the requirement is feasible and is necessary for the protection of health and the environment. The regulations promulgated by EPA pursuant to § 25(c)(5) of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. § 136w(c)(5), shall govern this determination.

(8) Prescribing regulations establishing standards for the packages, containers, and wrappings of pesticides registered for local needs. The regulations shall be consistent with the regulations promulgated by EPA pursuant to § 25(c)(3) of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. § 136w(c)(3).

(c) For the purpose of uniformity and in order to enter into cooperative agreements, the director may:

(1) In addition to those restricted use pesticides classified by the administrator of EPA, the director may also, by regulation, after a public hearing following due notice, classify a pesticide as a state limited use pesticide for the state of Rhode Island. If the director determines that the pesticide (when applied in accordance with its directions for use, warnings, and cautions, and for uses for which it is registered) may cause without additional restrictions, unreasonable adverse effects on the environment, including injury to the applicator or other persons because of acute dermal or inhalation toxicity of the pesticide, the pesticide shall be applied only by or under the direct supervision of a certified applicator, or be subject to any other restrictions as the director may determine. These other restrictions may include, but are not limited to, the conditions of use as provided in subdivision (b)(5) of this section for state limited use pesticides, may require a permit for the purchase, possession, and application of pesticides labeled as state limited use pesticides, and may further require that application of that pesticide be only under the direct supervision of the director.

(2) Adopt regulations in conformity with the primary pesticide standards, particularly as to labeling and registration requirements, as established by EPA or other federal or state agencies.

(d) Regulations adopted under this chapter shall not permit any pesticide use which is prohibited by FIFRA and regulations or orders issued under it.

(e) Regulations adopted under this chapter as to certified applicators of restricted use pesticides as designated under FIFRA and regulations adopted as to experimental use permits as authorized by FIFRA shall not be inconsistent with the requirements of FIFRA and regulations promulgated under it.

(f) In order to comply with § 4 of FIFRA, 7 U.S.C. § 136b, the director is authorized to make any reports to the EPA in any form and containing any information that the agency may from time to time require.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-87-3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-87 / Section 23-87-3
§ 23-87-3. Purpose.
Status: in_force

The purpose of this chapter is to create a study commission which will develop a multi-pronged, statewide plan to educate healthcare professionals and persons affected with lupus about the diagnosis, management, and treatment of lupus.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-16-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-16 / Section 23-16-6
§ 23-16-6. Funds for administration.
Status: in_force

There is authorized to be appropriated from the state treasury those sums that may be necessary for the purposes of administering this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-69-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-69 / Section 23-69-2
§ 23-69-2. New England compact on involuntary detention for tuberculosis control.
Status: in_force

The New England compact on involuntary detention for tuberculosis control, hereinafter called the compact, is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein, in the form substantially as follows:

The purposes of this compact are to:

(1) Promote the communicable disease health protection of the public and individuals within the party states.

(2) Provide mutual aid and assistance in communicable disease matters, specifically tuberculosis control, through the utilization of regional centers for the involuntary detention of persons with tuberculosis who will not accept treatment and therefore pose a threat to the health of the public.

(3) Encourage and facilitate the efficient use of personnel, equipment and physical plants by furthering the orderly acquisition and sharing of resources useful for programs of tuberculosis control.

This compact shall become effective when enacted into law by any two (2) or more of the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Thereafter it shall become effective with respect to any other aforementioned state upon its enacting this compact into law.

(a) It shall be the duty of each party state to formulate and put into effect an intrastate procedure for the legal detention of persons with tuberculosis refusing treatment which is compatible with the interstate tuberculosis control plan formulated pursuant to this compact.

(b) Whenever the compact administrator of a party state requests aid from the compact administrator of any other party state pursuant to this compact, it shall be the duty of the requested state to render all possible aid which is consonant with the maintenance and protection of its own people. The compact administrator of a party state may delegate any or all of his or her authority to request aid or respond to requests for aid pursuant to this compact to one (1) or more subordinates, in order that requests for aid and responses thereto shall not be impeded by the reason of absence or unavailability of the compact administrator. Any compact administrator making such a delegation shall inform all the other compact administrators thereof, and also shall inform them of the identity of the subordinate or subordinates to whom delegation has been made.

(c) Each party state shall maintain adequate tuberculosis control personnel and infrastructure to meet normal demands for tuberculosis control within its borders.

(d) Each party state shall ensure that any Rhode Island resident treated pursuant to this compact be provided all protections contained in R.I.G.L. 23-10-6.

(a) Whenever the officers or employees of any party state are rendering outside aid pursuant to the request of another party state under this compact, the officers or employees of such state shall, under the direction of the authorities of the state to which they are rendering aid, have the same powers, duties, rights, privileges and immunities as comparable officers and employees of the state to which they are rendering aid.

(b) No party state or its officers or employees rendering outside aid pursuant to this compact shall be liable on account of any act or omission on their part while so engaged, or on account of the maintenance or use of any equipment or supplies in connection therewith.

(c) All liability that may arise either under the laws of the requesting state or under the laws of the abiding state or under the laws of a third state, on account of or in connection with a request for aid, shall be assumed and borne by the requesting state.

(d) Any party state rendering aid to provide involuntary detention for tuberculosis control shall be reimbursed by the party state receiving such aid for any loss or damage to, or expense incurred in the operation of any equipment answering a request for aid, and for the cost of all materials, transportation and maintenance of employees and equipment incurred in connection with such request; provided that nothing herein contained shall prevent any assisting party state from assuming such loss, damage, expense or other cost or from donating such services to the receiving party state without charge or cost.

(e) Each party state shall provide for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured officers and employees and the representatives of deceased employees in case employees sustain injuries, contract disease or are killed while rendering aid pursuant to this compact, in the same manner and on the same terms as if the injury, disease or death were sustained within the state for or in which the employee was regularly employed.

(a) In recognition of the mutual benefits, in addition to those resulting from Article IV, accruing to the party states from the existence and flexible use of professional or technical personnel having special skills or training related to tuberculosis control, such personnel may be made available to a party state by appropriate departments of other party states: provided that the borrower reimburses such party state regularly employing the personnel in question for any cost of making such personnel available, including a prorated share of the salary or other compensation of the personnel involved.

(b) Nothing in this article shall be construed to limit or modify in any way the provisions of article IV of this compact.

Each party state shall have a compact administrator who shall be the head of the state agency responsible for tuberculosis control, and who:

(1) Shall coordinate activities pursuant to this compact in and on behalf of his or her state.

(2) Serving jointly with the compact administrators of the other party states, shall develop and keep current an interstate tuberculosis control involuntary detention plan; consider such other matters as may be appropriate in connection with programs of cooperation in the field of tuberculosis control and allied areas of common interest; and formulate procedures for claims and reimbursement under the provisions of article IV.

Nothing in this compact shall be construed to:

(1) Authorize or permit any party state to curtail or diminish its tuberculosis control program, equipment, services or facilities.

(2) Limit or restrict the powers of any state ratifying the same to provide tuberculosis control to protect the health of the public and individuals, or to prohibit the enactment or enforcement of state laws, rules or regulations intended to provide such tuberculosis control.

(3) Affect any existing or future cooperative relationship or arrangement between federal, state or local governments and a party state or states.

Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until one (1) year after the governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the governors of the other party states. No withdrawal shall affect any liability already incurred by or chargeable to a party state prior to the time of such withdrawal.

It is the legislative intent that the provisions of this compact be reasonably and liberally construed. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of this compact is declared to be unconstitutional or the applicability thereof, to any state, agency, person or circumstances is held invalid, the constitutionality of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof, to any other state, agency, person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-13-8 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-13 / Section 23-13-8
§ 23-13-8. Violations pertaining to ophthalmia neonatorum.
Status: in_force

The failure of any person mentioned in §§ 23-13-4  23-13-7 to report any and all cases of ophthalmia neonatorum, as directed in this chapter, or the failure or refusal of any person or institution mentioned in §§23-13-4  23-13-7, to obey any rule or regulation adopted by the department of health under this chapter, shall constitute a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, shall be fined not less than ten dollars ($10.00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100), or imprisoned for not less than ten (10) days nor more than six (6) months, or both.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-66-3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-66 / Section 23-66-3
§ 23-66-3. Requirements of the assessment.
Status: in_force

Each assessment shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(1) An analysis of ambient air conditions, including but not limited to, levels of lead, mercury, zinc, chromium, arsenic, particulates, nitrogen oxide, and any other pollutants as required by the department of environmental management for major stationary sources.

(2) A complete air quality impact analysis will be performed using meteorological data as provided by the United States Weather Service or comparable weather services of the state for the five (5) years preceding the date the protocol is approved and the protocol for conducting such an analysis must be submitted to the department of environmental management for their approval; the area of analysis to be determined by the department of environmental management, but in no case shall the area of analysis be less than one thousand (1,000) meters in radius from the location of the proposed sewage sludge incineration facility; and identification of communities predominantly down-wind of the proposed sewage sludge incineration facility.

(3) The assessment shall include an estimate of planned and reasonably expected stack emission levels including but not limited to heavy metals and related compounds, particulates, arsenic, beryllium, lead, mercury, and nitrogen oxide.

(4) In the assessment the proponent shall demonstrate that other reasonable or suitable alternate disposal and/or reuse method for the sewage sludge have been examined.

(5) The assessment shall evaluate the potential for the proposed sewage sludge incineration facility to incinerate materials other than sewage sludge. The proponent must provide a quality control plan for materials to be incinerated by the proposed facility including but not limited to: sewage sludge imported from other communities, sewage service districts, states or countries; and any material to be incinerated other than sewage sludge.

(6) The assessment shall propose comprehensive plans for emergency conditions including, but not limited to, catastrophic mechanical failure, breakdown and/or fire and shall propose plans for community notification and evacuation in emergency circumstances.

(7) The assessment shall be prepared by a firm or person with extensive experience in the preparation of environmental and health assessments.

(8) The assessment shall include atmospheric modeling to predict substantive environmental and health impacts on and off site as required by federal Environmental Protection Agency Sewage Sludge Regulation 503 and state department of environmental management air pollution control regulations for acceptable ambient levels.

(9) The assessment shall be a condition precedent to the issuance of any air quality permit by the department of environmental management.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-87-5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-87 / Section 23-87-5
§ 23-87-5. Establishment of the lupus education and awareness plan (LEAP).
Status: in_force

(a) The study commission established in this chapter shall:

(1) Analyze the current state of education on lupus in the state;

(2) Evaluate materials and resources currently available from government agencies, hospitals, lupus advocacy organizations; and

(3) Identify gaps in the current lupus education modalities in the state through a needs assessment or similar mechanism.

(b) Upon completing the needs assessment described in subsection (a), the study commission shall report on the results of its assessment to the department of health and to the general assembly. Utilizing the results of such assessment, and with input from the committees of the general assembly, having cognizance of matters relating to public health and the department of health, the study commission shall develop a comprehensive lupus education and awareness plan.

(c) The study commission shall develop a comprehensive plan to improve education and awareness surrounding lupus for healthcare practitioners, public health personnel, patients, and persons who may have lupus. The plan shall include the recommendations on how to best:

(1) Distribute medically sound health information produced by the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., the Lupus Foundation of New England and/or government agencies, including, but not limited to, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Social Security Administration, through local health departments, schools, agencies on aging, employer wellness programs, physicians and other health professionals, hospitals, health plans and health maintenance organizations, womens health, and nonprofit and community-based organizations;

(2) Utilize volunteers in the community to distribute brochures and other materials that promote lupus education and awareness;

(3) Develop educational materials for health professionals that identify the most recent scientific and medical information and clinical applications regarding the treatment of lupus;

(4) Work to increase knowledge among physicians, nurses, and health and human services professionals about the importance of lupus diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation;

(5) Support continuing medical education plans in the states leading academic institutions by providing them the most recent scientific and medical information and clinical applications regarding the treatment of lupus;

(6) Conduct statewide workshops and seminars for extensive professional development regarding the care and management of patients with lupus in an effort to bring the latest information on clinical advances to care providers; and

(7) Develop and maintain a directory of lupus-related healthcare services that includes a listing of healthcare providers with specialization in services to diagnose and treat lupus and that can be disseminated, within available appropriations, by the department of health to individuals with lupus, family members of those with lupus, representatives from voluntary organizations, healthcare professionals, health plans, local health agencies and authorities, and to other agencies of the state.

(d) The study commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the Rhode Island department of health and to both chambers of the general assembly annually on or before March 31 commencing in 2016. The study commission may make periodic revisions to the plan that are consistent with the purposes of this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-15-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-15 / Section 23-15-6
§ 23-15-6. Procedures for review.
Status: in_force

(a) The state agency, with the advice of the health services council, and in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42, after public hearing pursuant to reasonable notice, which notice shall include affected persons, shall promulgate appropriate rules and regulations that may be designated to further the accomplishment of the purposes of this chapter including the formulation of procedures that may be particularly necessary for the conduct on reviews of particular types of new institutional health services or new health care equipment.

(b) Review procedures promulgated in accordance with subsection (a) shall include at least the following, except that substitute procedures for the conduct of expeditious and accelerated reviews may be promulgated by the state agency in accordance with §23-15-5:

(1) Provision that the state agency established a process requiring potential applicants to file a detailed letter of intent to submit an application at least forty-five (45) days prior to the submission of an application and that the state agency shall undertake reviews in a timely fashion no less often than twice a year and give written notification to affected persons of the beginning of the review including the proposed schedule for the review, the period within which a public meeting may be held, and the manner by which notification will be provided of the time and place of any public meeting so held.

(2) Provision that no more than one hundred and twenty (120) days shall elapse between initial notification of affected persons and the final decision of the state agency.

(3) Provision that, if the state agency fails to act upon an application within the applicable period established in subsection (b)(2), the applicant may apply to the superior court of Providence County to require the state agency to act upon the application.

(4) Provision for review and comment by the health services council and any affected person, including but not limited to those parties defined in §23-15-2(1) and the department of business regulation, the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals, the department of human services, health maintenance organizations, and the state professional standards review organization, on every application for the determination of need.

