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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
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IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2013
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____________
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A N A C T
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RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
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SAFETY
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Introduced By: Senators McCaffrey, and Walaska
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Date Introduced: March 06, 2013
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Referred To: Senate Labor
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It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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1-1
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SECTION 1. Section 42-7.3-3.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-7.3 entitled
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"Department of Public Safety" is hereby repealed.
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1-3
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42-7.3-3.1. Workers' compensation investigations unit -- Powers and duties of
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investigators. -- (a) There is established a workers' compensation investigations unit, the purpose
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of which shall be to prevent and detect fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of
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public funds, relating to any and all state programs and operations by agencies, bureaus,
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divisions, sections, departments, offices, commissions, institutions and activities of the State of
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Rhode Island, including those districts, authorities, or political subdivisions created by the general
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assembly or the governor.
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(b) The workers' compensation investigations unit shall be under the jurisdiction of the
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commissioner of public safety/superintendent of the state police, and shall consist of a director
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and investigators, who shall be selected and who shall be specially-trained to prevent and
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investigate instances of fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds.
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(c) The director shall be a member of the Rhode Island state police with at least the rank
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of sergeant, and shall remain on the personnel rolls of the Rhode Island state police, with the
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same salary and benefits schedule, and shall retain all powers of a member of the Rhode Island
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state police of that rank. The director, with the approval of the superintendent, shall have the
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authority to appoint, the investigators and staff of the office.
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(d) The director and the investigators shall have the following powers:
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(1) To arrest independently or in conjunction with state or federal law enforcement
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agencies;
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(2) To apply for and execute search warrants; and
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(3) To serve civil and criminal process.
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(e) No person shall be appointed as an investigator in the office unless he or she has
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successfully completed the basic course of instruction for police officers at the Providence Police
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Training Academy, the Rhode Island Municipal Police Training Academy, or the Rhode Island
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State Police Training Academy, and has at least three (3) years of active law enforcement
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experience, or has served as a member of the United States Marshal's Service or as a special agent
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of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a criminal law enforcement agency of the United States
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Department of Justice, the United States Department of State, the United States Department of the
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Treasury or the United States Postal Inspection Service and has at least three (3) years of active
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law enforcement experience, or has been certified as a police officer by the duly-constituted state
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commission on police officer standards and training of another state, and has at least three (3)
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years of active law enforcement experience. Prior to the appointment of any qualified individual,
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a background examination shall be conducted utilizing federal, state and local law enforcement
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agencies, bureau of criminal identification, national crime information center, and any and all
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relevant records existing within the federal and state court systems.
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(f) The director and investigators shall be indemnified to the extent provided under
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section 9-31-12 for acts committed within the scope of their employment.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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=======
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LC01491
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========
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EXPLANATION
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BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
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OF
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A N A C T
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RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
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SAFETY
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***
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3-1
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This act would dissolve the workers’ compensation investigation unit as it relates to the
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Rhode Island State Police.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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=======
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LC01491
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=======
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