Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H6002 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2025 -- H 6002
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7	7	LC002085
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM --
16	16	CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Cruz, Ajello, Potter, Casimiro, and Alzate
18	18	Date Introduced: February 28, 2025
19	19	Referred To: House Finance
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22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Section 36-10-36 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-10 entitled "Retirement 1
24	24	System — Contributions and Benefits" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
25	25	36-10-36. Post-retirement employment. 3
26	26	(a) On and after July 7, 1994, no member who has retired under the provisions of title 16, 4
27	27	36, or 45 may be employed or reemployed by any state agency or department unless any and all 5
28	28	retirement benefits to which the member may be entitled by virtue of the provisions of title 16, 36, 6
29	29	or 45 are suspended for the duration of any employment or reemployment. No additional service 7
30	30	credits shall be granted for any post-retirement employment or reemployment and no deductions 8
31	31	shall be taken from an individual’s salary for retirement contribution. Notice of any such post-9
32	32	retirement employment or reemployment shall be sent monthly to the retirement board by the 10
33	33	employing agency or department and by the retired member. 11
34	34	(b) Any member who has retired under the provisions of title 16, 36, or 45 may be 12
35	35	employed or reemployed by any municipality within the state that has accepted the provisions of 13
36	36	chapter 21 of title 45 and participates in the municipal employees’ retirement system for a period 14
37	37	of not more than seventy-five (75) working days or one hundred fifty (150) half days with half-day 15
38	38	pay in any one calendar year without any forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefits and 16
39	39	allowances the member is receiving, or may receive, as a retired member. Pension payments shall 17
40	40	be suspended whenever this period is exceeded. No additional contributions shall be taken, and no 18
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44	44	additional service credits shall be granted, for this service. Notice of this employment or 1
45	45	reemployment shall be sent monthly to the retirement board by the employer and by the retired 2
46	46	member. 3
47	47	(c) Any member who has retired under the provisions of title 16, 36, or 45 may be employed 4
48	48	or reemployed by any municipality within the state that has not accepted the provisions of chapter 5
49	49	21 of title 45 and that does not participate in the municipal employees’ retirement system. 6
50	50	(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section: 7
51	51	(1) Any retired member of the system shall be permitted to serve as an elected mayor, the 8
52	52	town administrator, the city administrator, the town manager, the city manager, the chief 9
53	53	administrative officer, or the chief executive officer of any city or town, city or town council 10
54	54	member, school committee member, or unpaid member of any part-time state board or commission 11
55	55	or member of any part-time municipal board or commission, for which they shall be entitled to 12
56	56	reimbursement for mileage and an hourly wage, if applicable, equal to that of full-time members 13
57	57	of the board or commission; provided, however, in no event shall the amount be greater than ten 14
58	58	thousand dollars ($10,000) per year, and shall continue to be eligible for, and receive, the retirement 15
59	59	allowance for service other than that as a mayor, administrator, council member, school committee 16
60	60	member, or member of any state board or commission or member of any part-time municipal board 17
61	61	or commission; provided, however, that no additional service credits shall be granted for any 18
62	62	service under this subsection; 19
63	63	(2) Any retired member, who retired from service at any state college, university, state 20
64	64	school, or who retired from service as a teacher under the provisions of title 16, or who retired from 21
65	65	service under title 36 or title 45, may be employed or reemployed, on a part-time basis, by any state 22
66	66	college, university, or state school for the purpose of providing classroom instruction, academic 23
67	67	advising of students, and/or coaching. Compensation shall be provided at a level not to exceed the 24
68	68	salary provided to other faculty members employed under a collective bargaining agreement at the 25
69	69	institution. In no event shall “part-time” mean gross pay of more than twenty-five thousand dollars 26
70	70	($25,000) in any one calendar year. Any retired member who provides such instruction or service 27
71	71	shall do so without forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefit or allowance; provided, 28
72	72	however, that no additional service credits shall be granted for any service under this subsection; 29
73	73	(3) Any retired member who retired from service as a teacher under the provisions of title 30
74	74	16, or as a state employee who, while an active state employee, was certified to teach driver 31
75	75	education by the department of elementary and secondary education or by the board of governors 32