(5) Provision that a public meeting may be held during the course of the state agency review at which any person may have the opportunity to present testimony. Procedures for the conduct of the public meeting shall be established in rules and regulations promulgated by the state agency with the advice of the health services council.

(6)(i) Provision for issuance of a written decision by the state agency which shall be based upon the findings and recommendations of the health services council unless the state agency shall afford written justification for variance from that decision.

(ii) In the case of any proposed new institutional health service for the provision of health services to inpatients, a state agency shall not make a finding that the proposed new institutional health service is needed, unless it makes written findings as to:

(A) The efficiency and appropriateness of the use of existing inpatient facilities providing inpatient services similar to those proposed;

(B) The capital and operating costs (and their potential impact on patient charges), efficiency, and appropriateness of the proposed new institutional health services; and

(C) Makes each of the following findings in writing:

(I) That superior alternatives to inpatient services in terms of cost, efficiency, and appropriateness do not exist and that the development of alternatives is not practicable;

(II) That, in the case of new construction, alternatives to new construction (e.g., modernization or sharing arrangements) have been considered and implemented to the maximum extent practicable;

(III) That patients will experience serious problems in terms of costs, availability, or accessibility, or any other problems that may be identified by the state agency, in obtaining inpatient care of the type proposed in the absence of the proposed new service; and

(IV) That, in the case of a proposal for the addition of beds for the provision of skilled nursing or intermediate care, the relationship of the addition to the plans of other agencies of the state responsible for providing and financing long-term care (including home health services) has been considered.

(7) Provision for the distribution of the decision of the state agency, including its findings and recommendations, to the applicant and to affected persons.

(8) Provision that the state agency may approve or disapprove in whole or in part any application as submitted, but that the parties may mutually agree to a modification of any element of an application as submitted, without requiring resubmission of the application.

(9)(i) Provision that any person affected may request in writing reconsideration of a state agency decision if the person:

(A) Presents significant relevant information not previously considered by the state agency;

(B) Demonstrates that there have been significant changes in factors or circumstances relied upon by the state agency in reaching its decision;

(C) Demonstrates that the state agency has materially failed to follow its adopted procedures in reaching its decision; or

(D) Provides any other basis for reconsideration that the state agency may have determined by regulation to constitute good cause.

(ii) Procedures for reconsideration shall be established in regulations promulgated by the state agency with the advice of the health services council.

(10) Provision that upon the request of any affected person, the decision of the state agency to issue, deny, or withdraw a certificate of need or to grant or deny an exemption shall be administratively reviewed under an appeals mechanism provided for in the rules and regulations of the state agency, with the review to be conducted by a hearing officer appointed by the director of health. The procedures for judicial review shall be in accordance with the provisions of §42-35-15.

(c) The state agency shall publish at least annually a report of reviews of new institutional health services and new health care equipment conducted, together with the findings and decisions rendered in the course of the reviews. The reports shall be published on or about February 1 of each year and shall contain evaluations of the prior years statutory changes where feasible.

(d) All applications reviewed by the state agency and all written materials pertinent to state agency review, including minutes of all health services council meetings, shall be accessible to the public upon request.

(e) In the case or review of proposals by health care facilities who by contractual agreement, chapter 19 of title 27, or other statute are required to adhere to an annual schedule of budget or reimbursement determination to which the state is a party, the state budget office, the office of the health insurance commissioner, and hospital service corporations organized under chapter 19 of title 27 shall forward to the health services council within forty-five (45) days of the initiation of the review of the proposals by the health services council under §23-15-4(f)(1):

(1) A cost impact analysis of each proposal which analysis shall include, but not be limited to, consideration of increases in operating expenses, per diem rates, health care insurance premiums, and public expenditures; and

(2) Comments on acceptable interest rates and minimum equity contributions and/or maximum debt to be incurred in financing needed proposals.

(f) The health services council shall not make a recommendation to the state agency that a proposal be approved unless it is found that the proposal is affordable to the people of the state. In determining whether or not a proposal is affordable, the health service council shall consider the condition of the states economy, the statements of authorities and/or parties affected by the proposals, and any other factors that it may deem appropriate.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-9-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-9 / Section 23-9-2
§ 23-9-2. Publication of city or town quarantine regulations.
Status: in_force

The city or town council shall publish in one or more newspapers published in the state, within or nearest the city or town where the rules and regulations shall be adopted, at the expense of the city or town, all rules and regulations made by it respecting quarantine.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-63 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-63
§ 23-17-63. Patient safety  Circulating nurses required in operating rooms.
Status: in_force

(a) The following definitions apply in this section:

(1) Circulating nurse means registered nurse licensed to practice in the state of Rhode Island who is educated and trained in perioperative nursing.

(2) Perioperative nursing means specialized area of nursing practice that involves the planning, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of nursing care to patients whose protective reflexes or self-care abilities are potentially compromised during surgical procedures.

(b) In order to enhance patient safety and protection, each hospital and freestanding ambulatory surgical facility licensed in the state of Rhode Island shall adopt policies and procedures to have a minimum of one circulating nurse physically present in each operating room for the duration of each surgical procedure to:

(1) Coordinate the nursing care and safety needs of patients in the operating room; and

(2) Support the surgical team as appropriate during surgery.

(c) The department of health shall not issue or renew a license unless the applicant is in compliance with this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-65-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-65 / Section 23-65-4
§ 23-65-4. Director  Powers and duties.
Status: in_force

The director shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To issue, pursuant with rules and regulations promulgated by the board and approved by the director, all licenses, certifications, and registrations required by this chapter to duly qualified applicants;

(2) To deny licenses, certifications, and registrations, to revoke, suspend or otherwise discipline licensees in accordance with the provisions of this chapter;

(3) To provide assistance to the board in carrying out the provisions of this chapter by the provision of office space for the meeting of the board, for necessary record-keeping assistance and for clerical and staff assistance;

(4) To exercise all other powers specifically conferred upon him or her by virtue of the provisions of this chapter or other applicable sections of the general laws of the state.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-38 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-38
§ 23-17-38. Establishment of fees.
Status: in_force

The director shall establish fees for licensure application, licensure renewal, inspection, and administrative actions under this chapter. Annual inspection fees for hospitals and rehabilitation hospital centers shall be assessed on a per facility basis, as well as an additional fee per bed. Annual licensure fees for for-profit end stage renal dialysis facilities shall be assessed on a per facility basis. Annual licensure fees for home nursing-care providers and home-care providers shall be assessed on a per facility basis; however, no additional license fee shall be charged when a home nursing-care provider or home-care provider changes location during any calendar year for which an annual license fee has already been paid for that home nursing-care provider or home-care provider. All fees required in this section shall be as set forth in § 23-1-54. Annual licensure fees for organized ambulatory care facilities shall also be as set forth in § 23-1-54, provided that not-for-profit entities operating more than one ambulatory care facility shall be subject to a single annual licensure fee for all such licenses; provided, further, that nonprofit charitable community health centers, school based health centers and nonprofit hospice programs with a current home nursing care provider license shall be exempt from the fee. All annual licensure fees not otherwise designated shall be established in regulation and shall be collected and deposited as general revenues of the state.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-39-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-39 / Section 23-39-2
§ 23-39-2. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter:

(1) Board means the administrative board of respiratory care;

(2) Department means the Rhode Island department of health;

(3) Director means the director of the Rhode Island health department;

(4) Division means the division of professional regulation;

(5) Respiratory care (including respiratory therapy and inhalation therapy) means a health professional, under qualified medical direction, employed in the therapy, management, rehabilitation, diagnostic evaluation, and care of patients with deficiencies and abnormalities which affect the cardiopulmonary system and associated aspects of other system function;

(6) Respiratory care practitioner means a person who is licensed to practice respiratory care in Rhode Island. The respiratory care practitioner may transcribe and implement a physicians written and verbal orders pertaining to the practice of respiratory care as defined in this chapter; and

(7) Respiratory care training program means a program accredited or recognized by the commission on accreditation of allied health education programs in collaboration with the committee on accreditation for respiratory care or any other accrediting agency that may be approved by the board.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-39-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-39 / Section 23-39-4
§ 23-39-4. License required.
Status: in_force

(a) No person shall practice respiratory care or represent himself or herself to be a respiratory care practitioner unless that person is licensed under this chapter, except as otherwise provided by this chapter.

(b) Nothing in this chapter is intended to limit, preclude, or otherwise interfere with the practices of other persons and health providers licensed by appropriate agencies of Rhode Island, self-care by a patient, or gratuitous care by a friend or family member who does not represent or hold himself or herself out to be a respiratory care practitioner, or respiratory care services in case of an emergency.

(c) This chapter does not prohibit a person enrolled in a respiratory care training program from performing those duties essential for completion of a students clinical service; provided, that the duties are performed under the supervision or direction of a physician or licensed respiratory care practitioner and the person is identified as a student respiratory care practitioner.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-83-5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-83 / Section 23-83-5
§ 23-83-5. Collection not required if health of mother or newborn impacted.
Status: in_force

An obstetrical professional or facility is not required to collect cord blood or cooperate in the collection of cord blood if in the professional judgment of a licensed obstetrical professional the collection of the cord blood would threaten the health of the mother or the newborn child.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-20 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-20
§ 23-19-20. Pledge of the state.
Status: in_force

The state does hereby pledge to and agree with the holders of any notes or bonds issued under this chapter and with those parties who may enter into contracts with the corporation, that the state will not limit or alter the rights vested in the corporation to fulfill the terms of any agreements made with the holders of any notes or bonds issued under this chapter or in any way impair the rights and remedies of the holders and other parties until the notes and bonds together with their interest, with interest on any unpaid installments of interest, and all costs and expenses in connection with any action or proceeding by or on behalf of the holders and other parties, are fully met and discharged and the contracts are fully performed on the part of the corporation. The corporation is authorized to include this pledge and agreement of the state in any agreement with the holders of the notes or bonds or contracts.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-19 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-3 / Section 23-3-19
§ 23-3-19. Extension of time.
Status: in_force

(a) The director of health may, by regulation and upon conditions that he or she may prescribe to assure compliance with the purposes of this chapter, provide for the extension of the periods prescribed in §§ 23-3-16, 23-3-17, and 23-3-18 for the filing of death certificates, fetal death certificates, medical certifications of cause of death, and for the obtaining of burial-transit permits in cases in which compliance with the applicable prescribed period would result in undue hardship.

(b) Regulations of the director of health may provide for the issuance of a burial-transit permit under § 23-3-18 prior to the filing of a certificate of death or fetal death upon conditions designed to assure compliance with the purposes of this chapter in cases in which compliance with the requirement that the certificate be filed prior to the issuance of the permit would result in undue hardship.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-30 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-30
§ 23-26-30. Registration required  Application  Issuance and term of registration.
Status: in_force

No person shall be engaged: (1) As a manufacturer of articles of bedding for sale at wholesale; (2) As a manufacturer of articles of bedding for sale at retail; (3) As a supply dealer; (4) As a repairer-renovator; or (5) As a retailer of second-hand articles of bedding, unless he or she has obtained the appropriate numbered registration therefor from the director, who is hereby empowered to issue the registration. Application for the registration shall be made on forms provided by the director and shall contain such information as the director may deem material and necessary. Based on the information furnished in the application and on any investigation deemed necessary by the director, the applicants classification shall be determined. Each registration issued by the director pursuant to this section shall be conspicuously posted in the establishment of the person to whom issued. The director may withhold the issuance of a registration to any person who shall make any false statement in the application for a registration under this chapter. The director shall promulgate rules and regulations mandating the term of registration for each category of registration issued pursuant to this chapter; however, no registration shall remain in force for a period in excess of three (3) years. The fee for the initial issuance or renewal of a registration shall be determined by multiplying the per annum fee by the number of years in the term of the registration. The entire fee shall be paid in full for the total number of years of registration prior to the issuance of the registration.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-94-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-94 / Section 23-94-2
§ 23-94-2. Definitions.
Status: in_force

As used in this chapter:

(1) Conversion therapy means any practices or treatments that seek to change an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender. Conversion therapy shall not include counseling that provides assistance to a person undergoing gender transition, or counseling that provides acceptance, support, and understanding of a person or facilitates a persons coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, including sexual-orientation-neutral interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices, as long as such counseling does not seek to change an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity.

(i) Conversion therapy shall include any practice by any licensed professional that seeks or purports to impose change of an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity, practices that attempt or purport to change behavioral expression of an individuals sexual orientation or gender identity or attempt or purport to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same sex;

(ii) Conversion therapy shall not include practices that:

(A) Provide acceptance, support, and understanding of an individuals sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression and the facilitation of an individuals coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, including interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices; or

(B) Provide acceptance, support, or understanding of an individuals gender expression or the facilitation of an individuals coping, social support, and identity exploration and development.

(2) Department means the Rhode Island department of health.

(3) Licensed professional means any licensed medical, mental health, or human services professional licensed pursuant to title 5 including, but not limited to: any psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, nurse, mental health professional, human services professional, under any provisions of the general law, rule or regulation to the contrary.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-95-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-95 / Section 23-95-7
§ 23-95-7. Severability.
Status: in_force

If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this chapter shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, that judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder of the chapter but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part directly involved in the controversy in which that judgment shall have been rendered.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-100-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-100 / Section 23-100-1
§ 23-100-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Rhode Island Healthcare Workforce Data Collection Act.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-1-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-1 / Section 23-1-6
§ 23-1-6. Shellfish packing houses.
Status: in_force

The department of health and director of health shall also perform the function of the sanitary regulation of shellfish packing houses as provided in chapter 14 of title 21.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-22-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-22 / Section 23-22-7
§ 23-22-7. Issuance or denial of license.
Status: in_force

Upon the application for a license to maintain a swimming pool, the department of health shall, within thirty (30) days from the time that the application is made, grant the application and issue a license to maintain a swimming pool if the department shall be satisfied that its rules and regulations relating to the condition, maintenance, and water of a swimming pool are complied with by the applicant, and the condition and method of maintaining the swimming pool will not be detrimental to the health and safety of its users, otherwise the department shall decline to issue a license until it is satisfied with the condition, maintenance, and water of the swimming pool. In case the department shall decline to issue a license, it shall, upon the written request of the applicant, make a further inspection of the swimming pool maintained by the applicant and upon the applicants written request shall also make a further analysis of the water of the swimming pool. If after further inspection and further analysis the department shall determine that the applicant is still not entitled to a license, it shall, before finally refusing to issue the license, give the applicant an opportunity to be heard in support of the application.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-26 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-25 / Section 23-25-26
§ 23-25-26. Reports of pesticide accidents or incidents.
Status: in_force

The director may by regulation require the reporting of significant accidents or incidents to a designated state agency and/or the EPA.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-5
§ 23-26-5. Presence of second-hand article or material as evidence of sale or use.
Status: in_force

The presence on the premises of any maker or vendor of any old or second-hand material or article shall be presumptive evidence of the sale or use.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-16 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-16
§ 23-19-16. Security for bonds or notes.
Status: in_force

(a) The principal of and interest on any bonds or notes issued by the corporation may be secured by a pledge of any revenues and receipts of the corporation, and may be secured by a mortgage or other instrument covering all or any part of one or more projects, including all or part of any additions, improvements, extensions to, or enlargements of the projects thereafter made.

