2025 -- H 5892

========

LC001481

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT

ADMINISTRATION

     Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Caldwell, Dawson, Fogarty, Knight, Bennett,
and Alzate

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2025

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Judiciary)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 8-15 of the General Laws entitled "Court Administration" is hereby

amended by adding thereto the following section:

     8-15-12. Rhode Island judicial security act.

     (a) As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires

otherwise, have the following meanings:

     (1) "Data broker" means a commercial entity that collects, assembles, or maintains personal

information concerning an individual who is not a customer or an employee of that entity in order

to sell the information or provide third-party access to the information.

     (2) "Immediate family" means the spouse, domestic partner, child, step-child, parent, or

any other blood relative who lives in the same residence as a retired, recalled, or current justice,

judge, or magistrate within the Rhode Island unified judicial system, as defined in § 8-15-1, and

retired, recalled, or current judges and magistrate judges within the United States Federal District

Court for the District of Rhode Island, as well as retired, recalled, or current judges within the

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit who reside in the State of Rhode Island.

     (3) "Personal information" means the Social Security number, residence addresses, home

phone numbers, mobile phone numbers, or personal email addresses of, and identifiable to, the

protected individual or immediate family member.

     (4) "Protected Individual" means a retired, recalled, or current justice, judge, or magistrate

of the Rhode Island unified judicial system, as defined in § 8-15-1, and retired, recalled, or current

justices, judges and magistrates of the United States Supreme Court, United States Courts of

Appeal, United States District Courts and United States Bankruptcy Courts who reside in the State

of Rhode Island.

     (b)(1) No state agency, county agency or municipal agency shall publicly post or display

the personal information of any protected individual without first obtaining the written permission

of that individual.

     (2) Each protected individual may file a written notice of their status as a protected

individual, for themselves and immediate family with any state, county, or municipal agency

requesting each state, county, or municipal agency to mark as confidential the protected

individual’s or immediate family member’s personal information.

     (3) Upon receipt of a written request in accordance with this section, the state, county, or

municipal agency shall remove the protected individual’s or immediate family member’s personal

information from publicly available content within seventy-two (72) hours; and further, shall not

publicly post or display the personal information of any protected individual or immediate family

member without first obtaining written permission from the protected individual.

     (c)(1) In accordance with this section, it shall be unlawful for a data broker to sell, license,

trade, purchase, or otherwise provide or make available for consideration a protected individual’s

or immediate family member’s personal information.

     (2) Each protected individual may file a written notice of their status as a protected

individual, for themselves and immediate family, to any person, data broker, business, or

association, requesting the person, data broker, business, or association mark as confidential the

protected individual’s or immediate family member’s personal information.

     (3) In accordance with this section, upon receipt of a written request submitted by the

protected individual, either directly or through an agent, to the person, data broker, business, or

association, the person, data broker, business, or association shall remove the protected individual’s

or immediate family member’s personal information from publicly available content within

seventy-two (72) hours; and further, shall not in the future publicly post or display the personal

information of any protected individual or immediate family member without first obtaining written

permission from the protected individual.

     (4) After receiving a protected individual’s written request, a person, data broker, business,

or association shall ensure that the protected individual’s or the immediate family member’s

personal information is not made available on any website or subsidiary website under their control

controlled by that data broker, person, business, or association.

LC001481 - Page 2 of 4

     (5) After receiving a protected individual’s written request, no person, data broker, business

or association shall transfer the judge's or an immediate family member's personally identifiable

information to any other person, business, or association through any medium.

     (6) A protected individual, or their immediate family member, whose personally

identifiable information is made public as a result of a violation of this section may bring an action

seeking injunctive or declaratory relief in any court of competent jurisdiction within the State of

Rhode Island. If the court grants injunctive or declaratory relief, the person, business, or association

responsible for the violation shall be required to pay the individual’s costs and reasonable attorneys'

fees.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC001481

========

LC001481 - Page 3 of 4

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT

ADMINISTRATION

***

     This act would protect the personal information of judicial officers and their immediate

family members who serve or have served the Rhode Island unified judicial system, as well as

judicial officers who reside in Rhode Island and who serve or have served in the federal courts,

including the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals, the United States

District Courts and the United States Bankruptcy Courts.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC001481

========

LC001481 - Page 4 of 4