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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | 2025 -- H 5941 |
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| 6 | 6 | | ======== |
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| 7 | 7 | | LC002302 |
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| 8 | 8 | | ======== |
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| 9 | 9 | | S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D |
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| 10 | 10 | | IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 11 | 11 | | JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | ____________ |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A N A C T |
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| 15 | 15 | | RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- PORTABLE BENEFIT PLAN |
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| 16 | 16 | | Introduced By: Representatives Place, Santucci, Quattrocchi, and Paplauskas |
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| 17 | 17 | | Date Introduced: February 28, 2025 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Referred To: House Labor |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Title 28 of the General Laws entitled "LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS" 1 |
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| 23 | 23 | | is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2 |
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| 24 | 24 | | CHAPTER 61 3 |
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| 25 | 25 | | PORTABLE BENEFIT PLAN 4 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 28-61-1. Definitions. 5 |
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| 27 | 27 | | As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meaning ascribed to them in this 6 |
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| 28 | 28 | | section, except when the context clearly indicates a different meaning: 7 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (1) "Hiring party" means a person who hires or enters into a contract with an independent 8 |
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| 30 | 30 | | contractor. 9 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (2) "Independent contractor" means any person determined to be an independent contractor 10 |
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| 32 | 32 | | pursuant to the provisions of § 28-42-7. 11 |
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| 33 | 33 | | (3) "Portable benefit plan" means a group that offers an insurance product regulated by title 12 |
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| 34 | 34 | | 27 (“insurance”), or chapters 42 through 44 of title 28 (“employment security”) and is assigned to 13 |
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| 35 | 35 | | an individual beneficiary and is not associated with a specific employer or hiring party. 14 |
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| 36 | 36 | | 28-61-2. Administration -- Assignment of benefits -- Portability. 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (a) A governmental entity or private entity voluntarily may offer a portable benefit plan. 16 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) Contributions to a portable benefit plan shall be voluntary and may not be used as a 17 |
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| 39 | 39 | | criterion for determining a person's employment classification. 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) A portable benefit plan for the benefit of an individual beneficiary shall not be construed 19 |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | LC002302 - Page 2 of 3 |
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| 44 | 44 | | as evidence of employer liability, and a court may not construe the contribution as an element of 1 |
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| 45 | 45 | | an employment relationship for purposes of employer lability to include, but not be limited to, the 2 |
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| 46 | 46 | | provisions of workers’ compensation, employment security or the provisions of title 28. 3 |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 4 |
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| 48 | 48 | | ======== |
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| 49 | 49 | | LC002302 |
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| 50 | 50 | | ======== |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | LC002302 - Page 3 of 3 |
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| 54 | 54 | | EXPLANATION |
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| 55 | 55 | | BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL |
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| 56 | 56 | | OF |
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| 57 | 57 | | A N A C T |
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| 58 | 58 | | RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- PORTABLE BENEFIT PLAN |
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| 59 | 59 | | *** |
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| 60 | 60 | | This act would establish a voluntary portable benefit plan for independent contractors. 1 |
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| 61 | 61 | | This act would take effect upon passage. 2 |
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| 62 | 62 | | ======== |
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| 63 | 63 | | LC002302 |
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| 64 | 64 | | ======== |
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