AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION (Beginning on July 1, 2026, allows state union employees to negotiate longevity payments in their collective bargaining agreements.)

S2501

2026 -- S 2501
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LC004713
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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 EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

Introduced By:
Senators Famiglietti, Thompson, Burke, Dimitri, Patalano, Murray,
Bissaillon, LaMountain, Tikoian, Urso, and Bell

Date Introduced:
February 06, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Labor & Gaming
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 16-59-7.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-59 entitled "Council on
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Postsecondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]"
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is hereby amended to read as follows:
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16-59-7.2. Longevity payments — Nonclassified employees.
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(a) The non-classified employees of the board of governors for higher education, except
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for faculty employees and except for non-classified employees already receiving longevity
7
increases, shall be entitled to a longevity payment in the amount of five percent (5%) of base salary
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after ten (10) years of service and increasing to a total of ten percent (10%) of base salary after
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twenty (20) years of service. The provisions of this section will apply only to employees under the
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grade of nineteen (19). The longevity payments shall not be included in base salary.
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(b) The board of governors is authorized to promulgate regulations implementing the
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provisions of this section.
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(c) Beginning on July 1, 2011, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, there shall be no further longevity increases for
15
employees of the board of governors; provided, however, for employees with longevity provisions
16
pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in effect on June 1, 2011, longevity increases shall
17
cease beginning on July 1, 2011 or beginning upon the expiration of the applicable collective
18
bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later. To the extent an employee has previously accrued
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longevity payments, the amount of the longevity payment earned by the employee for the last pay

1
period in June, 2011 shall be added to the employee’s base salary as of June 30, 2011, or in the
2
case of an employee with longevity provisions pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in
3
effect on June 1, 2011, the amount of the longevity payment earned by the employee for the latter
4
of the last pay period in June or the last pay period prior to the expiration of the applicable collective
5
bargaining agreement shall be added to the employee’s base salary as of June 30, 2011 or upon the
6
expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later.
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(d) Beginning on July 1, 2026, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, state employees may negotiate longevity payments in
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their subsequent collective bargaining agreements.
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SECTION 2. Section 16-60-7.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-60 entitled "Council on
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Elementary and Secondary Education [See Title 16 Chapter 97 — The Rhode Island Board of
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Education Act]" is hereby amended to read as follows:
13

16-60-7.2. Longevity payments — Nonclassified employees.
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(a) The non-classified employees of the board of regents for elementary and secondary
15
education, except for non-classified employees already receiving longevity increases, shall be
16
entitled to a longevity payment in the amount of five percent (5%) of base salary after ten (10)
17
years of service and increasing to a total of ten percent (10%) of base salary after twenty (20) years
18
of service. The provisions of this section shall apply only to employees under the grade of nineteen
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(19). The longevity payments shall not be included in base salary.
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(b) The board of regents is authorized to promulgate regulations implementing the
21
provisions of this section.
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(c) Beginning on July 1, 2011, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, there shall be no further longevity increases for
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employees of the board of regents for elementary and secondary education; provided, however, for
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employees with longevity provisions pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in effect on
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June 1, 2011, longevity increases shall cease beginning on July 1, 2011 or beginning upon the
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expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later. To the extent
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an employee has previously accrued longevity payments, the amount of the longevity payment
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earned by the employee for the last pay period in June, 2011 shall be added to the employee’s base
30
salary as of June 30, 2011, or in the case of an employee with longevity provisions pursuant to a
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collective bargaining agreement in effect on June 1, 2011, the amount of the longevity payment
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earned by the employee for the latter of the last pay period in June or the last pay period prior to
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the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement shall be added to the employee’s
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base salary as of June 30, 2011 or upon the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining

