The bill amends sections 40.1-5-26 and 40.1-5-29 of the General Laws in Chapter 40.1-5, entitled "Mental Health Law," to update the rules regarding the disclosure of confidential information and records. It specifies the conditions under which patient information and records can be disclosed, including with written consent, for service provision among medical professionals, for emergency medical treatment, for program evaluation and research, to courts and designated persons, to the state medical examiner, to the director of health, to probate courts, to the department of children, youth and families, to RIte Care health plans, to the NICS database for firearms disqualifying information, and to vendors or agents operating electronic health records or health information exchanges. The bill also introduces new provisions for obtaining written consent for disclosures not covered by the specified conditions and for the disclosure of psychotherapy notes. It outlines penalties for violations of confidentiality provisions and requires that a record of disclosure be entered into the patient's medical record or recorded by the system operator when disclosures are made through automated electronic exchanges.

The bill also mandates that documentation related to the disclosure of information or records must be made available to the patient or the patient's guardian upon request. The legal language inserted into the current law includes clarifications on the disclosure of information for diagnosis, treatment, and transitions of care, as well as the addition of electronic health record operators to the list of entities to which information can be disclosed. The bill removes the requirement for patient consent before a professional person employed by a facility can disclose information to a professional person not employed by the facility who does not have medical responsibility for the patient's care. The act would take effect upon passage, updating the legal framework to accommodate the disclosure of mental health information through modern electronic means while maintaining patient confidentiality.