Title 42, Title 42 Affairs and Government

(a) Any records of the department pertaining to children and their families in need of service pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; or for whom an application for services has been made, shall be confidential and only disclosed as provided by law. (b) Records may be disclo…

There shall be established as many regional or local service centers as may be deemed necessary by the director. Factors to be included in the determination are population density, travel time, and degree of correspondence to the geographic jurisdictions of other agencies. Each d…

The purpose of this chapter is to establish a public safety department. This department is responsible to consolidate the law enforcement services presently provided by six divisions and agencies within the executive branch of state government. The consolidation of these division…

If any provision of this chapter or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such 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 …

There is hereby established within the executive branch of state government a department of public safety.

The department of public safety shall be responsible for the management and administration of the following divisions and agencies: (1) Office of the capitol police (chapter 2.2 of title 12). (2) [Deleted by P.L. 2018, ch. 47, art. 3, § 6.] (3) E-911 emergency telephone system di…

(a) Division established. A division of sheriffs is hereby established within the department of public safety. This division shall be responsible for statewide activities assigned by law that relate to the duties and functions of the sheriffs of the several counties. The division…

The department of public safety is responsible to: (1) Improve the economy, efficiency, coordination, and quality of public safety services policy and planning, budgeting and financing, communications and training. (2) Increase public confidence by conducting independent reviews …

The department of public safety shall be administered by a director, who shall also serve as superintendent of the Rhode Island state police. The director shall be appointed by the governor and shall hold office at the pleasure of the governor and until a successor is appointed a…

(a) The director shall be responsible to the governor for managing the department of public safety and for providing strategic leadership and direction to the divisions and agencies within the department. (b) The director of public safety is authorized to: (1) Coordinate the admi…

The governor may, by executive order, reassign any advisory bodies, boards, or commissions associated or affiliated with the divisions or agencies of the department of public safety.

The director, subject to the provisions of applicable state law, shall be the appointing authority for all employees of the department of public safety.

The department of public safety is authorized to make and promulgate such rules and regulations as he or she deems necessary for the proper administration of this chapter and to carry out the purposes thereof.

There is created the child advocate office.

All records of the child advocate pertaining to the care and treatment of a child shall be confidential. Information contained in those records may not be disclosed publicly in any manner that would identify individuals, but records shall be available to persons approved, upon ap…

The state of Rhode Island shall protect and hold harmless any attorney, director, investigator, social worker, or other person employed by the office of the child advocate and/or any volunteer appointed by the child advocate, from financial loss and expense, including legal fees …

The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint a member of the bar of this state who has been admitted to practice law for at least three (3) years to fill the office of the child advocate, who shall be a person qualified by training and experience to perf…

There is hereby established an advisory committee to the office of the child advocate established under § 42-73-1. The advisory committee shall consist of nine (9) members, one attorney appointed by the Rhode Island Bar Association; one judge or magistrate of the family court app…

(a) It shall be the duty of the advisory committee to provide advice and support to the child advocate related to the duties described in § 42-73-7. The committee’s duties include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Establish a regular meeting schedule and form subcommitt…

(a) The department of children, youth and families shall notify the office of the child advocate verbally and electronically within forty-eight (48) hours of a confirmed fatality or near fatality of a child who is the subject of a DCYF case and shall provide the office of the chi…

The child advocate may appoint those assistants that may be deemed necessary whose powers and duties shall be similar to those imposed upon the child advocate by law and any other staff as is deemed necessary. The duties of the assistants and other staff members shall be performe…

The general assembly shall annually appropriate those sums it may deem necessary for the payment of the salaries of the staff and for the payment of office expenses and other actual expenses incurred by the child advocate in the performance of the child advocate's duties; and the…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this or any other chapter to the contrary, the child advocate shall act independently of the department of children, youth and families in the performance of the child advocate's duties.

