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2013 -- S 0903 | |
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LC02152 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
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JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013 | |
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A N A C T | |
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RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENTS OF STATE | |
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GOVERNMENT | |
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     Introduced By: Senator Ryan W. Pearson | |
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     Date Introduced: May 02, 2013 | |
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     Referred To: Senate Finance | |
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It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
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     SECTION 1. Chapter 42-6 of the General Laws entitled "Departments of State |
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Government" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: |
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     42-6-15. Information sharing among departments; Confidentiality of information. -- |
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(a) Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, and subject to the confidentiality |
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requirements of this section, the directors of the several departments specified in section 42-6-2 |
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shall be empowered and authorized to enter into memoranda of understanding to share |
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information among themselves for the effective administration and function of their departments |
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including, but not limited to, program integrity efforts. Such information shall include |
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information identifying an individual, including, but not limited to, any record, report, or other |
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information for the purposes of satisfying a request from another department in order to prevent |
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or detect waste or fraud, or performing or enforcing any of such departments' requirements or |
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obligations under the Rhode Island general laws. The information received by any department |
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pursuant hereto pertaining to an individual shall be held confidential and shall not be open to |
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public inspection, nor shall it be subject to disclosure pursuant to title 38, chapter 2. Nothing |
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herein shall prohibit the disclosure of statistics and/or statistical data that does not disclose the |
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identity of individuals. |
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     (b) Any information identifying an individual shared under this section, shall be held |
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confidential by the director of the receiving department and its employees, agents, and |
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representatives, and shall not be published or be subject to public inspection in any manner, |
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including pursuant to title 38, chapter 2. Any department director, employee, agent, or |
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representative guilty of violating the provisions of this section may be punished by a fine of not |
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more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, or both. |
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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC02152 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
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BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
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OF | |
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A N A C T | |
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RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENTS OF STATE | |
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GOVERNMENT | |
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     This act would permit department directors to enter memoranda of understanding |
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providing for the sharing of information among each other that would improve the effective |
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administration and function of their departments. |
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     This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC02152 | |
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