2022 -- H 7825

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LC005396

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Amore, Ruggiero, Barros, J Lombardi, C Lima,
Donovan, Ajello, and Shallcross Smith

     Date Introduced: March 04, 2022

     Referred To: House State Government & Elections

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 16-16 of the General Laws entitled "Teachers' Retirement [See Title

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16 Chapter 97 - The Rhode Island Board of Education Act]" is hereby amended by adding thereto

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the following section:

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     16-16-24.1. Substitute teaching and post-retirement employment related to COVID-

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19.

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     (a) Notwithstanding any public or general law, or rule or regulation to the contrary, any

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teacher, administrator or staff member, who has retired under the provisions of title 16, 36, or 45

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may, as part of the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, exceed the ninety (90) day cap on

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post-retirement employment upon:

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     (1) A determination by the local education authority that there exists a specialized need,

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within their authority, to fill positions on a temporary basis, that may exceed the ninety (90) day

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cap on post-retirement employment;

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     (2) There exists a good faith basis that those retired teachers, administrators and staff

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members being asked to exceed the ninety (90) day cap on post-retirement employment, possess

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the skills, training and knowledge necessary to help address the public health crisis, caused by

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COVID-19; and

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     (3) The local education authority has notified the state retirement board, that it has

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determined that exceeding the ninety (90) day cap on post-retirement employment, is necessary to

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help address the public health crisis caused by COVID-19.

 

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     (b) Any teacher, administrator or staff member who has retired under the provisions of title

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16, 36, or 45 and has been employed or re-employed, under the provisions of this section shall not

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be entitled to additional service credits for such employment.

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     (c) Unless extended by the general assembly, this section shall sunset upon the conclusion

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of the 2021-2022 school year.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 36-10 of the General Laws entitled "Retirement System -

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Contributions and Benefits" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     36-10-36.1. Post-retirement employment related to COVID-19.

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     (a) Notwithstanding any public or general law, or rule or regulation to the contrary any

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teacher, administrator or staff member who has retired under the provisions of title 16, 36, or 45

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may, as part of the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, exceed the seventy-five (75) day cap

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on post-retirement employment upon:

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     (1) A determination by the local education authority that there exists a specialized need

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within their authority, to fill positions on a temporary basis, that may exceed the seventy-five (75)

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day cap on post-retirement employment; and

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     (2) There exists a good faith basis that those retired teachers, administrators and staff

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members being asked to exceed the seventy-five (75) day cap on post-retirement employment,

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possess the skills, training and knowledge necessary to help address the public health crisis caused

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by COVID-19; and

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     (3) The local education authority has notified the state retirement board that it has

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determined that exceeding the seventy-five (75) day cap on post-retirement employment is

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necessary to help address the public health crisis caused by COVID-19.

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     (b) Any teacher, administrator or staff member who has retired under the provisions of title

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16, 36, or 45 and has been employed or re-employed, under the provisions of this section shall not

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be entitled to additional service credits for such employment.

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     (c) Unless extended by the general assembly, this section shall sunset upon the conclusion

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of the 2021-2022 school year.

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     SECTION 3. Chapter 45-21 of the General Laws entitled "Retirement of Municipal

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Employees" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     45-21-54.1. Reemployment of retired members related to COVID-19.

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     (a) Notwithstanding any public or general law, or rule or regulation to the contrary, any

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teacher, administrator or staff member who has retired under the provisions of title 16, 36, or 45

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may, as part of the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, exceed the seventy-five (75) day cap

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on post-retirement employment upon:

 

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     (1) A determination by the local education authority that there exists a specialized need,

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within their authority, to fill positions on a temporary basis, that may exceed the seventy-five (75)

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day cap on post-retirement employment; and

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     (2) There exists a good faith basis that those retired teachers, administrators and staff

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members being asked to exceed the seventy-five (75) day cap on post-retirement employment

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possess the skills, training and knowledge necessary to help address the public health crisis caused

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by COVID-19; and

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     (3) The local education authority has notified the state retirement board that it has

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determined that exceeding the seventy-five (75) day cap on post-retirement employment is

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necessary to help address the public health crisis caused by COVID-19.

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     (b) Any teacher, administrator or staff member who has retired under the provisions of title

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16, 36, or 45 and has been employed or re-employed under the provisions of this section shall not

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be entitled to additional service credits for such employment.

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     (c) Unless extended by the general assembly, this section shall sunset upon the conclusion

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the 2021-2022 school year.

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     SECTION 4. Chapter 31-22 of the General Laws entitled "Miscellaneous Rules" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     31-22-11.6.1. Child care vehicles and school extracurricular vehicles - COVID-19.

