§ 23-20.10-9. Enforcement. (a) The director of health shall promulgate such rules and regulations including the complaint forms, as are necessary to carry out the mandates of this chapter within one hundred eighty (180) days of passage [June 29, 2004].

(b) Notice of the provisions of this chapter shall be given to all applicants for a business license in the state of Rhode Island, to all law enforcement agencies, and to any business required to be registered with the secretary of state's office.

(c) Any citizen who desires to register a complaint under this chapter may initiate such a complaint with the department of health.

(d) The department of health, having received a written and signed letter of complaint citing a violation of this chapter, shall enforce this entire chapter against violations by either of the following actions:

(1) Serving written notice to comply to an employer, with a copy of the notice to the complaining individual, requiring the employer to correct immediately any violation or section of this chapter.

(2) Upon receiving a second complaint at the department of health for the same or continued violation by the same employer, the complaint shall be resolved by notifying the city or town solicitor, having jurisdiction over the licensed holder, to initiate, without delay, an action for injunction to enforce the provisions of this chapter, to cause the correction of such violation or section, and for assessment and recovery of a civil penalty for such violation.

(e) The department of health, local fire department, or their designees shall, while an establishment is undergoing otherwise mandated inspections, inspect for compliance with this chapter.

(f) An owner, manager, operator, or employee of an establishment regulated by this chapter shall inform persons violating this chapter of the appropriate provisions thereof.

(g) In addition to the remedies provided by the provisions of this section, the department of health, aggrieved by the failure of the owner, operator, manager or other person in control of a public place or place of employment to comply with the provisions of this chapter, may apply for injunctive relief to enforce those provisions in any court of competent jurisdiction.

History of Section. (P.L. 2004, ch. 198, § 2; P.L. 2004, ch. 209, § 2; P.L. 2008, ch. 475, § 62.)