§ 21-28.6-5. Departments of health and business regulation to issue regulations. (a) Not later than ninety (90) days after the effective date of this chapter, the department of health shall promulgate regulations governing the manner in which it shall consider petitions from the public to add debilitating medical conditions to those included in this chapter. In considering such petitions, the department of health shall include public notice of, and an opportunity to comment in a public hearing, upon such petitions. The department of health shall, after hearing, approve or deny such petitions within one hundred eighty (180) days of submission. The approval or denial of such a petition shall be considered a final department of health action, subject to judicial review. Jurisdiction and venue for judicial review are vested in the superior court. The denial of a petition shall not disqualify qualifying patients with that condition, if they have a debilitating medical condition as defined in § 21-28.6-3. The denial of a petition shall not prevent a person with the denied condition from raising an affirmative defense.

(b) Not later than ninety (90) days after the effective date of this chapter, the department of health shall promulgate regulations governing the manner in which it shall consider applications for, and renewals of, registry identification cards for qualifying patients and authorized purchasers. The department of health's regulations shall establish application and renewal fees that generate revenues sufficient to offset all expenses of implementing and administering this chapter. The department of health may vary the application and renewal fees along a sliding scale that accounts for a qualifying patient's or caregiver's income. The department of health may accept donations from private sources in order to reduce the application and renewal fees.

(c) Not later than October 1, 2019, the department of business regulation shall promulgate regulations not inconsistent with law, to carry into effect the provisions of this section, governing the manner in which it shall consider applications for, and renewals of, registry identification cards for primary caregivers. The department of business regulation's regulations shall establish application and renewal fees. The department of business regulation may vary the application and renewal fees along a sliding scale that accounts for a qualifying patient's or caregiver's income. The department of business regulation may accept donations from private sources in order to reduce the application and renewal fees.

History of Section. (P.L. 2005, ch. 442, § 1; P.L. 2005, ch. 443, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 72, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 495, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 88, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 118, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 142, art. 14, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 88, art. 15, § 5.)