The child advocate shall annually submit, to the governor and the general assembly, a detailed report analyzing the work of the child advocate's office and any recommendations resulting therefrom, including non-identifying child-fatality and near-fatality information and recommen…

The child advocate shall perform the following duties: (1) Insure that each child in protective care, custody or in treatment, and in proper cases, others interested in the child’s welfare is apprised of his or her rights under this chapter and chapter 72 of this title; (2) Revie…

The child advocate shall have access to the following information: (1) The names of all children in protective services, treatment, or other programs under the jurisdiction of the department of children, youth and families, and their location if in custody; (2) All written report…

The child advocate shall have the following rights and powers: (1) To communicate privately, by mail or orally, with any child in treatment, or under protective services; (2) To have access, including the right to inspect, copy, and/or subpoena records held by the clerk of the fa…

(a) In addition to the powers set forth in § 42-73-9, the child advocate, or the child advocate's designee, shall have the power to commence in the superior court a civil action against the state pursuant to the provisions of chapter 25 of title 12 on behalf of any child the cust…

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as “The Healthcare Services Funding Plan Act.”

Every insurer required to make the contribution shall: (1) Keep records as may be necessary to determine the amount of its liability under this section; (2) Preserve those records for a period of three (3) years following the date of filing of any return required by this section,…

(a) The payments required by this chapter may be made by electronic transfer of monies to the general treasurer. (b) The general treasurer shall take all steps necessary to facilitate the transfer of monies to: (1) The “childhood immunization account” described in § 23-1-45(a) in…

The secretary is authorized to make and promulgate rules, regulations, and procedures not inconsistent with state law and fiscal procedures as the secretary deems necessary for the proper administration of this healthcare services funding plan act and to carry out the provisions,…

(a) In addition to any exclusion and exemption contained elsewhere in this chapter, this chapter shall not apply to insurance coverage providing benefits for, nor shall an individual be deemed a contribution enrollee solely by virtue of receiving benefits for the following: (1) H…

(a) Allocation. An insurer required to make a healthcare services funding contribution may pass on the cost of that contribution in the cost of its services, such as its premium rates (for insurers), without being required to specifically allocate those costs to individuals or po…

Recognizing the value of the immunization programs to municipal employees, police, fire, and other public safety officers, and to teachers and other school district employees, the director of the department of health or the director’s designee shall meet with representatives and …

The following words and phrases as used in this chapter shall have the following meaning: (1)(i) “Contribution enrollee” means an individual residing in this state, with respect to whom an insurer administers, provides, pays for, insures, or covers healthcare services, unless exc…

(a) Each insurer is required to pay the healthcare services funding contribution for each contribution enrollee of the insurer at the time the contribution is calculated and paid, at the rate set forth in this section. (1) Beginning January 1, 2016, the secretary shall set the he…

(a) Subject to subsection (b), every insurer required to make a contribution shall, on or before the last day of July, October, January, and April of each year, make a return to the secretary together with payment of the quarterly healthcare services funding contribution for the …

If an insurer required to make the contribution pursuant to this chapter shall fail to pay a contribution within thirty (30) days of its due date, the secretary may request any agency of state government making payments to the insurer to setoff the amount of the delinquency again…

If any insurer shall fail to file a return within the time required by this chapter, or shall file an insufficient or incorrect return, or shall not pay the contribution imposed by this section when it is due, the secretary shall assess the contribution upon the information as ma…

(a) Any insurer required to pay the contribution may file a claim for refund with the secretary at any time within two (2) years after the contribution has been paid. If the secretary shall determine that the contribution has been overpaid, the secretary shall make a refund with …

Any insurer aggrieved by the action of the secretary in determining the amount of any contribution or penalty imposed under the provisions of this chapter may apply to the secretary, within thirty (30) days after the notice of the action is mailed to it, for a hearing relative to…

Appeals from administrative orders or decisions made pursuant to any provisions of this chapter shall be pursued pursuant to chapter 35 of this title. The right to appeal under this section shall be expressly made conditional upon prepayment of all contribution, interest, and pen…

(a) There shall be a continuing children’s code commission charged with the duty of studying, revising, and codifying, if possible, all laws affecting the health and welfare of children. (b) The children’s code commission shall consist of twenty-one (21) members, each of whom sha…

It is declared to be the policy of the state to join with the federal government, private patrons, and institutions and professional organizations concerned with the arts to insure that the role of the arts in the life of Rhode Island communities will continue to grow and will pl…

The commission shall prepare and submit a report of its activities to the governor and the general assembly in the month of February each year, which report may also include its recommendations for legislative action.