AN ACT RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT ADMINISTRATION (Removes the provision not allowing to publicly post or display the personal information of any protected individual or immediate family member without first obtaining permission.)

S2963

2026 -- S 2963
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LC005647
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
____________
A N A C T
RELATING TO COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT
ADMINISTRATION

Introduced By:
Senator Matthew L. LaMountain

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Judiciary
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 8-15-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-15 entitled "Court
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Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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8-15-12. Rhode Island judicial security act. [Effective January 1, 2026.]
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(a) As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires
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otherwise, have the following meanings:
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(1) “Data aggregator” means a commercial entity that collects, assembles, or maintains
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personal information concerning an individual or an employee of that entity in order to sell the
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information or provide third-party access to the information.
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(2) “Immediate family” means the spouse, domestic partner, child, step-child, parent, or
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any other blood relative who lives in the same residence as a protected individual, as defined herein.
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(3) “Personal information” means the Social Security number, residence addresses, home
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phone numbers, mobile phone numbers, or personal email addresses of, and identifiable to, the
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protected individual or immediate family member.
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(4) “Protected individual” means a retired, recalled, or current justice, judge, or magistrate
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of the Rhode Island unified judicial system, as defined in § 8-15-1, and retired, recalled, or current
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justices, judges, and magistrates of the United States Supreme Court, United States Courts of
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Appeal, United States District Courts and United States Bankruptcy Courts who reside in the State
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of Rhode Island.

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(b)(1) No state agency, county agency, or municipal agency shall publicly post or display
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the personal information of any protected individual following receipt of notice provided for in
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subsection (b)(2) of this section without first obtaining the written permission of that individual.
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(2) Each protected individual may file a written notice of their status as a protected
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individual, for themselves and immediate family with any state, county, or municipal agency
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requesting each state, county, or municipal agency to mark as confidential the protected
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individual’s or immediate family member’s personal information.
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(3) Upon receipt of a written request in accordance with this section, the state, county, or
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municipal agency shall remove the protected individual’s or immediate family member’s personal
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information from publicly available content within seventy-two (72) hours
; and further, shall not
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publicly post or display the personal information of any protected individual or immediate family
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member without first obtaining written permission from the protected individual
.
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(4) This subsection (b) shall not prohibit the list of delinquent taxpayers published pursuant
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to § 44-1-34 from containing the name of any protected individual or immediate family member,
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the type of tax levied, and the amount of the delinquency, including interest and penalty. Addresses,
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including the city or town and zip code, of any protected individual or immediate family member
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shall not be disclosed on such list once the division of taxation receives a written notice filed in
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accordance with subsection (b)(2) of this section.
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(c)(1) In accordance with this section, it shall be unlawful for a data aggregator to sell,
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license, trade, purchase, or otherwise provide or make available for consideration a protected
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individual’s or immediate family member’s personal information following receipt of notice
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provided for in subsection (b)(2) of this section.
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(2) Each protected individual may file a written notice of their status as a protected
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individual, for themselves and immediate family, to any person, data aggregator, business, or
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association, requesting the person, data aggregator, business, or association mark as confidential
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the protected individual’s or immediate family member’s personal information.
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(3) In accordance with this section, upon receipt of a written request submitted by the
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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
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individual’s or immediate family member’s personal information from publicly available content
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within ten (10) business days; and further, shall not in the future publicly post or display the
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personal information of any protected individual or immediate family member without first
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obtaining written permission from the protected individual.
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(4) Within ten (10) business days after receiving a protected individual’s written request, a

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person, data aggregator, business, or association shall ensure that the protected individual’s or the
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immediate family member’s personal information is not made available on any website or
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subsidiary website controlled by the person, data aggregator, business, or association, except for
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disclosures to governmental agencies, law enforcement, healthcare organizations, insurance
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organizations, financial institutions, or in connection with fraud prevention services or legal
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process.
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(5) A person, data aggregator, business, or association shall comply with a written request
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received from a protected individual’s authorized agent if the request is submitted with a notarized
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affidavit signed by the protected individual identifying their agent as being authorized to act on the
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protected individual’s behalf in accordance with this section.
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(6) After receiving a protected individual’s written request, no person, data aggregator,
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business, or association shall transfer the protected individual’s or an immediate family member’s
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personally identifiable information to any other person, business, or association through any
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medium except as provided herein. This section shall not apply to a transfer made at the request of
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the protected individual or that is necessary to effectuate the request to the data aggregator,
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business, or association from the protected individual.
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(7) A protected individual, or their immediate family member, whose personally
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identifiable information is made public as a result of a violation of this section may bring an action
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seeking injunctive or declaratory relief in any court of competent jurisdiction within the State of
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Rhode Island. If the court grants injunctive or declaratory relief, the person, business, or association
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responsible for the violation shall be required to pay the individual’s costs and reasonable attorneys’
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fees.
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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 COURTS AND CIVIL PROCEDURE -- COURTS -- COURT
ADMINISTRATION
***
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This act would amend the Rhode Island judicial security act to remove the provision not
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allowing to publicly post or display the personal information of any protected individual or
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immediate family member without first obtaining permission.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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