Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 23-6.3 - Prevention and Suppression of Contagious Diseases - HIV/AIDS

• Agent: means a person empowered by the patient to assert or waive the confidentiality, or to disclose or consent to the disclosure of confidential information, as established by chapter 37. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• AIDS: means the medical condition known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, caused by infection of an individual by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Antibody: means a protein produced by the body in response to specific foreign substances such as bacteria or viruses. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Baseline: Projection of the receipts, outlays, and other budget amounts that would ensue in the future without any change in existing policy. Baseline projections are used to gauge the extent to which proposed legislation, if enacted into law, would alter current spending and revenue levels.
• Consent: means an explicit exchange of information between a person and a healthcare provider or qualified professional HIV test counselor through which an informed individual can choose whether to undergo HIV testing or decline to do so. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Controlled substance: means a drug, substance, or immediate precursor in schedules I-V listed in the provisions of chapter 28 of Title 21 entitled, "Uniform Controlled Substances Act. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Director: means the director of the Rhode Island department of health. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• ELISA result: means enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or EIA (enzyme immunoassay) which is a serologic technique used in immunology to detect the presence of either antibody or antigen. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Health benefits: include accident and sickness, including disability or health insurance, health benefit plans and/or policies, hospital, health, or medical service plans, or any health maintenance organization plan pursuant to title 27 or otherwise. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Healthcare facility: means those facilities licensed by the department in accordance with the provisions of chapter 17 of this title. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Healthcare settings: means venues offering clinical STD services including, but not limited to, hospitals, urgent care clinics, STD clinics and other substance abuse treatment facilities, mental health treatment facilities, community health centers, primary care and OB/GYN physician offices, and family planning providers. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• HIV: means the human immunodeficiency virus, the pathogenic organism responsible for HIV infection and/or the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in humans. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• HIV counseling: means an interactive process of communication between a person and a healthcare provider or qualified professional HIV test counselor during which there is an assessment of the person's risks for HIV infection and the provision of counseling to assist the person with behavior changes that can reduce risks for acquiring HIV infection. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• HIV screening: means the conduct of HIV testing among those who do not show signs or symptoms of an HIV infection. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• HIV test: means any currently medically accepted and/or FDA approved test for determining HIV infection in humans. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Occupational health representative: means a person, within a healthcare facility, trained to respond to occupational, particularly blood borne, exposures. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Opts out: means that a person who has been notified that a voluntary HIV test will be performed, has elected to decline or defer testing. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means any individual, trust or estate, partnership, corporation (including associations, joint stock companies), limited liability companies, state, or political subdivision or instrumentality of a state. See Rhode Island General Laws 23-6.3-2
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.