(b) Bonds or notes issued for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, development, or improvement of one or more projects may also be secured by an assignment of leases of, or mortgages on, or contracts of sale or other contracts or loan agreements with regard to the project or projects, and by an assignment of the revenues, receipts, payments, or repayments derived by the corporation from the leases, mortgages, sales agreements, contracts, or loan agreements.

(c) The resolution under which the bonds or notes are authorized to be issued and any mortgage, lease, sales agreement, contract, or loan agreement, or other instrument may contain agreements and provisions respecting the maintenance of the covered projects, the fixing and collection of rents, payments, or repayments or other revenues, including moneys received in repayment of loans, and interest, the creation and maintenance of special funds from rents or other revenues, and the rights and remedies available in the event of default, all as the corporation shall deem advisable.

(d) Each pledge, agreement, mortgage, contract, or other instrument made for the benefits or security of any of the bonds or notes of the corporation shall continue in effect until the principal of and interest on the bonds or notes for the benefit of which the instrument was made shall have been fully paid, or until provision shall have been made for the payment in the manner provided in the resolutions under which the bonds or notes were authorized.

(e) The corporation may provide in any proceedings under which the bonds or notes may be authorized that any project or part of any project may be constructed, reconstructed, rehabilitated, or improved by the corporation or any lessee, vendee, obligor, or any designee of the corporation, and may also provide in the proceedings for the time and manner of and requisitions for disbursements to be made for the cost of the construction, and for all certificates and approvals of construction and disbursements that the corporation shall deem necessary and provide for in the proceedings.

(f) Any resolution under which bonds or notes of the corporation are authorized to be issued (and any trust indenture established thereby) may contain provisions for vesting in a trustee or trustees properties, rights, powers, and duties in trust that the corporation may determine, including any or all of the rights, powers, and duties of the trustee appointed by the holders of any issue of bonds or notes pursuant to § 23-19-19, in which event the provisions of § 23-19-19 authorizing the appointment of a trustee by the holders of bonds or notes shall not apply.

(g) Any pledge made by the corporation shall be valid and binding from the time it is made. The money or property pledged and thereafter received by the corporation shall immediately be subject to the lien of the pledge without physical delivery or further act. The lien of the pledge shall be valid and binding against all parties having a claim in tort, contract, or otherwise against the corporation, irrespective of whether the parties have notice of the claim. Neither the resolution nor any instrument by which a pledge is created need be recorded.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-18-8.2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-18 / Section 23-18-8.2
§ 23-18-8.2. Additional deposits.
Status: in_force

If at any time after a cemetery lot, crypt, or niche has been sold an agency receives additional funds from any source for perpetual care of the lot, crypt, or niche, all of the funds shall be deposited in the perpetual care fund.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-16-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-16 / Section 23-16-2
§ 23-16-2. Federal funds for survey and planning.
Status: in_force

Except where a single state agency is otherwise designated or established in accordance with any other state law, the department of health is designated to be the sole agency of the state to establish and administer any statewide plan for the construction, equipment, maintenance, or operation of any facility for the provision of care, treatment, diagnosis, rehabilitation, training, or related services, which plan is now or may be required as a condition to the eligibility for benefits under any federal act. The state department of health is also authorized to receive, administer, and expend any funds that may be available under any federal act or from any other source, public or private, for those purposes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-35 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-35
§ 23-17-35. Prior criminal records checks.
Status: in_force

If an applicant for employment has undergone a statewide criminal records check within eighteen (18) months of an application for employment, then an employer may request from the bureau of criminal identification or local police a letter indicating if any disqualifying information was discovered. The bureau of criminal identification will respond without disclosing the nature of the disqualifying information. The letter may be maintained on file to satisfy the requirements of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-75-3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-75 / Section 23-75-3
§ 23-75-3. Unsafe childrens products  Prohibition.
Status: in_force

(a) No commercial user may remanufacture, retrofit, sell, contract to sell or resell, lease, sublet, or otherwise place in the stream of commerce, on or after January 1, 2004, a childrens product that is unsafe.

(b) A childrens product is deemed to be unsafe for purposes of this chapter if it meets any of the following criteria:

(1) It does not conform to all federal laws and regulations setting forth standards for the childrens product.

(2) It has been recalled for any reason by an agency of the federal government or the products manufacturer, distributor, or importer and the recall has not been rescinded.

(3) An agency of the federal government has issued a warning that a specific products intended use constitutes a safety hazard and the warning has not been rescinded.

(c) A crib is presumed to be unsafe for purposes of this chapter if it does not conform to the standards endorsed or established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including, but not limited to, title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations and the American Society for Testing and Materials, as follows:

(1) 16 C.F.R. Part 1508 and any regulations adopted to amend or supplement the regulations.

(2) 16 C.F.R. Part 1509 and any regulations adopted to amend or supplement the regulations.

(3) 16 C.F.R. Part 1303 and any regulations adopted to amend or supplement the regulations.

(4) The following standards and specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials for corner posts of baby cribs and structural integrity of baby cribs:

(i) ASTM F 966-90 (corner post standard).

(ii) ASTM F 1169-88 (structural integrity of full-size baby cribs).

(iii) ASTM F 1822-97 (non-full-size cribs).

(d) Cribs that are unsafe shall include, but not be limited to, cribs that have any of the following dangerous features or characteristics:

(1) Corner posts that extend more than one-sixteenth ( ) of an inch.

(2) Spaces between side slats more than 2.375 inches.

(3) Mattress support that can be easily dislodged from any point of the crib. A mattress segment can be easily dislodged if it cannot withstand at least a twenty-five-pound (25) upward force from underneath the crib.

(4) Cutout designs on the end panels.

(5) Rail height dimensions that do not conform to both of the following:

(i) The height of the rail and end panel as measured from the top of the rail or panel in its lowest position to the top of the mattress support in its highest position is at least nine inches (9³).

(ii) The height of the rail and end panel as measured from the top of the rail or panel in its highest position to the top of the mattress support in its lowest position is at least twenty-six inches (26³).

(6) Any screws, bolts, or hardware that are loose and not secured.

(7) Sharp edges, points, or rough surfaces, or any wood surfaces that are not smooth and free from splinters, splits, or cracks.

(8) Tears in mesh or fabric sides in a non-full-size crib.

(9) A non-full-size crib that folds in a V shape design does not have top rails that automatically lock into place when the crib is fully set up.

(10) The mattress pad in a non-full-size mesh/fabric crib exceeds one inch (1³).

(e) Beginning on January 1, 2020, no manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer may manufacture, knowingly sell, offer for sale, or distribute for use in this state any residential upholstered bedding or furniture that contains one thousand parts per million (1,000 ppm), or greater of any non-polymeric organohalogen flame retardant chemical. This class includes any chemical containing the element bromine or chlorine bonded to carbon that is added to a plastic, foam, fabric, or textile.

(f) Internal electric and electronic components of residential upholstered furniture or bedding or residential furniture or bedding sold for use in commercial or public spaces are not subject to the restrictions in this section.

(g) A manufacturer of products that are banned from sale under this section must notify persons or entities that sell the manufactured products in this state about the provisions of this section no less than ninety (90) days prior to the effective date of the ban.

(h) The prohibition and any related regulations shall not apply to products sold or in use prior to January 1, 2020.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-65-14 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-65 / Section 23-65-14
§ 23-65-14. Severability.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this chapter are severable. If any provisions of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter which can be given effect without regard to the invalid provisions or application.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-82-5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-82 / Section 23-82-5
§ 23-82-5. Sale of allowances.
Status: in_force

(a) The department shall provide in its regulations that one hundred percent (100%) of all allowances issued under the program in the state of Rhode Island shall be sold. A de minimus portion of allowances may be set aside to support the voluntary renewable energy provisions of the regional greenhouse gas initiative model rule.

(b) The departments regulations shall specify the mechanism for sale of allowances, including authorizing the state to make use of any voluntary regional organizations, structures or mechanisms available to states implementing a program of this type, provided that any sale of allowances must be public, competitive and open to all who wish to participate.

(c) The department may engage an independent contractor, consumer trustee or other entity experienced in sale or auction design and management, including a regional entity engaged by multiple states to conduct regional sales or auctions, who is determined by the department, in consultation with the office, to be qualified to conduct auctions or sales in a manner that assures the efficiency of the auctions or sales. The selection of any independent contractor, consumer trustee or other entity shall be done in accordance with applicable procedures of the division of purchases.

(d) The department shall annually convey one hundred percent (100%) of all carbon allowances established pursuant to this section to the selected independent contractor, consumer trustee or other entity who shall be authorized to receive, hold and sell allowances for the long-term benefit of consumers. The selected independent contractor, consumer trustee or other entity shall conduct the auction or sale, collect the auction proceeds and shall upon receipt, transfer to the office the proceeds of the auction or sale to be distributed in accordance with § 23-82-6, under the oversight of the department.

(e) The department shall require an annual report from the independent contractor, consumer trustee or other entity conducting the auction or sale describing the auction or sale and its results. The report shall be made public and shall also be submitted to the general assembly.

(f) All proceeds collected from the auction or sale of allowances pursuant to this section shall be deposited as restricted receipts.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-52 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-52
§ 23-17-52. Department of health concern line.
Status: in_force

Any hospital licensed pursuant to this chapter shall provide the department of healths concern line number to all patients and staff through posted notices in conspicuous places throughout the hospital. The notices shall be written in English and in, at minimum, the three (3) most common foreign languages used by the patients served by each hospital as determined by the hospital.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-21-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-21 / Section 23-21-6
§ 23-21-6. Obstruction of access to premises.
Status: in_force

No person shall interfere with or obstruct the entrance of the director to any structure, vessel, vehicle, or other premises or use in the discharge of the directors official duties in connection with the enforcement of this chapter or the regulations adopted in accordance with this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-17 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-17
§ 23-17-17. Penalty for operation of unlicensed health care facility.
Status: in_force

Any person establishing, conducting, managing, or operating any health care facility without a license under this chapter shall be fined not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or imprisoned not more than one year or both, in the discretion of the court, for each offense.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-39-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-39 / Section 23-39-6
§ 23-39-6. Board duties.
Status: in_force

The duties of the board shall be as follows:

(1) To evaluate the qualifications of applicants and review the required examination results administered by a testing agency approved by the board;

(2) To recommend issue of licenses to applicants who meet the requirements of this chapter;

(3) To administer, coordinate, and enforce the provision of this chapter and investigate persons engaging in practices which may violate the provisions of this chapter;

(4) To deny, or revoke licenses to practice respiratory care as provided in this chapter;

(5) To annually review the exam accepted by the board; and

(6) To recommend to the director adoption of rules and regulations.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-14.4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-14.4
§ 23-17-14.4. Procedures for review.
Status: in_force

(a) Within ten (10) working days of receipt, in acceptable form, of an application for an initial license or a license in connection with a change in the owner, operator, or lessee of any existing health care facility, the licensing agency will notify and afford the public an opportunity to comment on the application.

(b) The recommendations of the health services council and the decision of the licensing agency will be rendered within ninety (90) days of acceptance of the application for license.

(c) The licensing agency shall promulgate in rules and regulations procedures and criteria for expedited review of licensure applications. The criteria for expedited review consideration shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (1) that the licensure application is solely for initial licensure; (2) that the legal entity seeking a license currently is the licensee for one or more Rhode Island licensed health care facilities whose records of compliance are deemed by the licensing agency to demonstrate the legal entitys ability and commitment to provide quality health care services; and (3) that the licensure application demonstrates complete and satisfactory compliance with review criteria in § 23-17-14.3. The licensing agency shall exercise its discretion in granting expedited review of license applications and a decision by the licensing agency not to process an application on an expedited review basis shall be final and shall not be subject to appeal.

(d) The decision of the licensing agency shall be based upon the findings and recommendations of the health services council unless the licensing agency shall afford written justification for variance from these findings and recommendations.

(e) All applications reviewed by the licensing agency and all written materials pertinent to licensing agency review, including minutes of all health services council meetings, shall be accessible to the public upon request.

(f) Any person holding a valid certificate of need issued pursuant to chapter 15 of this title, shall be exempt from the requirements of § 23-17-14.3 or 23-17-14.4 of this chapter for initial facility licensure.

(g) Any person holding a valid license for an outpatient rehabilitation center intended to be operational for less than twelve (12) months and so indicated upon its application shall surrender its license upon cessation of patient care operations for that operational season. Within a period not to exceed twelve (12) months from the surrender, the person may apply for a new license for the identical activities and premises authorized by the previous but surrendered license, and shall be exempt from the requirements of § 23-17-14.3 or 23-17-14.4 for initial facility licensure.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-10 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-10
§ 23-26-10. Sale of unattached tags.
Status: in_force

No manufacturer or vendor shall deliver to any person any tags required by this chapter, unless it is affixed or attached to an article as required in this chapter; except that the director may, on application, permit the delivery of unattached tags.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-1
§ 23-19-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation Act.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-7-12 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-7 / Section 23-7-12
§ 23-7-12. Dissolution of district.
Status: in_force

Any mosquito abatement district organized under the provisions of this chapter may be dissolved and discontinued by appropriate action of either the state mosquito abatement board or the district council. Notice of dissolution must be filed with the secretary of state and the state mosquito abatement board.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-18-2.1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-18 / Section 23-18-2.1
§ 23-18-2.1. Cremated human remains.
Status: in_force

(a) If a cemetery has rules or regulations in effect regarding the disposition of cremated human remains on or in cemetery property, those rules and regulations, if not contrary to law, shall be binding on all interested parties.

