Title 8
Courts and Civil Procedure — Courts

Chapter 15
Court Administration

§ 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 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, 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) 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, 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, 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.