Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-165-3. Definitions

(1) The “Ecosystem” is the executive office of health and human services integrated data system.

(2) “Participating agency” means the Rhode Island department of education, the office of the postsecondary commissioner, the Rhode Island department of labor and training, executive office of health and human services, and any agency that has executed a memorandum of understanding for recurring participation in the Rhode Island longitudinal data system.

(3) “Rhode Island integrated data system” or “RIIDS” means the state individual-, family-, or unit-level data system that links and integrates records from state datasets from all major education, economic, health, human service, labor, and public safety programs including the RILDS, the Ecosystem, and any other data repositories accepted by the RIIDS governing board.

(4) “Rhode Island Longitudinal Data System” (RILDS) formerly known as the RI DataHUB operated by DataSpark, is the current statewide longitudinal data system located for budgetary purposes in the office of the postsecondary commissioner.

(5) “State and federal privacy laws” means all applicable state and federal privacy laws and accompanying regulations, including but not limited to the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and its accompanying regulations (“FERPA”), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-38, 20 C.F.R. § 603.1 et seq., and any other privacy measures that apply to the personally identifiable information that is used by the center and/or becomes part of the RILDS, the Ecosystem or RIIDS hereunder.

(6) “Statewide longitudinal data system” or “longitudinal data system” or “SLDS” means an individual- or unit-level data system that links and integrates records from state datasets including but not limited to early childhood and prekindergarten, through elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education, and into the workforce from participating agencies and entities.