(b) The scattering of cremated human remains within a cemetery shall be prohibited except within a specific area designated for that purpose. Violation of this subsection shall be punishable by a fine of not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500).

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a cemetery to authorize the scattering of ashes when that practice is contrary to the religious beliefs associated with the cemetery.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-99-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-99 / Section 23-99-1
§ 23-99-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Rhode Island Life Science Hub Act.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-10.2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-3 / Section 23-3-10.2
§ 23-3-10.2. Certificates of birth resulting in stillbirth  Filing.
Status: in_force

(a) The state registrar of vital records shall establish a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth for fetal deaths, defined as the naturally occurring intrauterine death of a fetus that occurs after the twentieth (20th) week of pregnancy. The certificate shall be issued only at the request of either individual listed as mother or father on the report of fetal death. The certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall meet all of the format requirements for a certificate of live birth as provided for in this chapter. If the parents of the stillborn child decide not to name the stillborn child, the person preparing a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall leave blank any references to the stillborn childs name.

(b) The certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth shall be filed with the state registrar of vital records within ten (10) days after the delivery. When a birth resulting in stillbirth occurring in the state has not been registered within one year after the date of delivery, a certificate marked delayed may be filed and registered in accordance with regulations of the department of health promulgated pursuant to the provisions of § 23-3-3 relating to evidentiary and other requirements sufficient to substantiate the alleged facts of birth resulting in stillbirth.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-11-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-11 / Section 23-11-6
§ 23-11-6. Reports by physicians.
Status: in_force

Any physician who diagnoses and/or treats a case of sexually transmitted disease shall immediately make a report of that case to the state department of health in the manner and form that the department shall direct.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-37-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-37 / Section 23-37-4
§ 23-37-4. Unauthorized obstruction of hydrants.
Status: in_force

Any person who shall obstruct or interfere with the use of any fire hydrant in any town, or city, by piles of lumber, building material, articles of merchandise, the excavation or removal of buildings, dirt or rubbish, or in any other way or manner, unless by permission of the town or city council, shall pay a fine not exceeding twenty dollars ($20.00) for each offense. Every day that the interference or obstruction shall continue shall be regarded as a separate offense; provided, however, that the permission herein required of the town or city council may be lawfully obtained from the commissioner or director of public works or any other officer of any city or town whenever he or she may be so duly authorized by law.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-9-21 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-9 / Section 23-9-21
§ 23-9-21. Forfeiture of unlawfully imported goods.
Status: in_force

All goods imported in a vessel as described in this chapter that shall be clandestinely landed or brought into any house, shop, or warehouse without a certificate and allowance as provided in § 23-9-19, or that shall be imported by land as provided in § 23-9-20 and not cleansed or aired by order of the city or town council, shall be forfeited; one-third ( ) of those goods to the use of the state and two-thirds ( ) to the use of the person who shall sue for the goods.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-25 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-25
§ 23-26-25. Rules, regulations, and findings  Suspension or revocation of registrations.
Status: in_force

(a) The director is hereby authorized and empowered to make general rules and regulations and specific rulings, demands, and findings for the enforcement of this chapter, in addition hereto and not inconsistent herewith. The director may suspend or revoke any registration for violation of any provision of this chapter, or any rule, regulation, ruling, or demand made pursuant to the authority granted by this chapter.

(b) The director of the department of health shall investigate and enforce the provisions of § 23-26-3.1, and promulgate rules and regulations deemed necessary to enforce it.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-15-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-15 / Section 23-15-1
§ 23-15-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter may be cited as the Health Care Certificate of Need Act of Rhode Island.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-33-25 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-33 / Section 23-33-25
§ 23-33-25. Access of owners to leased premises.
Status: in_force

The owner or owners of any building or premises under lease, and their servants and agents, may enter upon the leased building or premises for the public welfare, with the purpose of making the building comply with the provisions of this chapter, and may remain thereon during such time as may reasonably be required for the performance of such work as may be necessary to effect that purpose, interfering with the lessee no more than may be necessary.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-89-3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-89 / Section 23-89-3
§ 23-89-3. Access to palliative care.
Status: in_force

(a) As used in this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) Appropriate means consistent with applicable legal, health and professional standards, the patients clinical and other circumstances, and the patients reasonably known wishes and beliefs.

(2) Medical care means services provided, requested, or supervised by a physician or advanced practice nurse.

(3) Palliative care means patient and family centered medical care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, and treating suffering caused by serious illness. Palliative care throughout the continuum of illness involves addressing physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs and facilitating patient autonomy, access to information, and choice. Palliative care includes, but is not limited to, discussions of the patients goals for treatment; discussion of treatment options appropriate to the patient, including, where appropriate, hospice care; and comprehensive pain and symptom management.

(4) Serious illness means any medical illness or physical injury or condition that substantially impacts quality of life for more than a short period of time. Serious illness includes, but is not limited to, cancer; heart, renal or liver failure; lung disease; and Alzheimers disease and related dementias.

(b) On or before January 1, 2015, all healthcare organizations which required a license to operate shall:

(1) Consult with the organizations physicians to educate them on how to provide information about appropriate palliative care services for those patients or residents with serious illnesses, who, in their professional medical opinion, would benefit from them.

(c) The department shall carry out this section with the consultation of the palliative care and quality of life interdisciplinary advisory council.

(d) In carrying out this section, the department shall take into account factors that may impact the development of such a system and its ability to facilitate access to palliative care, including the size of the healthcare organization; access and proximity to palliative care services, including the availability of hospice and palliative care board-certified practitioners and related workforce staff; and geographic factors.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-22-3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-22 / Section 23-22-3
§ 23-22-3. Periodic inspection of pools.
Status: in_force

The department of health shall at least once each year, and at shorter intervals as it may deem advisable, cause inspections to be made to ascertain whether each swimming pool is being maintained in compliance with the rules and regulations of the department of health. First inspections of swimming pools open for use shall be made within thirty (30) days after the receipt of an application for a license for that swimming pool.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-73-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-73 / Section 23-73-2
§ 23-73-2. Use of latex gloves.
Status: in_force

(a) The use of disposable, nonsterile and sterile natural rubber latex gloves shall be prohibited by any person, firm, or corporation, registered pursuant to §§ 21-27-10 and 21-27-11.

(b) Any firm, business, or corporation, regulated by the state of Rhode Island which uses latex gloves shall post a notice informing employees and the public:

(1) That natural rubber latex gloves are used by the regulated entity;

(2) That exposure to latex may result in the development of an allergy;

(3) That allergic reactions to natural rubber latex can manifest by skin rash, hives, nasal and eye irritation, asthma, and shock; and

(4) That should you or your family experience allergic reaction symptoms, then you should contact your health care provider.

(c) The notice shall include letters which are at least three-eighths ( ) of an inch high and be posted in conspicuous areas throughout the firm, business or corporation.

(d) The notice shall be posted in English, Spanish, and other languages served by the business, corporation, entity, or facility.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-8 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-8
§ 23-17-8. Denial, suspension, or revocation of license.
Status: in_force

The licensing agency, after notice and opportunity for hearing to the applicant or licensee, is authorized to deny, suspend, or revoke a license, including the licensure of culture change beds approved pursuant to § 23-17-44, in any case in which it finds that there has been a failure to comply with the requirements established under this chapter. The notice shall be effected by registered or certified mail or by personal service, setting forth the particular reasons for the proposed action, and fixing a date not less than thirty (30) days from the date of the mailing or service, at which the applicant or licensee shall be given an opportunity for a prompt and fair hearing. On the basis of the hearing, or upon default of the applicant or licensee, the licensing agency shall make a determination specifying its findings of fact and conclusions of law. A copy of the determination shall be sent by registered or certified mail or served personally upon the applicant or licensee. The decision denying, suspending, or revoking the license or application shall become final thirty (30) days after it is so mailed or served, unless the applicant or licensee, within the thirty (30) day period, appeals the decision pursuant to § 42-35-15. The procedure governing hearings authorized by this section shall be in accordance with §§ 42-35-9  42-35-13 as stipulated in § 42-35-14(a). A full and complete record shall be kept of all proceedings, and all testimony shall be reported but need not be transcribed unless the decision is appealed pursuant to § 42-35-15. A copy or copies of the transcript may be obtained by any interested party on payment of the cost of preparing the copy or copies. Witnesses may be subpoenaed by either party.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-1
§ 23-26-1. Definitions.
Status: in_force

The following words, as used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings:

(1) Bedding or article of bedding includes upholstered furniture and filling material or its container (as herein defined) and any mattress, pillow, cushion, quilt, bedpad, comforter, upholstered spring bed, box spring, davenport or day bed, bed spring, metal couch, metal folding bed, metal cot, metal cradle, metal bassinet, and any glider, hammock, or other substantially similar article which is wholly or partly upholstered, when used or intended for use for sleeping or reclining purposes.

(2) Department means the department of business regulation.

(3) Director means the director of business regulation.

(4) Filling material includes any hair, down, feathers, wool, cotton, kapok, or other material used for filling articles of bedding or upholstered furniture.

(5) Manufacture, making, make, or made includes altering, repairing, remaking, renovating, finishing, or preparing articles of bedding or upholstered furniture or filling materials for sale or compensation.

(6) New means any material or article which has not been previously used for any purpose, except that an article of bedding returned by the purchaser for exchange, alteration, or correction within thirty (30) days from date of delivery after original sale at retail, shall be deemed to be a new article, but thirty (30) days from date of delivery the article shall be deemed to be second-hand.

(7) Repairer-renovator means any person who repairs, makes over, re-covers, restores, renovates, or otherwise prepares or tags articles of bedding, directly for the consumer, or for direct sale by the person at retail.

(8) Sale, sell, or sold, includes offering or exposing for sale or exchange or lease or consigning or delivering in consignment for sale, exchange, or lease or holding in possession with like intent. The possession of any article of bedding, as herein defined, by any maker or dealer, or his or her agent or servant in the course of business, shall be presumptive evidence of intent to sell.

(9) Second-hand means any material or article of which prior use has been made.

(10) Supply dealer means any person who breaks bulk, packages, or repackages, or otherwise prepares or tags any filling material or articles of bedding, for sale other than at retail.

(11) Upholstered furniture means any article of household furniture wholly or partly stuffed or filled with soft material, and which is used or intended for use for sitting, reading, or reclining purposes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-75-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-75 / Section 23-75-7
§ 23-75-7. Exception.
Status: in_force

The commercial user shall not be found noncompliant if the specific recalled product sold was not included on the department of healths list on the day before the sale.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-11 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-11
§ 23-26-11. Counterfeit stamps and registrations.
Status: in_force

No person shall have in his or her possession or shall make, use, or sell any counterfeit or colorable imitation of the inspection stamp or registration required by this chapter. Each counterfeited or imitated stamp or registration made, used, sold, offered for sale, delivered, or consigned for sale contrary to the provisions of this chapter shall constitute a separate offense.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-6-5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-6 / Section 23-6-5
§ 23-6-5. Record of vaccinations.
Status: in_force

The physicians contracted with in § 23-6-4, as soon after fulfilling their contract as may be convenient, shall deposit in the city or town clerks office a book in which they have respectively recorded, in a fair and legible hand, the name and age of every person they have vaccinated as provided in § 23-6-4 and also any other remarks and observations they may deem useful.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-22-12 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-22 / Section 23-22-12
§ 23-22-12. Penalty for violations.
Status: in_force

Any person, other than a city or town, whether as principal, agent, employer, or employee, who violates any of the provisions of this chapter, or any of the rules and regulations made by the department of health pursuant to this chapter, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each offense, and each day that any violation occurs shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-104-9 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-104 / Section 23-104-9
§ 23-104-9. Controlling law.
Status: in_force

Insofar as the provisions of this chapter are inconsistent with the provision of any other law of this state, the provisions of this chapter shall be controlling.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-6-3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-6 / Section 23-6-3
§ 23-6-3. Vaccinations provided by cities or towns.
Status: in_force

The city or town councils in the several cities or towns shall provide annually for the gratuitous vaccination of the inhabitants of the several cities or towns.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-33-15.1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-33 / Section 23-33-15.1
§ 23-33-15.1. Enforcement procedure.
Status: in_force

(a) After the issuance of a compliance order pursuant to § 23-33-15, the director shall, within a reasonable time after the termination of the inspection or investigation, notify the owner by certified mail of the penalty, if any, proposed to be assessed under § 23-33-20 and that the owner has fifteen (15) working days within which to notify the director that he or she wishes to contest the compliance order or proposed assessment of penalty. If within fifteen (15) working days from the receipt of the notice issued by the director, the owner fails to notify the director that he or she intends to contest the compliance order or proposed assessment of penalty, and no notice is filed by any owner or representative of the owner under subsection (c) within such time, the compliance order and the assessment, as proposed, shall be deemed a final order of the review board and not subject to review as to any question of fact by any court or agency.

(b) If the director has reason to believe that an owner has failed to correct a violation for which a compliance order has been issued within the period permitted for its correction, which period shall not begin until the entry of a final order by the review board in the case of any review proceedings under this section initiated by the owner in good faith and not solely for the delay or avoidance of penalties, the director shall notify the owner by certified mail of the failure, and that the owner has fifteen (15) working days within which to notify the director that he or she intends to contest the notification or proposed assessment of penalty. The proposed assessment shall be deemed a final order of the review board and not subject to any review as to any question of fact by any court or agency.

