law24304

Chapter 304

2024 -- H 7985 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/25/2024

A N A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

Introduced By: Representatives Spears, Speakman, Carson, Cortvriend, and McEntee

Date Introduced: March 05, 2024

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

of Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows:

42-11-2. Powers and duties of department.

The department of administration shall have the following powers and duties:

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

direction and supervision of the governor;

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

exempted by law;

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

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

standards and methods as are prescribed by law;

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

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

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

compliance with specifications;

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

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

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

equipment, and materials;

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

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

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

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

property, real and personal;

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

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

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

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

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

replacement of state-owned motor vehicles by state agencies;

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

departments and agencies;

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

services;

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

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

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

consolidation of functions among state agencies;

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

defined in § 36-3-3 in connection with the conditions of employment in all state departments and

agencies within the classified service;

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

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

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

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

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

centralization and consolidation of punch card and electronic data processing equipment and

services in order to obtain maximum utilization and efficiency;

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

coordinated statewide information system designed to improve the database used in the

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

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

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

appropriate assistance toward establishing, within those municipalities, compatible information

systems in order to obtain the maximum effectiveness in the management of public resources;

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

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

resources.

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

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

necessary to the department of administration for its support;.

(iii) In order to establish a full, comprehensive, and integrated statewide geographic

information system, and with input from the League of Cities and Towns, the department shall, by

January 31, 2025, publish a report to the speaker of the house, the president of the senate, and the

secretary of housing, which that evaluates:

(A) The cost to establish and maintain a statewide platform;

(B) The personnel needed to establish and maintain the system;

(D) The data security costs and requirements;

(E) The types of data needed from agencies and local governments to maintain the system

and the timeframe for obtaining that data; and

(F) And otherOther items deemed integral to this goal.

In furtherance of the preparation of the plan, the department shall request surveys or reports

from state agencies and cities and towns which that detail whether the agency or municipality

utilizes a geographic information system,; what platform is used,; the costs for such system on an

annual basis,; and what data is utilized in each respective system.;

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

departments and agencies;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(26) To provide all necessary civil service tests for individuals seeking employment as

social workers at the department of human services at least twice each year and to maintain an

adequate hiring list for this position at all times;

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

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

(A) Name of lessor;

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

(D) Amount paid to date;

(E) Date initiated;

(F) Date covered by the lease.

(ii) To prepare a report by October 31, 2014, of all current property owned by the state or

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

(A) Total square feet for each building or leased space;

(B) Total square feet for each building and space utilized as office space currently;

(D) Ratio and listing of buildings owned by the state versus leased;

(E) Total occupancy costs which shall include capital expenses, provided a proxy should

be provided to compare properties that are owned versus leased by showing capital expenses on

owned properties as a per square foot cost at industry depreciation rates;

(F) Expiration dates of leases;

(G) Number of workstations per building or leased space;

(H) Total square feet divided by number of workstations;

(I) Total number of vacant workstations;

(J) Percentage of vacant workstations versus total workstations available;

(K) Date when an action is required by the state to renew or terminate a lease;

(L) Strategic plan for leases commencing or expiring by June 30, 2016;

(M) Map of all state buildings which provides: cost per square foot to maintain, total

number of square feet, total operating cost, date each lease expires, number of persons per building

and total number of vacant seats per building; and

(N) Industry benchmark report which shall include total operating cost by full-time

equivalent employee, total operating cost by square foot and total square feet divided by full-time

equivalent employee;

(28) To prepare a report to the chairs of the house and senate finance committees by

December 15, 2021, and each year thereafter of all current property owned by the state or leased

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

(i) Total square feet for each building or leased space;

(ii) Total square feet for each building and space utilized as office space currently;

(iii) Location of each building or leased space;

(iv) Ratio and listing of buildings owned by the state versus leased;

(v) Total occupancy costs which shall include capital expenses, provided a proxy should

be provided to compare properties that are owned versus leased by showing capital expenses on

owned properties as a per square foot cost at industry depreciation rates;

(vi) Expiration dates of leases;

(vii) Number of workstations per building or leased space;

(viii) Total square feet divided by number of workstations;

(ix) Total number of vacant workstations;

(x) Percentage of vacant workstations versus total workstations available;

(xi) Date when an action is required by the state to renew or terminate a lease;

(xii) Strategic plan for leases commencing or expiring by June 30, 2022, and each

subsequent year thereafter;

(xiii) Map of all state buildings that provides: cost per square foot to maintain, total number

of square feet, total operating cost, date each lease expires, number of persons per building and

total number of vacant seats per building; and

(xiv) Industry benchmark report that shall include total operating cost by full-time

equivalent employee, total operating cost by square foot and total square feet divided by full-time

equivalent employee;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

as compared with state benefit levels and costs; and

(31) To administer a health benefit exchange in accordance with chapter 157 of this title.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC005515/SUB A

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