Section 260-RICR-10-00-5.23 - Public InformationA. Access to public records shall be governed in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1 et seq. All hearings are conducted pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-35-1 et seq. Except where the Hearing Officer directs otherwise, or when the documents in question are governed by R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-13.1-5(f), upon the opening of the prehearing conference all pleadings, orders, communications, exhibits and other documents filed with the Hearing Officer shall become public records. Any claim of privilege shall be governed by the policy underlying the Access to Public Records Act, with the burden of proof resting on the party claiming the privilege.B. Any Party may request a preliminary finding that some or all of the information is not a public document under the Access to Public Records Act. A preliminary finding that some documents are privileged shall not preclude the Department from later determining that those documents are public in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1 et seq.C. Claims of privilege shall be made by filing a written request with the Department. One copy of the original documents, boldly indicating on the front page, "Contains Privileged Information - Do Not Release," shall be filed specifically identifying the information for which the privilege is sought, along with a description of the grounds upon which the Party is claiming a privilege. If a document is filed electronically, it shall contain a statement that the information has been redacted; however, the original document must be filed as delineated above.D. The Department shall retain the documents for which privilege is asserted to exist in a secure, non-public file until a determination is made as to whether to grant the request for privileged treatment.E. Any person, whether or not a Party, may apply to the Department for release of the information, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1 et seq., the Access to Public Records Act. Such requests shall be governed by R.I. Gen. Laws § 38-2-1 et seq. and any regulations thereunder.260 R.I. Code R. 260-RICR-10-00-5.23