(c) If an owner notifies the director that he or she intends to contest a compliance order issued under subsection (a) or (b) of this section, or if, within fifteen (15) working days of the issuance of a compliance order under § 23-33-15 any owner or representative of the owner files a notice with the director alleging that the period of time fixed in the compliance order for abatement of the violation is unreasonable, the director shall immediately notify in writing the chairperson of the review board of such notification, and the review board shall thereafter issue an order, based on findings of fact, affirming, modifying, or vacating the directors compliance order or proposed penalty, or directing other appropriate relief, and such order shall become final thirty (30) days after its issuance. If the owner shows good faith effort to comply with the abatement requirements of a compliance order, and factors beyond his or her reasonable control prevent compliance, the review board, after an opportunity for a hearing, shall issue an order affirming or modifying the abatement requirement in the compliance order. The rules of procedure prescribed by the review board shall provide the affected owner or representative of the owner an opportunity to participate as parties to hearings under this subsection.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-84-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-84 / Section 23-84-1
§ 23-84-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as The Rhode Island Climate Risk Reduction Act of 2010.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-12.8 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-12.8
§ 23-17-12.8. Posting of nursing staff levels in nursing facilities.
Status: in_force

The department is authorized to adopt federal Medicare nurse staff posting requirements by regulation. In addition to any federal requirements for posting of nursing staff levels, the nursing facility shall post the nurse staff levels for the facility in a public place within the facility. The posting information shall be maintained on file by the nursing facility and shall be made available to the public upon request. The nursing facility shall prepare an annual report showing the average daily direct care nurse staffing level for the facility by shift and by category of nurse to include registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants and medication technicians; the use of nurse and nursing assistant staff from temporary placement agencies; and the nurse and nurse assistant turnover rates. The information on nurse staffing shall be reviewed as part of the nursing facilitys annual licensing survey and shall be available to the public, both in printed form and on the departments website, by facility.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-8-21 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-8 / Section 23-8-21
§ 23-8-21. Ship quarantine powers preserved  Local enforcement of quarantine  Rules and regulations  Penalty.
Status: in_force

Nothing in §§ 23-8-18  23-8-20 shall be construed to impair the validity of any rules and regulations made and in force under the provisions of §§ 23-9-1  23-9-11, nor to abridge the powers of any officer mentioned in §§ 23-9-1  23-9-11; and every officer shall also have power, within the city or town for which he or she was appointed, to enforce, during the period that any proclamation made by the governor for the purpose of establishing quarantine shall be in force, all rules and regulations made by the state director of health; and it shall be the duty of the several city and town councils to require those officers to enforce the rules and regulations mentioned and referred to in this section within their respective cities and towns; provided, that the director of health, during the period when any proclamation of quarantine shall be in force, shall have power at any time, and from time to time, to suspend any of the rules and regulations mentioned and referred to in this section, and to make and establish rules and regulations in substitution for them and in addition to them, respecting quarantine in any city or town, and that any person knowingly violating any of those rules and regulations so made and established shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) or be imprisoned not more than two (2) years; and provided, further, that any and all powers and duties in this chapter conferred and imposed upon any officer or city or town council shall, during any quarantine period, be exercised and performed by that officer or city or town council subject to the orders and directions of the director of health.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-35 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-35
§ 23-19-35. Central landfill  Adjoining residential property.
Status: in_force

(1) Upon the completion of the acquisition of properties to establish the buffer zone, the corporation shall, at the option of a residential landowner, his or her successors or assigns, whose residential real property is located within one thousand feet and two thousand feet (1000 and 2000) of the entire operational portion of the central landfill, which real property is not subject to acquisition per § 23-19-34, and which real property has been zoned for residential purposes since July 31, 1988, and remains zoned residential as of October 1, 1989, purchase the residential real property with all the buildings and improvements located thereon from the landowner, his or her successors or assigns, at the fair market value of the property. The property of residential landowners who build on land within this one thousand to two thousand foot (1000 to 2000) zone shall not be eligible for acquisition unless their homes were built, or building permits obtained, prior to July 31, 1988.

(2) For the purposes of this section, the corporation shall:

(i) Purchase the total acreage and all buildings (if applicable) of any parcel which is encroached upon to any degree by the two thousand foot (2000²) mark as measured from the perimeter of the entire operational portion of the central landfill; and

(ii) Acquire first all the properties of those owners who own parcels with residential units thereon.

(b) A residential landowners option to sell under this section must be exercised by June 30, 1990.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-7-6.3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-7 / Section 23-7-6.3
§ 23-7-6.3. Reporting requirements.
Status: in_force

Within ninety (90) days after the end of each fiscal year, the board shall approve and submit an annual report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, and the secretary of state of its activities during that fiscal year. The report shall provide: an operating statement summarizing meetings or hearings held, including meeting minutes, subjects addressed, decisions rendered, rules or regulations promulgated, studies conducted, policies and plans developed, approved, or modified, and programs administered or initiated; a consolidated financial statement of all funds received and expended including the source of the funds, a listing of any staff supported by these funds, and a summary of any clerical, administrative or technical support received; a summary of performance during the previous fiscal year including accomplishments, shortcomings and remedies; a synopsis of any legal matters related to the authority of the board; a summary of any training courses held pursuant to § 23-7-6.1; a briefing on anticipated activities in the upcoming fiscal year; and findings and recommendations for improvements. The report shall be posted electronically as prescribed in § 42-20-8.2. The director of the department of administration shall be responsible for the enforcement of this provision.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-23-14 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-23 / Section 23-23-14
§ 23-23-14. Penalties.
Status: in_force

(a) Any person who shall violate an order of the director or any rule, regulation, or other program requirement, or permit, or approval, or any of the prohibitions of this chapter shall be punished by an administrative or civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) and every person shall be deemed guilty of a separate and distinct offense for each day during which the violation shall be repeated or continued.

(b) The director or any agent or employee of the director or any person or his or her agent who shall, except in the enforcement of this chapter or in the performance of official duties under this chapter, disclose any information relating to secret processes or methods of manufacture or production obtained in the course of inspecting or investigating any source or alleged source of air pollution, or who shall violate § 23-23-13 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500).

(c) Any person obstructing, hindering, or in any way causing to be obstructed or hindered, the director or any agent or employee of the director in the performance of their duties or who shall refuse to permit the director or any of his or her agents entrance into any premises, buildings, or other places belonging to or controlled by that person in the performance of his or her duties, or who shall refuse to furnish the information requested or to make a test provided for in this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500).

(d) Any person convicted under the provisions of § 23-23-11 shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or by imprisonment of one year, or both fine and imprisonment, and every person shall be deemed guilty of a separate and distinct offense for each day during which the violation shall be repeated or continued.

(e) Any person who knowingly makes a false statement, representation, or certification in any application, record, report, plan, permit, or document filed, maintained and used for purposes under this chapter shall be guilty of a felony, and shall be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or by imprisonment of one year or both fine and imprisonment, and every person shall be guilty of a separate and distinct offense for each day during which the violation shall be repeated or continued.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-82-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-82 / Section 23-82-1
§ 23-82-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Implementation of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Act.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-24-13 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-24 / Section 23-24-13
§ 23-24-13. Publicity.
Status: in_force

(a) The consumer protection unit of the department of attorney general may cause to be published from time to time reports summarizing any judgments, decrees, or court orders which have been rendered under this chapter, including the nature of the charge and the its disposition.

(b) The consumer protection unit may also cause to be disseminated information regarding hazardous substances in situations involving, in the opinion of the consumer protection unit, imminent danger to health. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the consumer protection unit from collecting, reporting, and illustrating the results of its investigations.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-61 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-61
§ 23-17-61. Written estimates for hospital medical services.
Status: in_force

Upon the request of any person without health coverage or with an insurance deductible of five thousand dollars ($5,000) or higher, a hospital shall, within five (5) calendar days, provide that person with a written estimate based upon the best medical information known at the time, of the amount the hospital will require the person to pay for the healthcare services, procedures, and supplies that are reasonably expected to be provided to the person by the hospital, based upon an average length of stay and services provided for the persons diagnosis and including the amount for any facility fees required. The estimate may also indicate that it does not reflect any unanticipated services that become apparent at the time of treatment. The hospital may provide this estimate during normal business office hours. In addition to the estimate, the hospital shall provide information about its financial assistance and charity care policies and contact information for a hospital employee or office from which the person may obtain further information about these policies. If requested, the hospital shall also provide the person with an application for financial assistance or charity care. This section shall not apply to emergency services.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-18-8.3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-18 / Section 23-18-8.3
§ 23-18-8.3. Maintenance of perpetual care funds.
Status: in_force

The corpus or principal of perpetual care funds shall be maintained intact, and shall not be expended to pay for perpetual care or any other expenses, but the income and other earnings on the corpus or principal of perpetual care funds may be so expended.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-89-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-89 / Section 23-89-2
§ 23-89-2. Establishment of palliative care consumer and professional information and education program.
Status: in_force

(a) There is hereby created and established a statewide Palliative Care Consumer and Professional Information and Education Program within the department of health.

(b) The purpose of the palliative care consumer and professional information and education program shall be to maximize the effectiveness of palliative care initiatives in the state by ensuring that comprehensive and accurate information and education about palliative care is available to the public, healthcare providers, and healthcare facilities.

(c) The department of health shall publish on its website information and resources, including links to external resources, about palliative care delivery for the public, healthcare providers, and healthcare facilities. This shall include, but not limited to, continuing educational opportunities for healthcare providers; information about palliative care delivery in the home, primary, secondary, and tertiary environments; best practices for palliative care delivery; and consumer educational materials and referral information for palliative care, including hospice.

(d) The department of health may develop and implement any other initiatives regarding palliative care services and education that the director determines would further the purposes of this subsection.

(e) The department shall consult with the palliative care and quality of life interdisciplinary advisory council in implementing this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-63-4.5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-63 / Section 23-63-4.5
§ 23-63-4.5. Records required.
Status: in_force

Every retailer shall keep such books, including records, receipts, and other pertinent papers, in such form as the tax administrator may require. The records shall be open at all times to the inspection of the tax administrator and his or her agents and, upon summons issued by the tax administrator, shall be produced at such time and place as he or she may designate for inspection by the tax administrator or his or her agents.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-87-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-87 / Section 23-87-1
§ 23-87-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and maybe cited as the Rhode Island Lupus Education and Awareness Plan Act of 2012.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-4-5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-4 / Section 23-4-5
§ 23-4-5. Chief medical examiner  Assistants and other staff.
Status: in_force

(a) The office shall be under the immediate supervision of a chief, who shall be known as the chief medical examiner and who shall be a physician licensed under the provisions of chapter 37 of title 5, and a qualified pathologist certified by the American Board of Pathology and who has had forensic training or experience. He or she shall be appointed by the director of health as shall the deputy chief medical examiner with the advice of the medical examiners commission. The chief medical examiner shall be in the unclassified service and the deputy chief medical examiner shall be in the classified service.

(b) The chief medical examiner shall appoint, with the approval of the director of health, assistant medical examiners and shall hire other staff as necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

(c) Persons employed full time at the time of enactment of this chapter within the division of medical examiners in the department of the attorney general shall be transferred to the office of state medical examiners with their former rights and privileges of employment. For members eligible to retire on or before June 30, 2012, such members shall be eligible for retirement benefits after the age of fifty (50) years and service of twenty (20) years, including service within the division of medical examiners. For members eligible to retire on or after July 1, 2012, such members shall be eligible for retirement benefits in accordance with chapters 8 through 10 of title 36.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-80-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-80 / Section 23-80-2
§ 23-80-2. Legislative findings.
Status: in_force

(a) Patients are at greater risk of injury, including skin tears, falls, and musculoskeletal injuries, when being lifted, transferred, or repositioned manually.

(b) Safe patient handling can reduce skin tears suffered by patients by threefold, and can significantly reduce other injuries to patients as well.

(c) Health care workers lead the nation in work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Between thirty-eight percent (38%) and fifty percent (50%) of nurses and other health care workers will suffer a work-related back injury during their career. Forty-four percent (44%) of these workers will be unable to return to their pre-injury position.

(d) Research indicates that nurses lift an estimated 1.8 tons per shift. Eighty-three percent (83%) of nurses work in spite of back pain, and sixty percent (60%) of nurses fear a disabling back injury. Twelve percent (12%) to thirty-nine percent (39%) of nurses not yet disabled are considering leaving nursing due to back pain and injuries.

(e) Safe patient handling reduces injuries and costs. In nine (9) case studies evaluating the impact of lifting equipment, injuries decreased sixty percent (60%) to ninety-five percent (95%), Workers Compensation costs dropped by ninety-five percent (95%), and absenteeism due to lifting and handling was reduced by ninety-eight percent (98%).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-9-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-9 / Section 23-9-1
§ 23-9-1. Appointment of seaport health officers  Duties and compensation.
Status: in_force

Each seaport city or town, or the city or town council of each seaport city or town, may appoint a health officer for the city or town who shall visit all vessels which shall be subject to examination of quarantine, and carry into execution all regulations established by the city or town council, and shall be at all times accountable to the city or town council, and shall receive for his or her services compensation that the council may allow, to be paid by the owners, agents or commanders of any vessels that may be subjected to quarantine or examination.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-13-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-13 / Section 23-13-7
§ 23-13-7. Investigation of cases  Enforcement of provisions  Publication of information  Reports to attorney general.
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the department of health to:

(1) Investigate each case of ophthalmia neonatorum;

(2) Enforce the provisions of §§ 23-13-4  23-13-8;

(3) Publish and distribute information concerning the dangers and prevention of ophthalmia neonatorum; and

(4) Bring all violations of the law to the attorney general, whether occasioned by the failure of the physician, nurse, midwife, parent, or other person or persons assisting in childbirth or in the care of infants, to report the violations.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-11-12 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-11 / Section 23-11-12
§ 23-11-12. Refusal to submit to examination.
Status: in_force

Any person refusing to permit the department of health to examine him or her, as provided in § 23-11-11, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of fifty dollars ($50.00), or by imprisonment for thirty (30) days, or by both fine and imprisonment.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-7-8 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-7 / Section 23-7-8
§ 23-7-8. Powers and duties of councils.
Status: in_force

With the prior approval and written consent of the state mosquito abatement board, the council of the district shall have the power to take all necessary or proper steps for the extermination of mosquitoes within the district and to abate as nuisances all stagnant pools of water and other breeding places for mosquitoes within the district, to purchase supplies and materials and to employ labor and assistants that may be necessary or proper in furtherance of the objects of the council, to build, construct, and repair and maintain necessary levees, cuts, canals, or channels upon land within the district, and generally to do any and all things necessary or incident to powers granted and to carry out the objects specified in this section. Prior to adoption of a district mosquito abatement program, a public hearing must be held. A hearing required by a federal, state, or municipal agency on the program will suffice for purposes of this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-105-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-105 / Section 23-105-1
§ 23-105-1. Definitions.
Status: in_force

For purposes of this chapter:

(1) Ablative lasers or ablative energy devices means lasers intended to excise or vaporize the outer layer of skin.

