Provides proper authority for the division of taxation to provide HSRI with contact information for Rhode Islanders who report they were uninsured on their RI state income tax return.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would allow Rhode Island's Division of Taxation — the state agency that handles tax returns — to share contact information with a separate state agency called HSRI (HealthSource RI), which is Rhode Island's health insurance marketplace. Specifically, this sharing would only apply to Rhode Islanders who indicated on their state income tax return that they did not have health insurance during the previous year. Right now, the Division of Taxation is not legally authorized to share this kind of information, even for this specific purpose, so this bill would create that clear legal permission.

The practical effect is that HealthSource RI could reach out to uninsured Rhode Islanders — using the contact details from their tax filings — to let them know about health insurance options that may be available to them. This could include information about plans available through the marketplace or programs they might qualify for, such as Medicaid. The bill is essentially a data-sharing arrangement between two state agencies aimed at connecting uninsured residents with potential coverage options.

This bill would directly affect Rhode Islanders who file a state income tax return and report being uninsured. It would also affect the two state agencies involved in the data exchange. People who do not file state taxes, or who are already insured, would not be impacted. The bill does not require uninsured residents to take any action — it simply allows the state to contact them with information about their options.