Title 23, Title 23 and Safety

No alkaline-manganese battery manufactured on or after January 1, 1992, shall be distributed, offered for sale, or sold, if it contains more than 0.025 percent (.025%) mercury by weight; provided, however, that for any alkaline-manganese battery resembling a button or coin in siz…

No mercuric-oxide button cell battery may be distributed, sold or offered for sale in this state after January 1, 1993.

Effective January 1, 1994, no person shall knowingly place in municipal or commercial solid waste a nickel-cadmium, mercuric-oxide, or lead-acid dry cell battery or a rechargeable consumer product containing a nickel-cadmium or lead-acid dry cell battery.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity Act.”

As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases have the following meanings: (1) “Commission” means the commission of health advocacy and equity; formerly entitled the minority health advisory committee. (2) “Community-based health agency” means an organization that prov…

(a) The minority health advisory committee established by the Rhode Island department of health pursuant to the goals of chapter 23-64 is hereby renamed the commission for health advocacy and equity. The director of the department of health shall appoint twenty (20) individuals w…

(a) The purpose of the commission for health advocacy and equity shall be: (1) To advocate for the integration of all relevant activities of the state to achieve health equity; (2) To provide direct advice to the director of health, and indirect advice to the department’s senior …

(a) The commission shall be empowered to: (1) Review and comment on any proposed state legislation and regulations that would affect the health of populations in the state experiencing racial, ethnic, cultural, socio-economic or linguistic disparities in health status; (2) Educat…

(a) Beginning two (2) years after establishment of the commission, and every two (2) years after, the commission shall prepare a disparities impact and evaluation report which shall be posted on the department of health website and the website of the executive office of health an…

The commission shall, in consultation with the department of health and other appropriate state agencies, make recommendations for data collection, analysis and dissemination activities by all entities involved in the collection of patient and health care professional information…

The commission shall make recommendations for the coordination of state, local and private sector efforts to develop a more racially and ethnically diverse health care workforce. Such recommendations shall include the evaluation and development of the community health workforce. …

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Stroke Prevention and Treatment Act of 2009.”

It is hereby found and declared as follows: (1) The rapid identification, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke can save the lives of stroke victims and in some cases can reverse neurological damage such as paralysis and speech and language impairments, leaving stroke victims with f…

(a) The director of the department of health shall establish a process to recognize comprehensive and primary stroke centers and acute stroke-ready hospitals in Rhode Island. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and the American Heart Association/Amer…

All acute care hospitals shall maintain readiness to treat stroke patients. This shall include: (1) Adherence with American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines; (2) Establishment of written care protocols for the treatment of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke p…

(a) The department of health, division of emergency medical services, and the ambulance service advisory board shall adopt and distribute a nationally recognized standardized assessment tool for stroke. The division of emergency medical services shall post this stroke assessment …

(a) The department of health shall establish and implement a plan for achieving continuous quality improvement in the quality of care provided under the statewide system for stroke response and treatment. In implementing this plan, the department of health shall undertake the fol…

This chapter is not a medical practice guideline and may not be used to restrict the authority of a hospital to provide services for which it has received a license under state law. The general assembly intends that all patients be treated individually based on each patient’s nee…

The department of health shall have the authority to adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Rare Disease Advisory Council.”

(a) There is established in the department of health the rare disease advisory council. (b) The purpose of the council is to provide guidance and recommendations to educate the public, legislature, as well as other government agencies, on the needs of individuals with rare diseas…

(a) All members of the council shall be full-time residents of Rhode Island and membership shall include a diverse set of stakeholders. (b) The governor shall appoint all members and shall designate a chair of the council within thirty (30) days of enactment. The chair shall not …

(a) Term of members. Council members shall serve no longer than three (3) years, except that, to facilitate a staggered rotation of members to retain continuity and knowledge transfer, during the initial five (5) years after the establishment of the council, members may serve up …

