Rhode Island General Laws
Chapter 23-1 - Department of Health
Section 23-1-18. - Power to provide rules and regulations in specific areas.

§ 23-1-18. Power to provide rules and regulations in specific areas.
Without limiting the generality of § 23-1-17, the rules and regulations relating to sanitation and health provided for by § 23-1-17 may include:
(1) Provisions fixing responsibilities of owners, operators, and occupants of land or buildings for the sanitary condition, maintenance, use, and occupancy of the land and buildings.
(2) Minimum standards with respect to the reporting of any disease and the quarantine of persons affected by that disease.
(3) Minimum standards and conditions for the location, construction, and sanitary quality of all drinking water supplies.
(4) Minimum standards for facilities and sanitary conditions for schools and the health care for school children.
(5) Minimum standards with respect to the maintenance and operation of food businesses.
(6) Minimum standards of air quality consistent with human health.
(7) Minimum standards consistent with human health for the quality of the waters of the state.
(8) Minimum standards consistent with human health for the quality of public drinking water.
(9) Minimum standards for immunization and testing for communicable diseases, including, but not limited to, tuberculosis, of employees, children, and students at any child daycare center, family daycare home, private nursery school, any other regular program providing educational services to preschool-aged children, public or private school, college, or university.
(10) Provisions requiring the reporting of immunization status and any other relevant information that the director determines appropriate for all persons for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an immunization registry; provided, however, that the information collected by the department for the immunization registry will only include data elements nationally endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to meet standards for immunization information systems, and that all personally identifiable information obtained pursuant to this section shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 37.3 of title 5 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-191 (HIPAA), as amended. Any person may opt out of and choose to remove his or her information from the immunization registry by contacting the department directly by phone or by submitting a form online that shall be made available on the department’s website.
(11) Provisions requiring the reporting of inventories and sales of drugs, devices, and other products potentially related to the outbreak of disease. All information acquired under this subsection by the department of health is confidential and not subject to public access pursuant to chapter 2 of title 38.
History of Section.P.L. 1966, ch. 109, § 1; P.L. 1967, ch. 61, § 1; P.L. 1968, ch. 192, § 1; P.L. 1971, ch. 42, § 1; P.L. 1977, ch. 182, § 8; P.L. 1977, ch. 279, § 1; P.L. 1978, ch. 131, § 2; P.L. 1978, ch. 229, § 3; P.L. 1993, ch. 253, § 2; P.L. 1993, ch. 406, § 2; P.L. 2003, ch. 185, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 189, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 196, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 284, § 1.

Structure Rhode Island General Laws

Rhode Island General Laws

Title 23 - Health and Safety

Chapter 23-1 - Department of Health

Section 23-1-1. - General functions of department.

Section 23-1-1.1. - Health planning — Findings.

Section 23-1-1.2. - Health planning process.

Section 23-1-1.3. - Transfer of responsibilities.

Section 23-1-2. - Inquiries to local authorities and physicians.

Section 23-1-3. - Maintenance of laboratories.

Section 23-1-4. - Vital records.

Section 23-1-5. - Enforcement of sanitary laws.

Section 23-1-5.1. - Laboratory testing services.

Section 23-1-5.2. - Office of private well water contamination.

Section 23-1-5.3. - Duties of the office of private well water contamination.

Section 23-1-5.4. - Access to information.

Section 23-1-5.5. - Annual report.

Section 23-1-5.6. - Repealed.

Section 23-1-5.7. - Well water purification licensing.

Section 23-1-6. - Shellfish packing houses.

Section 23-1-7. - Industrial hygiene.

Section 23-1-8. - Forensic scientist — Crime detection.

Section 23-1-9. - Annual report to general assembly.

Section 23-1-10 - — 23-1-12. Repealed.

Section 23-1-13. - Appropriations and disbursements.

Section 23-1-14. - Vouchers for disbursements.

Section 23-1-15. - Providing a physician for New Shoreham.

Section 23-1-16. - Receipt and use of funds.

Section 23-1-16.1. - Letters of license verification — Fees.

Section 23-1-17. - Additional general powers.

Section 23-1-18. - Power to provide rules and regulations in specific areas.

Section 23-1-19. - Inspection and examination — Penalty for obstruction.

Section 23-1-20. - Compliance order.

Section 23-1-21. - Immediate compliance order.

Section 23-1-22. - Hearing.

Section 23-1-23. - Enforcement of compliance orders.

Section 23-1-24. - Review by supreme court.

Section 23-1-25. - Penalties.

Section 23-1-26. - Adoption of regulations — Status of present regulations.

Section 23-1-27. - Exemption from hearing provisions of Administrative Procedures Act.

Section 23-1-28. - Definitions.

Section 23-1-29. - Delegation.

Section 23-1-30. - Repealed.

Section 23-1-31. - Approval of construction by director.

Section 23-1-32. - Limitation on civil liability.

Section 23-1-33. - Dr. Charles V. Chapin Health Laboratory.

Section 23-1-34. - Health promotion income.

Section 23-1-35. - Repealed.

Section 23-1-36. - Director’s duties regarding health education, alcohol, and substance abuse programs.

Section 23-1-36.1. - [Repealed.]

Section 23-1-37. - Repealed.

Section 23-1-38. - HIV antibody testing — Sperm collection or donation.

Section 23-1-39. - Tattooing and/or body piercing.

Section 23-1-39.1. - Laser pointing device.

Section 23-1-40. - Misrepresentation on menu of food or food products.

Section 23-1-41. - Rhode Island public health foundation.

Section 23-1-42. - Renewal of licenses, certifications and registration — Date changes.

Section 23-1-42.1. - Wallet license cards for healthcare professionals.

Section 23-1-43. - Minority population health promotion.

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

Section 23-1-45. - Immunization account.

Section 23-1-46. - Insurers.

Section 23-1-47. - Health care providers — Immunities.

Section 23-1-48. - Reimbursement for medical record copies.

Section 23-1-49. - Registry of persons with head injuries and/or spinal cord injuries.

Section 23-1-50. - Public Records — Exemption — Requirements.

Section 23-1-51. - Severability.

Section 23-1-52. - Adult daycare program licensure.

Section 23-1-53. - Cost of legal fees.

Section 23-1-54. - Fees payable to the department of health.

Section 23-1-55. - Electronic nicotine delivery system distributor, and dealer licenses required — Definitions.

Section 23-1-56. - License.

Section 23-1-57. - Penalties for unlicensed business.

Section 23-1-58. - Penalty for operating without a dealer license.