2026 -- H 7640

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LC005105

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

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

ADMINISTRATION

     Introduced By: Representatives McEntee, Caldwell, Knight, Dawson, Spears, and
Bennett

     Date Introduced: February 11, 2026

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     (Judiciary)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 8-15-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-15 entitled "Court

Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     8-15-12. Rhode Island judicial security act. [Effective January 1, 2026.]

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

otherwise, have the following meanings:

     (1) “Data aggregator” means a commercial entity that collects, assembles, or maintains

personal information concerning an individual 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 protected individual, as defined herein.

     (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 or immediate family member following receipt

of notice provided for in subsection (b)(2) of this section 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 submitted by a

protected individual, either directly or through an agent, 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.

     (4) A state, county, or municipal agency shall comply with a written request received from

a protected individual's authorized agent if the request is submitted with a notarized affidavit signed

by the protected individual identifying their agent as being authorized to act on the protected

individual's behalf in accordance with this section.

     (4)(5) This subsection (b) shall not prohibit the list of delinquent taxpayers published

pursuant to § 44-1-34 from containing the name of any protected individual or immediate family

member, the type of tax levied, and the amount of the delinquency, including interest and penalty.

Addresses, including the city or town and zip code, of any protected individual or immediate family

member shall not be disclosed on such list once the division of taxation receives a written notice

filed in accordance with subsection (b)(2) of this section.

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

license, trade, purchase, or otherwise provide or make available for consideration a protected

individual’s or immediate family member’s personal information following receipt of notice

provided for in subsection (b)(2) of this section.

     (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 aggregator, business, or

association, requesting the person, data aggregator, 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 aggregator, business,

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or association, the person, data aggregator, business, or association shall remove the protected

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

within ten (10) business days; 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) Within ten (10) business days after receiving a protected individual’s written request, a

person, data aggregator, 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 controlled by the person, data aggregator, business, or association, except for

disclosures to governmental agencies, law enforcement, healthcare organizations, insurance

organizations, financial institutions, or in connection with fraud prevention services or legal

process.

     (5) A person, data aggregator, business, or association shall comply with a written request

received from a protected individual’s authorized agent if the request is submitted with a notarized

affidavit signed by the protected individual identifying their agent as being authorized to act on the

protected individual’s behalf in accordance with this section.

     (6) After receiving a protected individual’s written request, either directly or through an

agent, no person, data aggregator, business, or association shall transfer the protected individual’s

or an immediate family member’s personally identifiable information to any other person, business,

or association through any medium except as provided herein. This section shall not apply to a

transfer made at the request of the protected individual or that is necessary to effectuate the request

to the data aggregator, business, or association from the protected individual.

     (7) 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.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

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

ADMINISTRATION

***

     This act would for purposes of the judicial security act permit an authorized agent to file a

written notice with a state, county, or municipal agency on behalf of a protected individual.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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