(a) The council shall submit a report to the governor, the speaker of the house and the president of the senate, and the chairs of the house and senate health and finance committees within one year of enactment of the council and annually thereafter. Prior to submission, a draft …

(a) Frequency. (1) The initial meeting of the council shall occur within the first ninety (90) days after enactment. (2) During the first twelve (12) months after the initial meeting, the council shall meet each month. (3) Thereafter, the council shall meet once per quarter in pe…

(a) The purpose of this chapter is to authorize a pilot program to prevent drug overdoses through the establishment of “harm reduction centers,” which, as used in this chapter, shall be defined as a community-based resource for health screening, disease prevention, and recovery a…

There is hereby established an advisory committee to advise the director of the department of health with respect to the regulations necessary to effectuate the purpose of this chapter. The advisory committee shall be chaired by the director of the department of health, or the di…

The advisory committee shall make recommendations to the director of the department of health with respect to the following: (1) Maximizing the potential public health and safety benefits of harm reduction centers; (2) The proper disposal of hypodermic needles and syringes; (3) T…

Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a person or entity, including, but not limited to, property owners, managers, employees, volunteers, clients or participants, and state, city, or town government employees acting in the course and scope of employment, shall not be ar…

The director of the department of health shall promulgate regulations authorized by this chapter no later than March 1, 2022. Provided, the director shall amend these regulations to the extent the director deems necessary after March 1, 2022, to address the smoking of pre-obtaine…

On or before January 31, 2028, the director of the department of health and the attorney general shall submit to the governor, the speaker of the house, and the president of the senate, a report which includes, at a minimum, the number of individuals served by each harm reduction…

As used in this chapter the following words, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: (1) “Administrative penalty” means a monetary penalty not to exceed the civil penalty specified by statute or, where not specified by statute, an amount not to…

The director may assess an administrative penalty on a person who fails to comply with any federal requirements for participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, any provision of chapter 17 of this title as the provision relates to skilled nursing or intermediate care facili…

Whenever the director seeks to assess an administrative penalty on any person, the director shall cause to be served upon the person, either by service, in hand, or by certified mail, return receipt requested, a written notice of its intent to assess an administrative penalty whi…

(a) Whenever the director seeks to assess an administrative penalty on any person, the person shall have the right to a hearing under chapter 35 of title 42, the provisions of which shall apply except when they are inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter. (b) The person …

If an administrative penalty is assessed at the conclusion of a hearing, the administrative penalty shall be final upon the expiration of thirty (30) days if no action for judicial review of the decision is commenced pursuant to chapter 35 of title 42.

In determining the amount of each administrative penalty, the director shall include, but not be limited to, the following to the extent practicable in his or her considerations: (1) The actual and potential impact on health, safety, and welfare of the public or any member of the…

The administrative penalty shall be not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) plus interest for each violation or failure to comply unless a different amount is authorized by statute as a civil penalty for the subject violation. Each and every occurrence and/or day during whic…

The director is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.

If any provision of this chapter or the application of any provision to any person or circumstances is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the chapter, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to th…

The general assembly finds and declares that the health and welfare of the citizens of the state requires the close supervision of skilled nursing facilities and intermediate care facilities.

The state shall have a lien for reasonable costs incurred pursuant to this chapter on the following property: the building in which the facility is located if owned by a controlling person; the land on which the facility is located if owned by a controlling person; and any fixtur…

(a) Prohibition against discrimination. No person subject to the provisions of this chapter may discharge, demote, threaten or otherwise discriminate against any person or employee with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment as a reprisal because t…

Any facility or person that intentionally fails to comply with §§ 23-17.11-4(c) and (d), 23-17.11-7 and 23-17.11-8 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisoned for not more than one year. Each day of violatio…

If any provision of this chapter or application thereof to any person or circumstance 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 provi…

The purpose of this chapter is to ensure quality care for citizens of the state by vesting in the department of health the power necessary to regulate nursing facilities and provide appropriate legal remedies to provide quality of care for residents in nursing care facilities.