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     (a) Notwithstanding § 31-31-11.6, or any general law, rule or regulation to the contrary,

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effective upon the effective date of this section, due to the public health crisis caused by COVID-

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19, the requirement of using designated types of vehicles for specified routes as contained in § 31-

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22-11.6(a)(2)(i) is hereby suspended, for student transportation providers ("Providers") retained by

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or via the Rhode Island department of education ("RIDE") to provide student transportation

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services. For such routes, retained providers may utilize:

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     (1) School buses, as defined in § 31-1-3(aa);

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     (2) Pupil transportation vehicles, as defined in § 31-22.1-1;

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     (3) School extra-curricular vehicles as defined in § 31-22-11.6(a)(2)(ii);

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     (4) Child care vehicles as defined in § 31-22-11.6(a)(2)(iii); and

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     (5) Family child care home vehicles as defined in § 31-22- 11.6(a)(2)(iv).

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     (b) Vehicles authorized pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to transport students shall

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also be in compliance with the applicable laws, rules and regulations related to student

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transportation vehicles and shall:

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     (1) Carry a sign on the school bus visible from the front and back of the vehicle containing

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the lettering required by § 31-20-11;

 

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     (2) Be equipped with Type I Class A turn signal lamps, which shall have a four (4) way

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hazard warning signal switch to cause simultaneous flashing of the turn signal lamps which may

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be activated when the vehicle is approaching a stop to load or discharge school students and when

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needed as a vehicular traffic hazard warning. Each vehicle shall also be equipped with front and

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rear alternating flashing school bus red signal lamps, which shall remain flashing when school

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pupils are entering or leaving the vehicle; and

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     (3) Be equipped with one pair of adequate chock blocks and three (3) flares in compliance

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with United States Motor Vehicle D.O.T. Safety Standard No. 125.

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     (c) The prohibition against school extracurricular vehicles from having amber or red

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flashing lights as contained in 280-RICR-30-15-8.5(B)(l) is hereby suspended.

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     (d) Retained providers may utilize student transportation vehicles currently registered in

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Massachusetts or Connecticut to provide student transportation services in Rhode Island; provided

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that:

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     (1) Each student transportation vehicle has current, valid Massachusetts or Connecticut

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registration and inspection stickers;

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     (2) Each student transportation vehicle is covered by an insurance policy meeting the

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requirements of § 31-22-10.1;

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     (3) The Rhode Island department of education has verified compliance of subsections

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(d)(1) and (d)(2) of this section; and

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     (4) The retained provider complies with the registration requirement for each student

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transportation vehicle pursuant to § 31-7-2 by the sunset date of this section.

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     (e) The license requirements contained in §§ 31-10-5, 31-22.1-3(10), and 31-22-

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11.6(b)(10) are hereby suspended for drivers currently licensed in Massachusetts or Connecticut to

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operate student transportation vehicles and employed by retained providers pursuant to subsection

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(a) of this section and furthermore, the provider driver may operate student transportation vehicles

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appropriate for their licensure; provided that:

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     (1) As applicable, the provider driver possesses a current, valid Massachusetts or

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Connecticut commercial driver's license with a "P" and "S" endorsement and a current, valid

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Massachusetts school bus certificate if licensed in Massachusetts.

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     (2) As applicable, the provider driver possesses a current, valid Massachusetts or

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Connecticut driver's license that is the equivalent of a Rhode Island license with the appropriate

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endorsement(s) allowing the transportation of school children.

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     (3) RIDE has verified compliance with subsections (e)(1) and (e)(2) of this section.

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     (4) As applicable, the provider driver obtains a school bus certificate governed by 280-

 

LC005396 - Page 4 of 6

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RICR-30-05-2 prior to the sunset of this section.

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     (5) As applicable, the provider driver obtains a pupil transportation certificate governed by

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280-RICR-30-05-5 prior to the sunset of this section.

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     (6) The provider driver complies with license requirements under §§ 31-10-5, 31-22.1-

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3(10), and 31-22-11.6(b)(10) prior to the date of sunset of this section.

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     (f) Unless extended by the general assembly this section shall sunset upon the conclusion

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of the 2021-2022 school year.

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     SECTION 5. Chapter 5-34 of the General Laws entitled "Nurses" is hereby amended by

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adding thereto the following section:

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     5-34-31.1. Practices and persons exempt - COVID-19.

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     (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 5-34-31, or any general law, rule or regulation to

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the contrary, upon the effective date of this section, due to the public health crisis caused by

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COVID-19, the exemption in § 5-34-31(2) relating to the practice of nursing "pending the results

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of the licensing examinations following that graduation" is hereby suspended for registered nurse

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graduates; provided that, the registered nurse graduates shall:

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     (1) Apply and receive a temporary graduate nursing license that is valid for a period not

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exceeding ninety (90) days;

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     (2) Work under the supervision of licensed registered nurses; and

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     (3) Comply with other applicable requirements.

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     (b) The Rhode Island department of health shall promulgate and enforce any rules and

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regulations necessary to implement this section.

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     (c) Unless extended by the general assembly, this section shall sunset on June 30, 2022.

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     SECTION 6. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS' RETIREMENT

***

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     This act would temporarily suspend the cap on the amount of days retired educators can

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work without penalty and would suspend certain requirements related to the transportation of pupils

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both of which would sunset at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. This act would also ease the

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work requirements for registered nurse graduates pending licensure and would sunset on June 30,

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2022.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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