Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5875 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 5875
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7	7	LC002096
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives Phillips, Cardillo, Hull, J. Brien, and Corvese
17	17	Date Introduced: March 01, 2023
18	18	Referred To: House Health & Human Services
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21	21	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
22	22	SECTION 1. Section 23-1-44 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-1 entitled "Department 1
23	23	of Health" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
24	24	23-1-44. Routine childhood and adult immunization vaccines. 3
25	25	(a) The department of health shall include in the department’s immunization program those 4
26	26	vaccines for routine childhood immunization as recommended by the Advisory Committee for 5
27	27	Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and for routine adult 6
28	28	immunization as recommended by the ACIP, to the extent permitted by available funds. The 7
29	29	immunization program includes administrative and quality assurance services and the Rhode Island 8
30	30	Child and Adult Immunization Registry (RICAIR), a confidential, computerized information 9
31	31	system that is used to manage statewide immunizations, for all persons in Rhode Island. 10
32	32	(b) The director of the department of health shall appoint an advisory committee that will 11
33	33	be convened after the ACIP makes a recommendation regarding immunization. The committee will 12
34	34	review the ACIP recommendations for the state; assess the vaccine cost and feasibility; and advise 13
35	35	the director of health and the office of the health insurance commissioner regarding insurers and 14
36	36	providers acting on the ACIP immunization recommendation. All recommendations will be posted 15
37	37	on the department of health website. The advisory committee membership shall include, but not be 16
38	38	limited to, a primary care provider, pharmacist, representatives of the nursing home industry, the 17
39	39	home healthcare industry and major insurers. 18
40	40	(c) For the purpose of protecting patients’ information, all personally-identifiable 19
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44	44	information obtained pursuant to this section shall be subject to the privacy protections of chapter 1
45	45	37.3 of title 5 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 2
46	46	104-191 (HIPAA), as amended. 3
47	47	(d) On any form (the "form") issued by a public or private school in this state to a parent, 4
48	48	guardian, or person responsible for a pupil, regarding vaccination requirements prior to that pupil 5
49	49	being allowed access to or entrance into the school, the form shall include information that the 6
50	50	parent, guardian, or responsible person may opt out of the vaccination requirement for the pupil 7
51	51	based upon a religious or medical exemption. This section shall apply regardless of whether the 8
52	52	form is issued in a traditional or "hard copy" format, or as an electronic version, or in some other 9
53	53	format. 10
54	54	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 11
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61	61	EXPLANATION
62	62	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
63	63	OF
64	64	A N A C T
65	65	RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
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67	67	This act would provide that school forms pertaining to vaccination requirements include 1
68	68	information about religious and medical exemptions. 2
69	69	This act would take effect upon passage. 3
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