(2) Advanced practice registered nurse or APRN means a registered nurse who has an active, unrestricted advanced practice registered nurse license granted under the authority of chapter 34 of title 5.

(3) Certified nurse practitioner means a certified nurse practitioner as defined in § 5-34-3.

(4) Cosmetic medical procedure means any procedure that does not require sedation that is performed on a person and is directed at improving the persons appearance and does not meaningfully promote the proper function of the body or prevent or treat illness or disease. Cosmetic medical procedures may include, but are not limited to, microneedling, hair transplants, cosmetic injections, cosmetic soft tissue fillers, dermaplaning, dermastamping, dermarolling, microdermabrasion, chemical peels, laser resurfacing, laser treatment of veins, sclerotherapy, other laser procedures, intense pulsed light, ablative laser, permanent fat removal, radio frequency microneedling, platelet-rich plasma, platelet-rich fibrin, and the use of class II medical devices designed to induce deep skin tissue alteration. A cosmetic medical service shall be performed by a delegate only if the services are within the scope of the delegate and have been delegated by a medical director, supervising physician, supervising PA, or supervising CNP who is responsible for supervision of the services performed.

(5) Delegate means a licensed non-physician tasked with performing a cosmetic medical procedure as defined in this section by a physician, PA, or CNP.

(6) Department means the Rhode Island department of health.

(7) Medical director means a physician or certified nurse practitioner who assumes the role of, or holds oneself out as, medical director. The medical director shall be:

(i) Trained in the indications for, and performance of, cosmetic medical procedures, including all medical devices or instruments that can alter or cause biological change or damage the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Training programs provided by a manufacturer or vendor of a medical device or supplies shall not be a medical directors, supervising physicians, PAs, or CNPs only education in the cosmetic medical service or the operation of medical devices to be used;

(ii) Responsible for implementing policies and procedures to ensure quality patient care;

(iii) Responsible for the delegation and supervision of cosmetic procedures;

(iv) Responsible for the oversight of all cosmetic medical procedures performed by physicians, PAs, CNPs, and non-physicians; and

(v) Responsible for ensuring that all supervising physicians, supervising PAs, and supervising CNPs, any physicians, PAs, and APRNs performing cosmetic medical procedures, and any non-physicians, non-PAs, and non-APRNs delegated to perform cosmetic medical procedures, are properly trained in the safe and effective performance of all cosmetic medical procedures that they perform at the medical spa.

(8) Medical spa means a licensed establishment in which cosmetic medical procedures are performed.

(9) Physician means an allopath or osteopath who has an active, unrestricted medical license granted under the provisions of chapter 37 of title 5.

(10) Physician assistant or PA means a person who is licensed and qualified by academic and practical training to provide medical and surgical services in collaboration with physicians.

(11) Supervision means an arrangement when a qualified supervising physician, a physician assistant in collaboration with a physician, or a CNP is either:

(i) On site and able to directly observe the treatment being performed, though not necessarily in the same room (i.e., direct supervision); or

(ii) Is off site, but is in the state and immediately available if needed, either in person or by telecommunication (i.e., indirect supervision).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-23-28 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-23 / Section 23-23-28
§ 23-23-28. Auxiliary monitors.
Status: in_force

Any town or city may appoint an air pollution auxiliary monitor from among its full time employees provided that the employee must possess the education and experience required of the state, division of personnel class title environmental quality technician. The auxiliary monitor shall not be entitled to any additional compensation from the state. The auxiliary monitor may have other duties as the town or city deems necessary. Upon appointment, the auxiliary monitor shall be trained by the department of environmental management in recognizing, analyzing, and describing air pollution. Upon satisfactory completion of a required course of study, the auxiliary monitor shall be empowered to investigate complaints of air pollution within his or her town or city on behalf of the town or city and to present testimony or evidence regarding them to the department of environmental management in support of regulatory actions authorized under this chapter. That testimony or evidence shall be considered expert by the department of environmental management.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-1-17 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-1 / Section 23-1-17
§ 23-1-17. Additional general powers.
Status: in_force

(a) In addition to the other powers given to the director of health or the department of health by other provisions of the general laws, and in order to permit the director to properly perform the duties given to the director by the general assembly, and to enforce the rules and regulations the director is authorized to promulgate and adopt, the director is further authorized to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for the establishment of information collection, minimum sanitary requirements, and other duties given to the director by § 23-1-1 or by any other provision of law, and to enforce those rules and regulations. The director is further authorized to issue licenses or permits, and to revoke, suspend, or annul them, to aid in the enforcement of those rules and regulations.

(b) In the event of a public health emergency, the director is authorized to grant a temporary Rhode Island healthcare provider license for a period not to exceed ninety (90) days and limited to those healthcare providers who hold an active valid license in another state. The director is authorized to promulgate and adopt rules and regulations to establish a process for this temporary emergency license.

(c) In the event an application for professional licensure is delayed as a result of a board of licensures inability to establish a quorum, the director shall have the authority to review and issue licenses for any pending applications pursuant to all applicable rules and regulations.

(1) Review of applications by the director shall apply to those boards that have business pending but have been unable to establish a quorum for more than thirty (30) business days.

(2) The authority granted by this subsection shall not extend to any pending disciplinary actions.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-12-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-12 / Section 23-12-1
§ 23-12-1. Formulation of plans and minimum standards for care and treatment.
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the state director of health to formulate a plan for the care and treatment of indigent persons suffering from cancer and to establish and designate standard requirements for the organization, equipment, and conduct of cancer units or departments in general hospitals of this state. The state director of health shall consult with physicians designated by the president of the Rhode Island Medical Society, with other interested organizations, and with any other experts or nonexperts wherever located that he or she may deem proper with a view to carrying out the purposes of this chapter and with a view to establishing a minimum standard for the conduct and equipment of cancer units or departments in general hospitals in those parts or districts of the state as may, in the opinion of the state director of health, be deemed most advantageous to the public health.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-11-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-11 / Section 23-11-7
§ 23-11-7. Penalty for failure to report.
Status: in_force

Any person who shall neglect for a period of ten (10) days to make a report as provided in §§ 23-11-5, 23-11-6, and 23-11-14 shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-11-16 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-11 / Section 23-11-16
§ 23-11-16. Violations  Penalties.
Status: in_force

Unless another penalty is provided by the laws of this state, any person who shall violate any provision of this chapter, or any rule or regulation adopted under this chapter, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100), or by imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days, or both.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-98-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-98 / Section 23-98-1
§ 23-98-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Sexual Assault Evidence Kits Act.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-10 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-25 / Section 23-25-10
§ 23-25-10. Applicator categories for certification  Standards.
Status: in_force

(a) The director shall adopt applicator categories established by EPA by regulation and may establish additional categories and subcategories for certification necessary for the administration and enforcement of this chapter. Separate subcategories may be specified as to ground, aerial, or manual methods used to apply pesticides or to the use of pesticides to control insects, plant diseases, rodents, or weeds. Each category or subcategory shall be subject to separate testing procedures and requirements; provided, that no person shall be required to pay an additional fee if that person desires to be certified in more than one category or subcategory.

(b) The director, in promulgating regulations under this chapter, shall adopt or prescribe standards of competency for the certification of applicators which are at least equal to those established by EPA. Those standards may relate to the use and handling of pesticides or to the use and handling of the pesticide or class of pesticides covered by the individuals certification and shall be relative to the hazards involved. In determining standards, the director shall consider the characteristics of the pesticide formulation such as: the acute dermal and inhalation toxicity; the persistence, mobility, and susceptibility to biological concentration; the use experience which may reflect an inherent misuse or an unexpected good safety record which does not always follow laboratory toxicological information; the relative hazards of patterns of use such as granular soil applications, ultra low volume of dust aerial applications, or air blast sprayer applications; and the extent of the intended use.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-83-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-83 / Section 23-83-4
§ 23-83-4. No fees for donation.
Status: in_force

A person who agrees to donate her umbilical cord blood to a public cord blood bank or a mixed bank for use by the cord blood bank shall not be charged any fee for the costs of collecting, processing, transporting or storing the cord blood.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-24-12 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-24 / Section 23-24-12
§ 23-24-12. Records of intrastate shipment.
Status: in_force

For the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this chapter, carriers engaged in intrastate commerce and persons receiving hazardous substances in intrastate commerce or holding hazardous substances that have been received shall, upon the request of an officer or employee duly designated by the consumer protection unit, permit that officer or employee, at reasonable times, to have access to and to copy all records showing the movement in intrastate commerce of any hazardous substance, or the holding of the substance during or after this movement, and the quantity, shipper, and consignee of the substances; and it shall be unlawful for that carrier or person to fail to permit access to and copying of any record requested when the request is accompanied by a statement in writing specifying the nature or kind of hazardous substance to which the request relates; provided, that evidence obtained under this section, or any evidence which is directly or indirectly derived from that evidence, shall not be used in a criminal prosecution of the person from whom obtained; provided, further, that carriers shall not be subject to the other provisions of this chapter by reason of their receipt, carriage, holding, or delivery of hazardous substances in the usual course of business as carriers.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-24-8 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-24 / Section 23-24-8
§ 23-24-8. Injunctive relief.
Status: in_force

(a) The superior court shall have jurisdiction, for cause shown and subject to the provisions of rule 65(a) and (b) of the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure, to restrain violations of this chapter.

(b) In any proceeding for criminal contempt for violation of an injunction or restraining order issued under this section, which violation also constitutes a violation of this chapter, trial shall be by the court or, upon demand of the accused, by a jury. The trial shall be conducted in accordance with the practice and procedure applicable in the case of proceedings subject to the provisions of rule 42(b) of the Superior Court Rules of Criminal Procedure.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-101-9 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-101 / Section 23-101-9
§ 23-101-9. Professions covered.
Status: in_force

The protections afforded by the provisions of this chapter for providing gender-affirming healthcare services, legally protected healthcare activity, and reproductive healthcare services, shall apply to the following healthcare providers:

(1) A qualified physician licensed pursuant to chapters 37 and 37.3 of title 5;

(2) A qualified osteopathic physician licensed pursuant to chapter 37 of title 5;

(3) A qualified physician assistant licensed pursuant to chapter 54 of title 5;

(4) A genetic counselor licensed pursuant to chapter 92 of title 5;

(5) A qualified psychologist licensed pursuant to chapter 44 of title 5;

(6) A qualified social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 39.1 of title 5;

(7) An advanced practice registered nurse, and a certified nurse practitioner, licensed pursuant to chapter 34 of title 5, and a certified registered nurse anesthetist licensed pursuant to chapters 34 and 34.2 of title 5;

(8) A certified nurse midwife licensed pursuant to chapter 13 of this title;

(9) A licensed clinical mental health counselor or associate, and a licensed marriage and family therapist or associate, licensed pursuant to chapter 63.2 of title 5;

(10) An electrologist licensed pursuant to chapter 32 of title 5;

(11) A speech-language pathologist licensed pursuant to chapter 48 of title 5;

(12) An occupational therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 40.1 of title 5;

(13) A chiropractic physician licensed pursuant to chapter 30 of title 5; and

(14) A pharmacist engaging in the practice of pharmacy and licensed pursuant to chapter 19.1 of title 5.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-19.2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-19.2
§ 23-17-19.2. Posting of law.
Status: in_force

Every health care facility licensed pursuant to this title shall provide a copy of the provisions of § 23-17-19.1 to each inpatient or his or her representative at the time of admission to the health care facility and shall display a copy of the provisions of § 23-17-19.1 in a conspicuous place in each health care facility. The director of the department of health shall have power to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-73-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-73 / Section 23-73-4
§ 23-73-4. Enforcement.
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the director of the department of health to enforce the provisions of this chapter and to prosecute all persons who violate this chapter. In all such enforcements and prosecutions, the director shall not be required to enter into any recognizance or give surety for costs.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-76-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-76 / Section 23-76-1
§ 23-76-1. Vaccine defined.
Status: in_force

For purposes of this chapter, vaccine includes vaccines, immune products and chemoprophylactic medications.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-24 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-24
§ 23-19-24. Reporting requirements.
Status: in_force

(a) The corporation shall, within ninety (90) days after the close of each fiscal year, submit an annual report of its activities for the preceding year to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate, the state treasurer, and the secretary of state. The report shall provide: a summary of the corporations meetings including when the commissioners, solid waste facilities siting board, and citizen advisory board met, subjects addressed, and decisions or recommendations rendered; a summary of the corporations actions including a listing of transfer stations, waste processing facilities, and resources recovery facilities planned, being constructed or renovated, or owned and operated by the corporation as prescribed in § 23-19-9, rules and regulations promulgated as prescribed in § 23-19-10, hearings held as prescribed in § 23-19-10, fees charged as prescribed in § 23-19-10, property acquired or disposed of as prescribed in § 23-19-10, contracts and agreements entered into as prescribed in § 23-19-10, bonds and notes issued and secured as prescribed in §§ 23-19-14 and 23-19-16, surveys, studies, and investigations conducted as prescribed in § 23-19-10, and administrative penalties imposed as prescribed in § 23-19-28.1; a synopsis of the hearings, complaints, suspensions, or other legal matters related to the authority of the corporation; a consolidated financial statement of all funds received and expended by the corporation including the source of the funds, liabilities incurred or assumed, funds invested, and revenues received from the sale of materials, energy, and other by products of solid waste processing as prescribed in subsection 23-19-10(30); a summary of actions taken to assist in the development of industrial and commercial enterprises within the state based on resource recovery, recycling, and reuse as prescribed in subsection 23-19-9(5); a summary of activities related to the development, amendment, and implementation of a statewide plan for the separation of solid waste as prescribed in subsection 23-19-10(29); a synopsis of the status of source reduction activities including efforts taken to reduce the states waste stream and develop new uses for materials recovered from solid waste as prescribed in subsections 23-19-10(42) and 23-19-11(12); a summary of any training courses held pursuant to subsection 23-19-10(44); a listing of the staff and/or consultants employed by the corporation as prescribed in § 23-19-10; a summary of activities related to the management of the central landfill in Johnston as prescribed in § 23-19-11.1; a summary of performance during the previous fiscal year including accomplishments, shortcomings and remedies; a listing of findings and recommendations derived from corporation activities and the findings of the citizen advisory board as prescribed in § 23-19-23.

