Rhode Island Code of Regulations › Title 210 - Executive Office of Health and Human Services › Chapter 10 - EOHHS General Provisions › Subchapter 05 - Consumer Rights, Responsibilities, and Protections › Part 4 - Access to Public Records (210-RICR-10-05-4) › Section 210-RICR-10-05-4.5 - Procedure for Requesting Public Records

Current through June 14, 2024
4.5.1
Public Records
A. All records
				  defined as public record in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 38-2 shall be open for
				  public inspection during normal business hours of the Departments.
B. All requests for records shall be in
				  writing unless readily available, or available under the Administrative
				  Procedures Act, or prepared for the public. A written request to inspect or
				  copy public records should be sent to the Division of Legal Services at the
				  Department. Written requests may be mailed, hand delivered, e-mailed to the
				  Department, or through the Access to Public Records page of the State of Rhode
				  Island's Transparency Portal or another internet portal approved by the
				  Department or sent via facsimile. Hand delivered requests may be made during
				  the Department's regular business hours. It is suggested, but not required,
				  that requests be submitted on the form provided by the Department. Forms
				  adopted by EOHHS to request to inspect and/or reproduce public records can be
				  obtained at www.eohhs.ri.gov. In order to assure that the Department is able to
				  respond to the request as efficiently and as completely as possible, the
				  request should identify and describe the records being requested with as much
				  specificity as possible. A written record of all requests will be maintained
				  within each Division of the Department.
C. If the description of records sought in
				  the request is not sufficient to allow the specific Department to identify and
				  locate the requested records, the Department will notify the requestor that
				  additional information is required. Nothing herein shall be construed as
				  requiring the Department to reorganize, consolidate, or compile data not
				  maintained by the Department in the form requested at the time the request to
				  inspect such record is made except to the extent that such records are in an
				  electronic format and the Department would not be unduly burdened in providing
				  such data.
D. Any person seeking
				  copies of public records may elect to obtain them in any and all media in which
				  the Department is capable of providing them. If the Department maintains its
				  records in a computer storage system, the Department shall provide any data
				  properly identified in a printout or other reasonable format, as requested.
E. Nothing in this section shall
				  be construed as requiring the Department to reorganize, consolidate, or compile
				  data not maintained by the Department in the form requested at the time the
				  request to inspect the public records was made except to the extent that such
				  records are in an electronic format and the Department would not be unduly
				  burdened in providing such data.
F.
				  No records shall be withheld based on the purpose for which the Records are
				  sought, nor shall the Department require, as a condition of fulfilling a
				  Request, that a Requestor provide a reason for the Request or provide
				  personally identifiable information about him/herself.
G. At the election of the person seeking
				  records, the Department shall provide copies of the records electronically, by
				  facsimile, or by mail in accordance with the person's choice, unless complying
				  with that preference would be unduly burdensome due to the volume of records
				  requested or the costs that would be incurred. The person requesting the
				  records shall be responsible for the actual cost of delivery, if any.