2023 -- H 5875

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LC002096

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Phillips, Cardillo, Hull, J. Brien, and Corvese

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2023

     Referred To: House Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 23-1-44 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-1 entitled "Department

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of Health" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     23-1-44. Routine childhood and adult immunization vaccines.

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     (a) The department of health shall include in the department’s immunization program those

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vaccines for routine childhood immunization as recommended by the Advisory Committee for

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Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and for routine adult

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immunization as recommended by the ACIP, to the extent permitted by available funds. The

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immunization program includes administrative and quality assurance services and the Rhode Island

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Child and Adult Immunization Registry (RICAIR), a confidential, computerized information

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system that is used to manage statewide immunizations, for all persons in Rhode Island.

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     (b) The director of the department of health shall appoint an advisory committee that will

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be convened after the ACIP makes a recommendation regarding immunization. The committee will

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review the ACIP recommendations for the state; assess the vaccine cost and feasibility; and advise

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the director of health and the office of the health insurance commissioner regarding insurers and

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providers acting on the ACIP immunization recommendation. All recommendations will be posted

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on the department of health website. The advisory committee membership shall include, but not be

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limited to, a primary care provider, pharmacist, representatives of the nursing home industry, the

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home healthcare industry and major insurers.

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     (c) For the purpose of protecting patients’ information, all personally-identifiable

 

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information obtained pursuant to this section shall be subject to the privacy protections of chapter

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37.3 of title 5 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No.

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104-191 (HIPAA), as amended.

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     (d) On any form (the "form") issued by a public or private school in this state to a parent,

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guardian, or person responsible for a pupil, regarding vaccination requirements prior to that pupil

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being allowed access to or entrance into the school, the form shall include information that the

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parent, guardian, or responsible person may opt out of the vaccination requirement for the pupil

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based upon a religious or medical exemption. This section shall apply regardless of whether the

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form is issued in a traditional or "hard copy" format, or as an electronic version, or in some other

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format.

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     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 HEALTH AND SAFETY -- DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

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     This act would provide that school forms pertaining to vaccination requirements include

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information about religious and medical exemptions.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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