2015 -- H 5915

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LC002085

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES - RETIREMENT SYSTEM -

CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Keable, Blazejewski, Johnston, Hull, and Bennett

     Date Introduced: March 18, 2015

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 36-10-36 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-10 entitled

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"Retirement System-Contributions and Benefits" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     36-10-36. Post retirement employment. -- (a) On and after July 7, 1994, no member

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who has retired under the provisions of titles 16, 36, or 45 may be employed or reemployed by

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any state agency or department unless any and all retirement benefits to which he or she may be

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entitled by virtue of the provisions of titles 16, 36, or 45 are suspended for the duration of any

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employment or reemployment. No additional service credits shall be granted for any post-

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retirement employment or reemployment and no deductions shall be taken from an individual's

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salary for retirement contribution. Notice of any such post-retirement employment or

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reemployment shall be sent monthly to the retirement board by the employing agency or

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department and by the retired member.

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      (b) Any member who has retired under the provisions of titles 16, 36, or 45 may be

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employed or reemployed by any municipality within the state that has accepted the provisions of

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chapter 21 of title 45 and participates in the municipal employees' retirement system for a period

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of not more than seventy-five (75) working days or one hundred fifty (150) half days with half-

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day pay in any one calendar year without any forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefits

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and allowances the member is receiving, or may receive, as a retired member. Pension payments

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shall be suspended whenever this period is exceeded. No additional contributions shall be taken,

 

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and no additional service credits shall be granted, for this service. Notice of this employment or

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re-employment shall be sent monthly to the retirement board by the employer and by the retired

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member.

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      (c) Any member who has retired under the provisions of title 16, 36, or 45 may be

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employed or re-employed by any municipality within the state that has not accepted the

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provisions of chapter 21 of title 45 and that does not participate in the municipal employees'

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retirement system.

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      (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section:

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      (1) Any retired member of the system shall be permitted to serve as an elected mayor,

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the town administrator, the city administrator, the town manager, the city manager, the chief

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administrative officer, or the chief executive officer of any city or town, city or town council

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member, school committee member, or unpaid member of any part-time state board or

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commission or member of any part-time municipal board or commission, and shall continue to be

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eligible for, and receive, the retirement allowance for service other than that as a mayor,

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administrator, council member, school committee member, or member of any state board or

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commission or member of any part-time municipal board or commission; provided, however, that

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no additional service credits shall be granted for any service under this subsection;

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      (2) Any retired member, who retired from service at any state college, university, state

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school, or who retired from service as a teacher under the provisions of title 16, or who retired

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from service under title 36 or title 45, may be employed or reemployed, on a part-time basis, by

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any state college, university, or state school for the purpose of providing classroom instruction,

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academic advising of students, and/or coaching. Compensation shall be provided at a level not to

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exceed the salary provided to other faculty members employed under a collective bargaining

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agreement at the institution. In no event shall "part-time" mean gross pay of more than fifteen

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thousand dollars ($15,000) in any one calendar year. Any retired member who provides such

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instruction or service shall do so without forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefit or

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allowance; provided, however, that no additional service credits shall be granted for any service

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under this subsection;

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      (3) Any retired member who retired from service as a teacher under the provisions of

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title 16, or as a state employee who, while an active state employee, was certified to teach driver

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education by the department of elementary and secondary education or by the board of governors

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for higher education, may be employed or reemployed, on a part-time basis, by the department of

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elementary and secondary education or by the board of governors of higher education for the

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purpose of providing classroom instruction in driver education courses in accordance with § 31-

 

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10-19 and/or motorcycle driver education courses in accordance with § 31-10.1-1.1. In no event

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shall "part-time" mean gross pay of more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in any one

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calendar year. Any retired teacher who provides that instruction shall do so without forfeiture or

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reduction of any retirement benefit or allowance the retired teacher is receiving as a retired

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teacher; provided, however, that no additional service credits shall be granted for any service

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under this subsection;

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      (4) Any retired member who retired from service as a registered nurse may be employed

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or reemployed, on a per-diem basis, for the purpose of providing professional nursing care and/or

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services at a state-operated facility in Rhode Island, including employment for faculty members

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of a nursing program at a state-operated college. In no event shall "part-time" mean gross pay of

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more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) a period of seventy-five (75) working days one or

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hundred fifty (150) half days with half pay in any one calendar year. Any retired nurse who

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provides such care and/or services shall do so without forfeiture or reduction of any retirement

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benefit or allowance the retired nurse is receiving as a retired nurse; provided, however, that no

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additional service credits shall be granted for any service under this subsection pension payments

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shall be suspended whenever this period is exceeded. No additional contributions shall be taken

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and no additional service credits shall be granted for this service. Notice of this employment or

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re-employment shall be sent monthly to the retirement board by the employer and by the retired

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member; and

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      (5) Any retired member who, at the time of passage of this section, serves as a general

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magistrate within the family court and thereafter retires from judicial service, may be employed

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or reemployed by the family court to perform such services as a general magistrate of the family

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court as the chief judge of the family court shall prescribe without any forfeiture or reduction of

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any retirement benefits and allowances that he or she is receiving or may receive. For any such

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services or assignments performed after retirement, the general magistrate shall receive no

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compensation whatsoever, either monetary or in kind. No additional contributions shall be taken

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and no additional service credits shall be granted for this service; and.

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      (6) Any retired member of the system shall be permitted to serve as a municipal

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employee without any forfeiture or reduction of any retirement benefits and allowances that he or

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she is receiving or may receive; provided, that said member shall be appointed by and serves at

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the pleasure of the highest elected chief executive officer, as defined in § 45-9-2, in any city or

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town subject to the provisions of chapter 9 of title 45 entitled "Budget Commissions" relating to

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the appointment of a fiscal overseer, budget commission, receiver, and/or financial advisor.

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Provided further, that no additional service credits shall be granted for any service under this

 

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subsection.

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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 - RETIREMENT SYSTEM -

CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS

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     This act would allow retired state employee nurses to work as professors in the nursing

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program at a state college. It would allow them to work seventy-five (75) days or one hundred

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fifty (150) half days before their pension payments would be suspended. This act would finally

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remove an exception that allowed retired state employee nurses to return to work for cities and

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towns, under emergency budget commissions without a suspension of their retirement benefits.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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