LC004713 - Page 2 of 6
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agreement, whichever occurs later.
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(d) Beginning on July 1, 2026, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, state employees may negotiate longevity payments in
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their subsequent collective bargaining agreements.
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SECTION 3. Sections 36-4-17.1 and 36-4-17.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-4
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entitled "Merit System" are hereby amended to read as follows:
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36-4-17.1. Longevity payments.
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A state employee in the classified or unclassified service who terminates employment and
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is subsequently reemployed by the state, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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general laws to the contrary, shall be eligible to receive an aggregate longevity increase for the
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period of
initial
employment. The provisions of this section shall be applied retroactively to those
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persons reemployed prior to June 1, 1980, and thereafter.
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36-4-17.2. Future longevity payments.
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(a)
Beginning on July 1, 2011, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, there shall be no further longevity increases for state
16
employees; provided, however, for employees with longevity provisions pursuant to a collective
17
bargaining agreement in effect on June 1, 2011, longevity increases shall cease beginning on July
18
1, 2011 or beginning upon the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement,
19
whichever occurs later. To the extent an employee has previously accrued longevity payments, the
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employee shall continue to receive the same longevity percentage in effect on June 30, 2011, or in
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the case of an employee with longevity provisions pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in
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effect on June 1, 2011, the same longevity percentage in effect on June 30, 2011 or upon the
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expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later.
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(b) Beginning on July 1, 2026, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, state employees may negotiate longevity payments in
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their subsequent collective bargaining agreements.
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SECTION 4. Section 36-6-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-6 entitled "Salaries and
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Traveling Expenses" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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36-6-22. Longevity payments.
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(a)
Beginning on July 1, 2011, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, there shall be no further longevity increases for officers,
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secretaries, and employees of the legislative branch, the judicial branch, the office of the governor,
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the office of the lieutenant governor, the department of state, the department of the attorney general,
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and the treasury department; provided, however, for employees with longevity provisions pursuant

LC004713 - Page 3 of 6
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to a collective bargaining agreement in effect on June 1, 2011, longevity increases shall cease
2
beginning on July 1, 2011 or beginning upon the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining
3
agreement, whichever occurs later. To the extent an employee has previously accrued longevity
4
payments, the employee shall continue to receive the same longevity percentage in effect on June
5
30, 2011, or in the case of an employee with longevity provisions pursuant to a collective bargaining
6
agreement in effect on June 1, 2011, the same longevity percentage in effect on June 30, 2011 or
7
upon the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later.
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(b) Beginning on July 1, 2026, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, state employees may negotiate longevity payments in
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their subsequent collective bargaining agreements.
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SECTION 5. Section 36-16.2-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-16.2 entitled "Quasi
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Public Corporations — Longevity" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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36-16.2-1. Longevity payments — Quasi public employees.
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(a) Beginning on July 1, 2011, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, there shall be no further longevity increases for
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employees of the quasi-public corporations; provided, however, for employees with longevity
17
provisions pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement in effect on June 1, 2011, longevity
18
increases shall cease beginning on July 1, 2011, or beginning upon the expiration of the applicable
19
collective bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later. To the extent an employee has previously
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accrued longevity payments, the amount of the longevity payment earned by the employee for the
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last pay period in June, 2011 shall be added to the employee’s base salary as of June 30, 2011, or
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in the case of an employee with longevity provisions pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement
23
in effect on June 1, 2011, the amount of the longevity payment earned by the employee for the
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latter of the last pay period in June or the last pay period prior to the expiration of the applicable
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collective bargaining agreement shall be added to the employee’s base salary as of June 30, 2011
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or upon the expiration of the applicable collective bargaining agreement, whichever occurs later.
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(b) For purposes of this section “quasi-public corporation” means a body corporate and
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politic acting as a public corporation, which has been organized pursuant to law and granted certain
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powers, rights and privileges by the general laws, while exhibiting a distinct legal existence from
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the state, and not constituting a department of the state government, in order to perform a
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governmental function.
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(c) Beginning on July 1, 2026, notwithstanding any rule, regulation, or provision of the
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public laws or general laws to the contrary, state employees may negotiate longevity payments in
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their subsequent collective bargaining agreements.

LC004713 - Page 4 of 6
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SECTION 6. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC004713 - Page 5 of 6
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- COUNCIL ON POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
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This act, beginning on July 1, 2026, would allow state union employees to negotiate
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longevity payments in their collective bargaining agreements.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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LC004713 - Page 6 of 6