(b) The report shall be posted electronically as prescribed in § 42-20-8.2.

(c) The corporation shall cause an audit of its books and accounts to be made at least once each fiscal year.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-6-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-6 / Section 23-6-7
§ 23-6-7. Investigation and suppression of poliomyelitis.
Status: in_force

The department of health is authorized and directed to investigate any conditions associated with any case or suspected case of, or the spread of, the disease known as anterior poliomyelitis or infantile paralysis in this state and, as far as possible, to aid in the suppression of that disease.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-10.2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-10.2
§ 23-17-10.2. Full financial disclosure by hospitals and freestanding emergency-care facilities.
Status: in_force

Any hospital or freestanding emergency-care facility licensed under this chapter, other than state-operated hospitals, shall annually submit to the director of the department of health:

(a) Public audited financial statements containing information concerning all hospital-related or freestanding emergency-care facility-related corporations, holding corporations, and subsidiary corporations, whether for-profit or not-for-profit. Any corporation, holding corporation, or subsidiary corporation, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, which is not audited by an independent public auditor due to limited activity or small size, shall submit a financial statement certified by the chief executive officer of that corporation.

(b) Any hospital or freestanding emergency-care facility licensed under this chapter, other than state-operated hospitals, shall on or before January 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, submit a summary of financial information contained in accordance with the following:

(1) Not-for-profit hospitals shall submit a summary of the information contained in section 501(c), 527, or 4947(a)(1) of the internal revenue code 990 form, including:

(i) Its statement of financial position;

(ii) The verified total costs incurred by the hospital or freestanding emergency-care facility in providing health services;

(iii) Total payroll including fringe benefits, and any other remuneration of the top five (5) highest compensated employees and/or contractors, identified by position description and specialty;

(iv) The verified net costs of medical education; and

(v) Administrative expenses; as defined by the director of the department of health.

(2) For-profit hospitals and freestanding emergency-care facilities shall submit the information listed in (b)(1) of this section in a form approved by the department of health.

(c) All information provided shall be made available to the health care planning and accountability advisory council, as established in § 23-81-4, and shall be made available to the public for inspection.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-59-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-59 / Section 23-59-6
§ 23-59-6. Residents contract.
Status: in_force

(a) In addition to other provisions considered proper to effect the purpose of any continuing care contract, each contract executed on or after June 18, 1987 shall:

(1) Provide for the continuing care of only one resident, or for two (2) or more persons occupying space designed for multiple occupancy, under appropriate rules established by the provider.

(2) Show the value of all property transferred, including donations, subscriptions, fees, and any other amounts paid or payable by, or on behalf of, the resident or residents.

(3) Specify all services which are to be provided by the provider to each resident including, in detail, all items that each resident will receive and whether the items will be provided for a designated time period or for life and the estimated current monthly cost to the provider for providing the care. Such items may include, but are not limited to, food, shelter, nursing care, drugs, burial, and incidentals.

(4) Describe the physical and mental health and financial conditions, if any, upon which the provider may require the resident to relinquish his or her space in the designated facility.

(5) Describe the physical and mental health and financial conditions required for a person to continue as a resident.

(6) Describe the circumstances under which the resident will be permitted to remain in the facility in the event of financial difficulties of the resident.

(7) State:

(i) The current fees that would be charged if the resident marries while at the designated facility;

(ii) The terms concerning the entry of a spouse to the facility; and

(iii) The consequences if the spouse does not meet the requirements for entry.

(8) Provide that the provider shall not cancel any continuing care contract with any resident without good cause. Good cause shall be limited to:

(i) Proof that the resident is a danger to himself, herself, or others;

(ii) Nonpayment by the resident of a monthly or periodic fee;

(iii) Repeated conduct by the resident that interferes with other residents quiet enjoyment of the facility; or

(iv) Persistent refusal to comply with reasonable written rules and regulations of the facility. If a provider seeks to cancel a contract and terminate a residents occupancy, the provider shall give the resident written notice of, and a reasonable opportunity to cure within a reasonable period, whatever conduct is alleged to warrant the cancellation of the agreement. Nothing herein shall operate to relieve the provider from duties under chapter 18 of title 34 when seeking to terminate a residents occupancy.

(9) Provide in clear and understandable language, in print no smaller than the largest type used in the body of the contract, the terms governing the refund of any portion of the entrance fee and the terms under which entrance fees can be used by the provider.

(10) State the terms under which a contract is cancelled by the death of the resident. The contract may contain a provision to the effect that, upon the death of the resident, the money paid for the continuing care of the deceased resident shall be considered earned and become the property of the provider. When more than one individual shares a residential unit, the contract shall set forth the effect that the death of one resident will have on the agreement between the other resident or residents and the provider.

(11) Provide for at least thirty (30) days advance notice to the resident, before any change in fees, charges, or the scope of care or services may be effective, except for changes required by state or federal assistance programs.

(12) Provide that charges for care paid in one lump sum shall not be increased or changed during the duration of the agreed upon care, except for changes required by state or federal assistance programs.

(b) A resident shall have the right to rescind a continuing care contract, without penalty or forfeiture, within seven (7) days after making an initial deposit or executing the contract. A resident shall not be required to move into the facility designated in the contract before the expiration of that seven (7) day period.

(c) If a resident dies before occupying the facility, or is precluded through illness, injury, or incapacity from becoming a resident under the terms of the continuing care contract, the contract is automatically rescinded, and the resident or his or her legal representative shall receive a full refund of all money paid to the provider, except those costs specifically incurred by the provider at the request of the resident and set forth in writing in a separate addendum, signed by both parties to the contract.

(d) No standard continuing care contract form shall be used in this state until it has been submitted to the department. If the department determines that the contract does not comply with the provisions of this chapter, it shall have the right to take action pursuant to § 23-59-16 to prevent its use. The failure of the department to object to or disapprove of any contract shall not be evidence that the contract does or does not comply with the provisions of this chapter. However, individualized amendments to any standard form need not be filed with the department.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-12 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-12
§ 23-17-12. Inspections  Nursing facilities.
Status: in_force

(a) The licensing agency shall make or cause to be made unannounced inspections and investigations of nursing facilities. The director shall establish by regulation criteria to determine the frequency for unannounced inspections and investigation that shall include specific criteria to determine the appropriate frequency of those surveys including, but not limited to: patient acuity; quality indicators; staff retention; financial status; and a facilitys past compliance with the regulations. In no instance shall any facility with a pattern of noncompliance with regulations or orders; indications of marginal financial status; repeated levels of nursing hours per resident significantly below the state average; or other risk factors determined to influence quality, receive less than two (2) surveys in addition to the annual licensing survey required by this chapter. Any nursing care facility that is cited for substandard care by the licensing agency shall be inspected on a bimonthly basis for the twelve-month (12) period immediately following any citation. The licensing agency shall, on an annual basis, cause no less than ten percent (10%) of all nursing care facility annual surveys to be conducted, in whole or in part, on nights and/or on weekends. The inspections shall be conducted both as to profit and nonprofit facilities and the results shall be open to public inspection; however, requirements as to the fire safety code will be deferred in accordance with § 23-28.1-7.

(b) No employee or agent of the department shall be participating in or supervising an inspection of any facility to which that employee currently has, or in the past two (2) years has had, any ownership, employment, or consultant arrangement or any other potential conflicts of interest. The restrictions imposed under this subsection shall be in addition to, and not in place of, the requirements of chapter 14 of title 36.

(c) The licensing agency shall make or cause to be made unannounced inspections and/or investigations of any establishment, facility, boarding house, dormitory, however named, to determine whether the lodging facility should be licensed and regulated under the provisions of this chapter.

(d) All members of the general assembly and any general officer of this state may make announced and unannounced inspections of extended care facilities, skilled nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, personal care homes, nursing homes, and state institutions.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-99-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-99 / Section 23-99-2
§ 23-99-2. Legislative purpose.
Status: in_force

The purpose of this chapter shall be to create and lawfully manage the Rhode Island life science hub, a public corporation. The Rhode Island life science hub shall be the central entity and coordinating organization of life science initiatives on behalf of the state and shall:

(1) Facilitate the development of medical advances and scientific breakthroughs with companies that specialize in the fields of: medical devices, biomedical technology, medical therapeutic therapies, biogenetics, biomedical engineering, biopharmaceuticals, genomics, and life sciences; and

(2) Through targeted investment of grants, tax credits, and incentives, fund and incubate Rhode Island-based life science companies that will promote economic and workforce development within the state and that shall allow the state to successfully compete in the national and international life science industries.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-1-51 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-1 / Section 23-1-51
§ 23-1-51. Severability.
Status: in_force

If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-61-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-61 / Section 23-61-1
§ 23-61-1. Legislative intent.
Status: in_force

The general assembly recognizes that radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless, and radioactive gas that occurs naturally in soil and groundwater; that radon enters homes and buildings through openings in foundations, decays to form radon progeny, and unless vented to the atmosphere, accumulates in buildings and becomes hazardous to human health, and prolonged exposure to elevated concentrations of radon decay products has been associated with increases in the risk of lung cancer. The general assembly recognizes that there is a need to protect human health and prevent exposure to elevated concentrations of radon.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-11.3 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-11.3
§ 23-19-11.3. Central landfill  Water quality and public health.
Status: in_force

(a) The corporation shall be committed to completion of appropriate studies of the ground and surface water under and adjacent to the central landfill to determine whether and to what extent contamination from the central landfill may affect water quality or public health, and to what extent any contamination has a significant impact on human health or the environment. This requirement may be satisfied in part or in full by studies already underway and in compliance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C., § 9601 et seq. (CERCLA) or other applicable federal or state environmental statutes.

(b) If the studies determine that there is in fact an impact by the landfill on water quality or public health, which is not remediated by the installation of public water, then the corporation shall be responsible to take additional remedial action required to further protect public health or to preserve important environmental qualities which are determined to be threatened. As in the case of studies, this requirement may be satisfied in whole or in part by remedial actions required under CERCLA or other applicable federal or state environmental statutes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-62-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-62 / Section 23-62-2
§ 23-62-2. Penalties.
Status: in_force

Any individual(s), corporation, partnership, or other entity who violates the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and for each violation shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-33-9 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-33 / Section 23-33-9
§ 23-33-9. Registration of elevators and escalators.
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of every owner or lessee of every elevator, or other device subject to the provisions of this chapter, to register with the department of labor and training each elevator or device owned and/or operated by that person, giving the type, capacity, name of manufacturer, its location, and the purpose for which it is used (freight, passenger). Registration is to be made on a form furnished by the division of occupational safety.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-21 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-21
§ 23-17-21. Power of enforcement.
Status: in_force

The director of the department of health shall have power to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-7-15 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-7 / Section 23-7-15
§ 23-7-15. Emergency powers.
Status: in_force

Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the director of health in an extreme emergency to the public health from exercising powers provided in §§ 23-1-20  23-1-23.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-18-5 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-18 / Section 23-18-5
§ 23-18-5. Sales before completion of structure  Bond.
Status: in_force

No crypt, room, or space in the structure shall be sold or offered for sale before the structure is entirely completed, unless and until the agency selling the crypt or niches, enters into an agreement whereby it agrees to refund to each and every purchaser all sums of money paid by each, together with legal interest on all sums of money, in the event it fails to complete the structure within the time which shall have been limited by the city or town wherein the structure is located, which agreement shall be entered into with some bank or trust company or other organization as trustee for the persons as directed by the city or town, nor until the agency shall also have made, executed and delivered to the trustee, its bond, with adequate security, if required, conditioned upon paying to the trustee a sum of money sufficient to provide for the refund previously provided and to provide for the repair, maintenance, and replacement of the structure, or shall have paid or delivered to the trustee a sum of money or other property sufficient for these purposes, the amount of the bond, payment, or delivery of property and the security on the bonds, if any shall be required, to be fixed and determined by the city or town wherein the structure is located.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-26-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-26 / Section 23-26-7
§ 23-26-7. Types of material requiring sterilization.
Status: in_force

No person shall use any material to make any article of bedding for sale that is made from material:

(1) That comes from an animal or fowl;

(2) That contains any bugs, vermin, insects, or filth;

(3) That is unsanitary;

(4) That contains burlap or other material that has been used for baling;

(5) That is second-hand;

unless the material has been thoroughly sterilized by a process approved by the director.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-97-6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-97 / Section 23-97-6
§ 23-97-6. Rules and regulations.
Status: in_force

The department of health shall adopt and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-14 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-14
§ 23-17-14. Functions of health services council.
Status: in_force

The health services council shall have the following responsibilities and duties:

(1) To consult and advise with the licensing agency regarding licensing reviews conducted under §§ 23-17-14.3 and 23-17-14.4 and in matters of policy affecting administration of this chapter, and in the development of rules, regulations, and standards provided for under this chapter;

(2) To review and make recommendations with respect to rules, regulations, and standards authorized under this chapter prior to their promulgation by the licensing agency as specified in this section;

(3) To consult and advise with the licensing agency with respect to the administration of chapter 15 of this title;

