AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM (Amends the OPA desk audit classification rules to eliminate supervising other employees as a factor for position upgrade eligibility.)

S2171

2026 -- S 2171
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LC003982
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM

Introduced By:
Senators Sosnowski, Burke, Britto, Murray, Gu, DiPalma, and Gallo

Date Introduced:
January 16, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Labor & Gaming
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 36-4-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-4 entitled "Merit System"
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is hereby amended to read as follows:
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36-4-9. Adoption of classification plan.
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(a)
The personnel administrator shall, after consultation with appointing authorities and
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principal supervising officials, classify all of the positions in the classified service according to the
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duties and responsibilities of each position. The plan of classification shall designate an appropriate
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title for each class of position and shall indicate the education, experience, capacity, knowledge,
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skill, and other qualifications to be required of persons appointed to positions in each class. The
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complete classification plan shall be so arranged that all positions that are substantially similar with
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respect to authority, responsibility, and character of work are included within the same class and
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that the same pay schedules can be made to apply with equity under like working conditions. The
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class titles so established shall be used in all personnel, accounting, budget, appropriation, and
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financial records of all state departments, commissions, and institutions.
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(b) The office of personnel administration ("OPA") classification guide to desk audit
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analysis and class specification development shall be amended to remove the supervision of other
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employees, or lack thereof, as a requirement for classification upgrades through the desk audit
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process.

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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM
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This act would amend the OPA desk audit classification rules to eliminate supervising other
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employees as a factor for position upgrade eligibility.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC003982
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