Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S0268 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4
5	5	2023 -- S 0268
6	6	========
7	7	LC001611
8	8	========
9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM --
16	16	ADMINISTRATION -- BOARD COMPOSITION
17	17	Introduced By: Senators F. Lombardi, Ciccone, Tikoian, Felag, Lawson, Britto, and
18	18	Acosta
19	19	Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
20	20	Referred To: Senate Finance
21	21
22	22
23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Section 36-8-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-8 entitled "Retirement 1
25	25	System — Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
26	26	36-8-4. Composition of retirement board. 3
27	27	(a) There is hereby authorized, created and established in the office of the general treasurer 4
28	28	an independent retirement board which shall hold and administer, in trust, the funds of the 5
29	29	retirement system in accordance with the provisions of chapters 8 — 10 of this title and shall 6
30	30	perform such functions as authorized by law. The membership of the retirement board shall consist 7
31	31	of: the general treasurer or his or her designee who shall be a subordinate within the general 8
32	32	treasurer’s office; the director of administration or his or her designee who shall be a subordinate 9
33	33	within the department of administration; a representative of the budget office or his or her designee 10
34	34	from within the budget office, who shall be appointed by the director of administration; the 11
35	35	president of the league of cities and towns or his or her designee; two (2) active state employee 12
36	36	members of the retirement system or officials from state employee unions to be elected by active 13
37	37	state employees; two (2) active teacher members of the retirement system or officials from a 14
38	38	teachers union to be elected by active teachers; one active municipal employee member of the 15
39	39	retirement system or an official from a municipal employees union to be elected by active municipal 16
40	40	employees; two (2) retired members of the retirement system to be elected by retired members of 17
41	41	the system; one active firefighter member of the retirement system or official from a firefighters' 18
42	42
43	43
44	44	LC001611 - Page 2 of 4
45	45	union, to be elected by active firefighters; one active police officer of the retirement system or 1
46	46	official from a police officers' union, to be elected by active police officers; and four (4) public 2
47	47	members, all of whom shall be competent by training or experience in the field of finance, 3
48	48	accounting or pensions; two (2) of the public members shall be appointed by the governor, one of 4
49	49	whom shall serve an initial term of three (3) years and one of whom shall serve an initial term of 5
50	50	four (4) years and until his or her successor is appointed and qualified; and two (2) of the public 6
51	51	members shall be appointed by the general treasurer, one of whom shall serve an initial term of 7
52	52	three (3) years and one of whom shall serve an initial term of four (4) years and until his or her 8
53	53	successor is appointed and qualified. Thereafter, the term of these four (4) public members shall be 9
54	54	for four (4) years or until their successors are appointed and qualified. Meetings shall be open to 10
55	55	the public in accordance with the provisions of chapter 42-46 of the general laws. Any member of 11
56	56	the general public who was appointed by the governor prior to July 4, 2006 shall continue to serve 12
57	57	until such time as a successor is appointed and qualified. Any member who was elected prior to 13
58	58	July 4, 2006 shall serve for the remainder of his or her elected term. 14
59	59	(b) Meetings shall be held at such place as may be designated in the call of the meeting, 15
60	60	provided at no cost to the state, at least monthly at the call of the chair. 16
61	61	(c) The elected members of the retirement board shall be seated by the following procedure: 17
62	62	(1) Each candidate for a position on the board must have one hundred (100) signatures of 18
63	63	members of their respective group. 19
64	64	(2) The term of office for elected members shall be for four (4) years, and election of their 20
65	65	successors shall be given by the board prior to the expiration of the terms of the incumbent elected 21
66	66	members. 22
67	67	(3) By petition for recall of twenty percent (20%) of the respective membership of the 23
68	68	various groups a new election shall be ordered by the retirement board. 24
69	69	(d) All gubernatorial and general treasurer appointments made under this section after July 25
70	70	4, 2006 shall be subject to the advice and consent of the senate. No one shall be eligible for 26
71	71	appointment unless he or she is a resident of this state. 27
72	72	(e) Public members of the board shall be removable by the chair for cause only, and 28
73	73	removal solely for partisan or personal reasons unrelated to capacity or fitness for the office shall 29
74	74	be unlawful. 30
75	75	(f) Newly appointed and qualified public members shall, within six (6) months of their 31
76	76	appointment, attend a training course that shall be developed and provided by the office of the 32
77	77	general treasurer and shall include instruction in the following areas: the provisions of chapters 42-33
78	78	46, 36-14 and 38-2 of the Rhode Island general laws, the retirement statutes; and the board’s rules 34
79	79
80	80
81	81	LC001611 - Page 3 of 4
82	82	and regulations. The director of the department of administration shall, within ninety (90) days of 1
83	83	July 4, 2006 prepare and disseminate training materials relating to the provisions of chapters 42-2
84	84	46, 36-14 and 38-2. 3
85	85	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 4
86	86	========
87	87	LC001611
88	88	========
89	89
90	90
91	91	LC001611 - Page 4 of 4
92	92	EXPLANATION
93	93	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
94	94	OF
95	95	A N A C T
96	96	RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM --
97	97	ADMINISTRATION -- BOARD COMPOSITION
98	98	***
99	99	This act would add two (2) members to the retirement board; one active firefighter of the 1
100	100	retirement system or official from its union, to be elected by active firefighters, and an active police 2
101	101	officer of the retirement system or official from their union, to be elected by active police offices. 3
102	102	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
103	103	========
104	104	LC001611
105	105	========
106	106