(4) When acting as an advisory council authorized by § 23-16-3, to consult with the director of the state department of health in carrying out the purposes of chapter 16 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-69-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-69 / Section 23-69-1
§ 23-69-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be cited as the New England Compact on Involuntary Detention for Tuberculosis Control.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-13-10 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-13 / Section 23-13-10
§ 23-13-10. Complaints for violations.
Status: in_force

Complaints for violation of the provisions of § 23-13-9 shall be made by the director of the state department of health or by any one authorized by the director, and persons making a complaint under the authority of § 23-13-9 shall be exempted from giving surety for costs on the complaint.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-74-9 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-74 / Section 23-74-9
§ 23-74-9. Discovery  Subpoenas.
Status: in_force

In all matters relating to the lawful activities of the department, the director may issue subpoenas and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of all necessary papers, books, records, documents, and other evidentiary material. Any person failing or refusing to appear or testify regarding any matter about which the person may be lawfully questioned or failing to produce any papers, books, records, documents or other evidentiary materials in the matter to be heard, after having been required by order of the director or by a subpoena of the director to do so may, upon application to the district court in any district, be ordered to comply with the order or subpoena. The director may administer oaths to witnesses or take their affirmation. Depositions may be taken within or without the state in the manner provided by law for the taking of depositions in civil actions. A subpoena or other process may be served upon a person it names anywhere within the state by any officer authorized to serve subpoenas or other process in civil actions in the same manner as prescribed by law for service of process issued out of the district court of this state.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-33-15 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-33 / Section 23-33-15
§ 23-33-15. Order to cease operation or make repairs.
Status: in_force

If as a result of inspection, the chief shall determine that any elevator or device is in such a condition as to be unsafe, and that the danger is imminent, the chief shall order the operation of that elevator or device to be stopped immediately, and the certificate revoked, and shall physically render the unit inoperable, and thereupon operation shall be stopped until the elevator or device or the defective part or parts thereof shall be repaired or renewed and put in safe condition, and a new certificate thereof under the provisions of this chapter issued by the chief or compliance inspector. Where there is no immediate danger, the chief or compliance inspector shall notify the owner or the owner agent to remedy the defect or defects within such reasonable time as he or she may prescribe, and if the defect or defects are not remedied within the prescribed time, the use of the elevator or device shall be discontinued at the expiration thereof, and the certificate revoked until the elevator or device is put in a safe condition and a new certificate is issued by the chief or compliance inspector.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-3-10.1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-3 / Section 23-3-10.1
§ 23-3-10.1. Certificates of birth  Social security numbers.
Status: in_force

The state registrar of vital records shall maintain a record of the social security number of each parent whose name is recorded on any certificate of birth established or amended under this chapter on or after September 1, 1996, unless the registrar finds good cause for not requiring the number. That social security number shall be kept confidential and shall be disclosed only to the state agency responsible for administering the states child support enforcement program. Social security numbers obtained pursuant to this section shall not be used for any purpose other than for the establishment and enforcement of child support orders, to the extent authorized by federal law.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-73-1 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-73 / Section 23-73-1
§ 23-73-1. Findings.
Status: in_force

(a) The legislature finds that latex allergies are increasingly becoming a problem for people who are exposed to disposable nonsterile and sterile latex gloves, such as health care workers, patients, food service workers, manufacturers, hair dressers, child care workers, and children.

(b) There are three (3) categories of latex allergies:

(1) Irritant dermatitis;

(2) Allergic contact dermatitis (delayed hypersensitivity); and

(3) Immediate hypersensitivity latex allergy.

(c) Reaction to latex may manifest through skin rashes, hives, itching, swollen skin, swollen lips and tongue, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, eyes or sinus symptoms, asthma and difficulty breathing, coughing spells, wheezing, and shock.

(d) In 1997, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health issued an alert concerning the danger of exposure to latex products and requested assistance preventing allergic reactions to natural rubber latex among workers who use gloves and other products containing latex.

(e) On April 12, 1999, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, United States Department of Labor, issued the Technical Bulletin concerning the potential harm to workers from natural rubber latex gloves and other natural rubber products, such as gloves, airway masks, medication vial caps, anesthesia bags, catheters, intravenous supplies, dental dams, balloons, and other products.

(f) Latex gloves are the major contributor for latex allergies.

(g) The United States Food and Drug Administration requires medical devices containing latex to carry a warning about potential allergic reaction.

(h) In 1995, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology concluded that the single greatest product causing adverse reaction to latex rubber are latex gloves.

(i) The National Institute of Safety and Health concluded that latex allergies can be prevented if employers establish policies that protect workers and the public from unnecessary latex exposure.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-39-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-39 / Section 23-39-7
§ 23-39-7. Licensing by training and examination.
Status: in_force

(a) Any person desiring to become licensed as a respiratory care practitioner shall make application to the board on a written form in the manner that the board prescribes, pay all required application fees, and certify and furnish evidence to the board that the applicant:

(1) Has successfully completed a training program as defined in this chapter;

(2) Has passed the examination approved by the board, as specified by rules and regulations of the department, for respiratory care practitioners administered by a nationally recognized organization for respiratory care; and

(3) Is of good moral character.

(b) Respiratory care providers who are licensed or otherwise regulated to practice under laws of another state or territory or the District of Columbia may, upon receiving an authorization from the division, perform as a respiratory care practitioner under the supervision of a qualified and licensed respiratory care practitioner. If the applicant fails to receive licensure when the board reviews the application, all mentioned privileges shall automatically cease.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-11-14 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-11 / Section 23-11-14
§ 23-11-14. Reports by public and private laboratories.
Status: in_force

Whenever any public or private laboratory performs a laboratory test for any sexually transmitted disease, the result, if reactive or positive, shall be reported within ten (10) days after the test by the person in charge of the laboratory to the state department of health in the manner and form that may be prescribed by the director of health.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-15-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-15 / Section 23-15-7
§ 23-15-7. Health services council.
Status: in_force

The health services council, established in accordance with chapter 17 of this title, shall function as the advisory body to the state agency in discharging the purpose of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-104-7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-104 / Section 23-104-7
§ 23-104-7. Licensing and reporting reforms.
Status: in_force

Mental health disclosure reform.

(1) The board of examiners in podiatry (chapter 29 of title 5), the board of examiners in dentistry (chapter 31.1 of title 5), the board of medical licensure and discipline (chapter 37 of title 5), and the board of licensure for physician assistants (chapter 54 of title 5) shall revise licensing and renewal applications to:

(i) Eliminate broad questions regarding past mental health diagnoses.

(ii) Limit inquiries to current impairments affecting safe practice that are not being appropriately managed.

(iii) Emphasize that seeking mental health or substance abuse treatment will not automatically result in disciplinary action.

(2) The boards shall conform licensing requirements to those of the Federation of State Medical Boards and national best practices to ensure that mental health questions focus on functional ability and not diagnosis history.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-19-13.6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-19 / Section 23-19-13.6
§ 23-19-13.6. Cover materials not permitted.
Status: in_force

(a) No resource recovery system or facility made available by the corporation shall use the following as material to cover compacted solid waste at a sanitary landfill:

(1) Construction and demolition debris, whole, shredded, or pulverized, including wood (including painted, treated, and coated wood and wood products), land-clearing debris, wall coverings, plaster, drywall, plumbing fixtures, non-asbestos insulation, roofing shingles, and other roof coverings; or

(2) Organic materials, including materials that contain carbon-to-carbon bonds and are biodegradable, such as paper, wood, food waste, leaves, and yard waste. Organic materials may be used only as a final landfill cover with approval of the department of environmental management.

(b) Any facility violating the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500), nor more than five thousand dollars ($5,000). The fine shall be paid to the city or town in which the facility is located.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-104-2 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-104 / Section 23-104-2
§ 23-104-2. Purpose.
Status: in_force

The purpose of this act is to protect and promote the well-being of physicians, physician assistants, dentists, and podiatrists.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-25-35 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-25 / Section 23-25-35
§ 23-25-35. Repeal of inconsistent acts.
Status: repealed

Jurisdiction in all matters pertaining to the registration, sale, distribution, transportation, storage, use and application, disposal of pesticides and devices, and licensing and certification of applicators is, by this chapter, vested exclusively in the director, and all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this chapter are expressly repealed.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-11-18 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-11 / Section 23-11-18
§ 23-11-18. Legislative findings.
Status: in_force

The general assembly recognizes and declares that:

(1) The special legislative commission to study the feasibility of implementing a needle exchange program has met in accordance with 1992 joint resolution 192, and strongly recommends passage of a law enabling the department of health to implement a pilot needle exchange program for the prevention of HIV transmission among intravenous drug users;

(2) Seventy-one percent (71%) of all AIDS cases among women are linked to injection drug use; fifty-eight percent (58%) of children with AIDS were infected through their mother who injected drugs or had sex with an IDU. In Rhode Island, the number of injection drug users has been estimated as high as eight thousand (8,000); and intravenous drug use accounts for forty-five percent (45%) of reported cases of HIV infection since 1989;

(3) The yearly cost of a syringe exchange program is often less than the costs to treat a single person with AIDS. The lifetime medical costs for treating someone with AIDS is approximately eighty-five thousand dollars ($85,000);

(4) Needle exchange programs have been shown to reduce HIV transmission by as much as thirty-three percent (33%), and have been successfully implemented in over twenty (20) locations in the United States, including Boulder, Colorado; New Haven, Connecticut; Honolulu, Hawaii; Portland, Oregon; Seattle and Tacoma, Washington; San Francisco, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Indianapolis, Indiana;

(5) That legislation is necessary to enable the department of health to pursue additional funding from the federal government and private foundations for a needle exchange program; and the general assembly of the state does recognize and declare that a well designed and well monitored pilot needle exchange program should play a vital and necessary role in our larger public health effort to reduce the transmission of HIV; and

(6) This act should not be misconstrued to mean that the state endorses or encourages the illegal use and/or abuse of illicit or harmful substances in any form or method of transmission whatsoever. Rather, the express purpose of this act is to assist in the reduction of the transmission of life-threatening diseases, such as AIDS and HIV, through the use of contaminated needles and syringes. Moreover, it shall be the ongoing policy of the state to use its considerable resources to educate its citizens about the dangers of all forms of substance abuse in any manner of transmission and to foster programs of prevention so as to reduce the incidence of substance abuse, drug addiction, AIDS/HIV, and like problems.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-10.6 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-17 / Section 23-17-10.6
§ 23-17-10.6. Nursing facility wandering hazard prevention plans.
Status: in_force

Each nursing facility licensed under this chapter shall have a plan for preventing the hazards of resident wandering from the facility. The plan shall be submitted to the licensing agency in a format determined by the director.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-13-16 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-13 / Section 23-13-16
§ 23-13-16. Annual maternal and child health report.
Status: in_force

The department of health shall prepare and issue an annual report on the status of maternal and child health in this state. The report shall include, but need not be limited to, the following: (1) a statistical review and analysis of indicators of maternal and child health, such as low birthweights and infant mortality, including a discussion of any trends revealed by those statistics; (2) a summary of peer reviews of pregnancy-related and early childhood deaths occurring during the previous year; (3) identification of groups of mothers and children at high risk for morbidity and mortality; (4) identification of barriers to adequate maternal and child health care; (5) information regarding both government-funded and third party reimburse maternal and child health care services; and (6) recommendations to strengthen state efforts to improve pregnancy outcomes and to promote effective and coordinated maternal and child health care services. The report shall be submitted to the governor and the general assembly by January 15th of each year and shall be made available to the public.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-74-8 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-74 / Section 23-74-8
§ 23-74-8. Disciplinary actions.
Status: in_force

Forms of disciplinary action. When the director finds that an unlicensed health care practitioner has violated any provision of this chapter, the director may take one or more of the following actions, only against the individual practitioner:

(1) Revoke the right to practice;

(2) Suspend the right to practice;

(3) Impose limitations or conditions on the practitioners provision of unlicensed health care practices, impose rehabilitation requirements, or require practice under supervision;

(4) Assess against the practitioner the administrative costs of the proceedings instituted against him or her under this chapter; provided, that this assessment does not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000);

(5) Censure or reprimand the practitioner;

(6) Any other action justified by the case.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-9-12 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-9 / Section 23-9-12
§ 23-9-12. Federal quarantine system superseding Providence regulations.
Status: in_force

Whenever the United States of America shall put in force a system of national quarantine inspection for the port of Providence, the duties of the quarantine health officer and sentinel of that city shall be suspended for so long a period as the quarantine inspection shall be maintained, and whenever the United States shall establish a quarantine station, ground, or anchorage on or in the Providence River or Narragansett Bay, north of Conimicut Point, and put in force a complete system of national quarantine for the port of Providence, the provisions of §§ 23-9-1  23-9-11 shall not apply to the city of Providence or the port of Providence.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-75-4 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-75 / Section 23-75-4
§ 23-75-4. List of unsafe childrens products.
Status: in_force

(a) The department of health shall create, maintain, and update a comprehensive list of childrens products that have been identified as meeting any of the criteria set forth in § 23-75-3.

(b) The department of health shall make the comprehensive list available to the public at no cost and shall post it on the Internet, and encourage links.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-1-5.7 — RI Code / Title 23 / Chapter 23-1 / Section 23-1-5.7
§ 23-1-5.7. Well water purification licensing.
Status: in_force

(a) The director of the department of health shall promulgate rules and regulations for the licensing of well water purification companies. The rules shall include minimum qualifications for testing and analysis of wells and shall set forth comprehensive criteria for the distribution of chemicals used in the treatment of drinking water and potable well water. Upon promulgation of the rules, no person, firm, partnership, or other business association shall engage in the business of well water purification without first obtaining a license from the director of health. The director may revoke the license for just cause. The director may charge an appropriate license or registration fee to cover administrative costs.

(b) The licensing provisions of this section shall not apply to state employees carrying out official business of the state. The regulations issued under this section shall not apply to the design, installation, and operation of recovery wells utilized to treat contaminated groundwater provided that this activity is authorized by the department of environmental management and that the wells are not used for drinking water purposes.