2012 -- S 2403

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LC01306

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2012

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A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENT OF

ADMINISTRATION

     Introduced By: Senators Algiere, Bates, Ottiano, Shibley, and Moura

     Date Introduced: February 15, 2012

     Referred To: Senate Finance

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 42-11-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-11 entitled "Department

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of Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-11-2. Powers and duties of department. -- The department of administration shall

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have the following powers and duties:

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      (1) To prepare a budget for the several state departments and agencies, subject to the

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direction and supervision of the governor;

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      (2) To administer the budget for all state departments and agencies, except as

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specifically exempted by law;

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      (3) To devise, formulate, promulgate, supervise, and control accounting systems,

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procedures, and methods for the state departments and agencies, conforming to such accounting

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standards and methods as are prescribed by law;

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      (4) To purchase or to contract for the supplies, materials, articles, equipment, printing,

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and services needed by state departments and agencies, except as specifically exempted by law;

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      (5) To prescribe standard specifications for those purchases and contracts and to enforce

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compliance with specifications;

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      (6) To supervise and control the advertising for bids and awards for state purchases;

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      (7) To regulate the requisitioning and storage of purchased items, the disposal of surplus

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and salvage, and the transfer to or between state departments and agencies of needed supplies,

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equipment, and materials;

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      (8) To maintain, equip, and keep in repair the state house, state office building, and other

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premises owned or rented by the state for the use of any department or agency, excepting those

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buildings, the control of which is vested by law in some other agency;

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      (9) To provide for the periodic inspection, appraisal or inventory of all state buildings

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and property, real and personal;

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      (10) To require reports from state agencies on the buildings and property in their

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custody;

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      (11) To issue regulations to govern the protection and custody of the property of the

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state;

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      (12) To assign office and storage space and to rent and lease land and buildings for the

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use of the several state departments and agencies in the manner provided by law;

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      (13) To control and supervise the acquisition, operation, maintenance, repair, and

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replacement of state-owned motor vehicles by state agencies;

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      (14) To maintain and operate central duplicating and mailing service for the several state

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departments and agencies;

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      (15) To furnish the several departments and agencies of the state with other essential

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office services;

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      (16) To survey and examine the administration and operation of the state departments

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and agencies, submitting to the governor proposals to secure greater administrative efficiency and

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economy, to minimize the duplication of activities, and to effect a better organization and

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consolidation of functions among state agencies;

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      (17) To operate a merit system of personnel administration and personnel management

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as defined in section 36-3-3 in connection with the conditions of employment in all state

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departments and agencies within the classified service;

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      (18) To assign or reassign, with the approval of the governor, any functions, duties, or

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powers established by this chapter to any agency within the department;

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      (19) To establish, maintain, and operate a data processing center or centers, approve the

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acquisition and use of electronic data processing services by state agencies, furnish staff

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assistance in methods, systems and programming work to other state agencies, and arrange for

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and effect the centralization and consolidation of punch card and electronic data processing

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equipment and services in order to obtain maximum utilization and efficiency;

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      (20) To devise, formulate, promulgate, supervise, and control a comprehensive and

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coordinated statewide information system designed to improve the data base used in the

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management of public resources, to consult and advise with other state departments and agencies

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and municipalities to assure appropriate and full participation in this system, and to encourage the

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participation of the various municipalities of this state in this system by providing technical or

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other appropriate assistance toward establishing, within those municipalities, compatible

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information systems in order to obtain the maximum effectiveness in the management of public

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resources;

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      (i) The comprehensive and coordinated statewide information system may include a

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Rhode Island geographic information system of land-related economic, physical, cultural and

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natural resources.

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      (ii) In order to ensure the continuity of the maintenance and functions of the geographic

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information system, the general assembly may annually appropriate such sum as it may deem

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necessary to the department of administration for its support.

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      (21) To administer a statewide planning program including planning assistance to the

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state departments and agencies;

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      (22) To administer a statewide program of photography and photographic services;

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      (23) To negotiate with public or private educational institutions in the state, in

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cooperation with the department of health, for state support of medical education;

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      (24) To promote the expansion of markets for recovered material and to maximize their

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return to productive economic use through the purchase of materials and supplies with recycled

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content by the state of Rhode Island to the fullest extent practically feasible;

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      (25) To approve costs as provided in section 23-19-32; and

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      (26) To provide all necessary civil service tests for child protective investigators and

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social workers at least twice each year and to maintain an adequate hiring list for these positions

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at all times.

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      (27) To prepare a report every three (3) months by all current property leases or rentals

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by any state or quasi-state agency to include the following information:

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      (i) Name of lessor;

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      (ii) Description of the lease (purpose, physical characteristics, and location);

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      (iii) Cost of the lease;

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      (iv) Amount paid to date;

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      (v) Date initiated;

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      (vi) Date covered by the lease.

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      (28) To provide by December 31, 1995 the availability of automatic direct deposit to any

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recipient of a state benefit payment, provided that the agency responsible for making that

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payment generates one thousand (1,000) or more such payments each month.

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      (29) To operate the Rhode Island division of sheriffs as provided in section 42-11-21.

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      (30) To encourage municipalities, school districts, and quasi-public agencies to achieve

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cost savings in health insurance, purchasing, or energy usage by participating in state contracts, or

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by entering into collaborative agreements with other municipalities, districts, or agencies. To

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assist in determining whether the benefit levels including employee cost sharing and unit costs of

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such benefits and costs are excessive relative to other municipalities, districts, or quasi-public

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agencies as compared with state benefit levels and costs.

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     (31) To grant waivers from the operation of any state mandate or other requirement

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administered by the department, for such a period and on such terms as the director deems

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appropriate, in response to a petition from a municipality. Such petition shall be addressed to the

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office of local government assistance, which shall forward it to the director with its

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recommendation.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC01306

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENT OF

ADMINISTRATION

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     This act would authorize the director of the department of administration to grant waivers

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from the operation of any state mandate or other requirement administered by the department, for

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such a period and on such terms as the director deems appropriate, in response to a petition from

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a municipality.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC01306

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