76	76	for higher education, may be employed or reemployed, on a part-time basis, by the department of 33
77	77	elementary and secondary education or by the board of governors of higher education for the 34
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81	81	purpose of providing classroom instruction in driver education courses in accordance with § 31-1
82	82	10-19 and/or motorcycle driver education courses in accordance with § 31-10.1-1.1. In no event 2
83	83	shall “part-time” mean gross pay of more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in any one 3
84	84	calendar year. Any retired teacher who provides that instruction shall do so without forfeiture or 4
85	85	reduction of any retirement benefit or allowance the retired teacher is receiving as a retired teacher; 5
86	86	provided, however, that no additional service credits shall be granted for any service under this 6
87	87	subsection; 7
88	88	(4) Any retired member who retired from service as a registered nurse may be employed 8
89	89	or reemployed, on a per-diem basis, for the purpose of providing professional nursing care and/or 9
90	90	services at a state-operated facility in Rhode Island, including employment as a faculty member of 10
91	91	a nursing program at a state-operated college or university. In no event shall “part-time” mean gross 11
92	92	pay of more than a period of seventy-five (75) working days or one hundred fifty (150) half days 12
93	93	with half pay in any one calendar year. Any retired nurse who provides such care and/or services 13
94	94	shall do so without forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefit or allowance the retired nurse 14
95	95	is receiving as a retired nurse; provided, however, that no additional service credits shall be granted 15
96	96	for any service under this subsection. Pension payments shall be suspended whenever this period 16
97	97	is exceeded. No additional contributions shall be taken and no additional service credits shall be 17
98	98	granted for this service. Notice of this employment or reemployment shall be sent monthly to the 18
99	99	retirement board by the employer and by the retired member; 19
100	100	(5) Any retired member who, at the time of passage of this section, serves as a general 20
101	101	magistrate within the family court and thereafter retires from judicial service, may be employed or 21
102	102	reemployed by the family court to perform such services as a general magistrate of the family court 22
103	103	as the chief judge of the family court shall prescribe without any forfeiture or reduction of any 23
104	104	retirement benefits and allowances that the member is receiving or may receive. For any such 24
105	105	services or assignments performed after retirement, the general magistrate shall receive no 25
106	106	compensation whatsoever, either monetary or in kind. No additional contributions shall be taken 26
107	107	and no additional service credits shall be granted for this service; 27
108	108	(6) Any retired district court clerk/magistrate or magistrate of the district court who shall 28
109	109	subsequently be assigned to perform service in accordance with § 8-8-8.1 or § 8-8-16.2(e), may be 29
110	110	employed or reemployed by the district court to perform such services as a magistrate as the chief 30
111	111	judge of the district court shall prescribe without any forfeiture or reduction of any retirement 31
112	112	benefits and allowance that they are receiving or may receive. For any such services or assignment 32
113	113	performed after retirement, the district court clerk/magistrate or magistrate shall receive, in addition 33
114	114	to their retirement pension, the difference in pay and fringe benefits between their retirement 34
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118	118	pension, and that of a sitting magistrate of the district court with comparable state service time. No 1
119	119	additional contributions shall be taken and no additional service credits shall be granted for this 2
120	120	service; and 3
121	121	(7) Any retired member of the system shall be permitted to serve as a municipal employee 4
122	122	without any forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefits and allowances that the member is 5
123	123	receiving or may receive; provided, that said member shall be appointed by and serves at the 6
124	124	pleasure of the highest elected chief executive officer, as defined in § 45-9-2, in any city or town 7
125	125	subject to the provisions of chapter 9 of title 45 entitled “Budget Commissions” relating to the 8
126	126	appointment of a fiscal overseer, budget commission, receiver, and/or financial advisor. Provided 9
127	127	further, that no additional service credits shall be granted for any service under this subsection. 10
128	128	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 11
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135	135	EXPLANATION
136	136	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
137	137	OF
138	138	A N A C T
139	139	RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM --
140	140	CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS
141	141	***
142	142	This act would permit retired state employees to receive mileage and wages, if applicable, 1
143	143	equal to that of full-time members of the board or commission; provided, however, in no event 2
144	144	shall the amount be greater than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per year. 3
145	145	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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