Legislation

The General Assembly passed legislation allowing health care providers to disclose a patient’s personal medical information to law enforcement under a variety of circumstances.

This year, the General Assembly dismantled the privacy of employees by permitting the random drug testing of any person working in the “highway maintenance industry,” from highway workers to receptionists.

Following the nationwide revelations that the federal government had obtained millions of cell phone information records from Verizon, the General Assembly failed to protect Rhode Islanders against rampant phone location tracking.

The General Assembly added Rhode Island to the list of states that have joined the National Popular Vote compact.

The House adopted amendments proposed by the ACLU in addressing legislation that restricted the possession of the plants salvia divinorum and datura stramonium, or Gypsum Weed.

With table games legalized in Rhode Island, the General Assembly fast-tracked legislation overhauling the casino gaming statute and adding a number of new crimes, penalties, and regulations.

In May, the ACLU testified before the House Judiciary committee in opposition to a proposed state constitutional amendment responding to the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United decision.

In 2011, RI passed a law making seat belt violations a primary traffic offense, meaning that any individual could be pulled over by law enforcement solely for failing to wear a seat belt. The ACLU objected that this legislation would give law enforcement another tool to engage in racial profiling.

In response to the tragic events of Sandy Hook and Aurora, the General Assembly leadership introduced a package of gun control legislation covering a wide variety of issues.