> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.regentra.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Privacy Notices

> Publish and manage the privacy notices that inform individuals how you collect, use, and protect their data.

Privacy notices are your primary communication channel to individuals about how you handle their personal data. They explain what data you collect, why, how long, and how individuals can exercise their rights. Regulators require notices to be clear, accessible, kept current, and distributed through the channels individuals expect.

## What it does

* **Centralize notice content** — draft once; maintain versions and effective dates across jurisdictions (HIPAA covered-entity notices, GDPR notices, state-privacy disclosures)
* **Distribute and acknowledge** — publish to your website, patient portal, or app; track acknowledgments
* **Manage versions** — when uses and disclosures change, create a new version with an effective date; prior versions remain archived as evidence
* **Evidence publication** — maintain a dated record of which notice was active on each date for audits and regulatory inquiries

## How to publish a privacy notice

<Steps>
  <Step title="Adopt the privacy-notice policy template">
    Go to **Compliance → Policies → Canonical Library** and browse the Privacy category. Select **Notice of Privacy Practices** or **Privacy Notice Policy**. Click **Adopt**. Regentra pre-populates the template with content placeholders.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Customize the notice">
    Click **Edit** on the adopted policy. Tailor the uses-and-disclosures section, list specific vendors (if required by your jurisdiction), add state-law addendums, and update contact information. Save as draft.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Route for legal review">
    Click **Send for Review**. Assign your Privacy Officer or Legal reviewer. Once approved, the publish button unlocks.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the effective date and publish">
    Click **Publish Version**. Set the effective date (when the new notice applies). If replacing an older notice, confirm the prior version and supersession date. Click **Confirm**. Regentra timestamps publication and archives the prior version.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Distribute the notice">
    Regentra surfaces the active notice URL. Post it on your website, patient portal, or mobile app — Regentra ensures the URL always serves the current version. You can also download as PDF.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Material changes and re-publication

When you change your uses and disclosures, security practices, or data-retention periods, you're making a **material change**. Regulators require that you:

* **Don't apply revised terms retroactively** — use a future effective date, usually 30-60 days out
* **Notify affected individuals** — email, mail, or in-app notification of the change and where to review the new notice
* **Archive the old notice** — Regentra keeps prior versions available with effective and supersession dates

To update an existing notice:

1. Click **Edit** on the current published version
2. Make changes and save as draft
3. Click **New Version** to increment (e.g. v1.0 → v1.1)
4. Route for legal review, set a future effective date, and publish
5. Notify individuals of the change

## Regulatory context

* **HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices** — must include uses and disclosures, individual rights, your privacy duties, and contact info. Provide at first service, post at your facility and on your website, and on request. The OCR closely monitors notice content and distribution.
* **GDPR / CCPA / state laws** — privacy notices must be clear and transparent, explain your legal basis, data practices, and individual rights. Material changes must be notified in advance.

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need separate notices for HIPAA and GDPR?">
    You can use one unified notice that addresses all jurisdictions you operate in, as long as you include all required content for each. Regentra's template library includes both HIPAA-focused and jurisdiction-neutral starting points.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I update my notice but forget to republish?">
    Regentra marks your draft as "unsaved changes" and highlights it in your policy list. Until you click **Publish Version**, your old notice remains live. Regentra never auto-publishes drafts.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I version-control who sees which notice?">
    Yes. Each published version has an effective date and a supersession date. Your website widget always serves the current version. If asked which notice was active on a specific date, the audit log shows the answer.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I handle state-specific or multi-language notices?">
    Adopt the same base policy multiple times (once per state or language) and customize each. Or include state addendums as inline sections. Either way, publish each version separately.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A regulator wants all versions from the past 3 years — how do I export?">
    Open the notice policy and scroll to **Version History**. Click **Export All Versions** for a PDF or JSON with every version, effective dates, and approvers.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>