Legislation

As students largely transitioned to virtual education over the past year of the COVID-19 pandemic, issues of student privacy on school-loaned devices rightly crept to the forefront of public conversation.

For over a decade, our organization has maintained that the inclusion of personal health care and medical information through the RI Health Insurance Exchange (HIE) must be on a strictly voluntary basis through an opt-in, rather than an opt-out, system.

A bill introduced to remove the sunset provision in a law which established a team within the Department of Health to review drug-related overdoses prompted our opposition to language which continued to make law enforcement personnel central to the composition of the team.

This important piece of technology, privacy, and law enforcement policy would have prohibited law enforcement agencies from using stingray devices without a court order.

In an effort to protect the medical privacy of individual members on an insurance plan, this legislation will require that explanation of benefit documents be sent to the member that they concern, rather than the holder of the plan.

Although it may appear counterintuitive, one of the most effective ways to address substance use disorder is through the establishment of clinics in which an individual can self-administer previously obtained controlled substances while under medical supervision.

This legislation would have created a commission to study the impact of decriminalizing prostitution laws in Rhode Island.

While we supported several provisions in this bill, which addressed the sale and maintenance of consumers’ personal information by businesses, we noted that the legislation could have been strengthened in two ways in order to more effectively protect consumers.

Although vetoed last year by the governor, this bill, which requires disclosure as to whether a property had been used to grow marijuana before the property is sold, was re-introduced this session and initially raised concerns.