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LC005873/SUB A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF

ADMINISTRATION

     

     Introduced By: Senator Tiara T. Mack

     Date Introduced: April 16, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     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.

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     The department of administration shall 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 specifically

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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, and

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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 and

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property, real and personal;

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

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

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

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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 office

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services;

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

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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 as

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

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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 assistance

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

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

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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 database 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 other

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appropriate assistance toward establishing, within those municipalities, compatible information

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

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

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

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

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

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

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secretary of housing, which evaluates:

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

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

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     (C) The organizational changes, if any, needed;

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     (D) The data security costs and requirements;

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

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and the timeframe for obtaining that data; and

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

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

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

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geographic information system, what platform is used, the costs for such system on an annual basis,

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and what data is utilized in each respective system.

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

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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 cooperation

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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 § 23-19-32;

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

 

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

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adequate hiring list for this position at all times;

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     (27)(i) To prepare a report every three (3) months of 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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     (A) Name of lessor;

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

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     (C) Cost of the lease;

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     (D) Amount paid to date;

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     (E) Date initiated;

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     (F) Date covered by the lease.

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

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

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

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

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     (C) Location of each building or leased space;

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

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

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

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

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     (F) Expiration dates of leases;

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

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

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     (I) Total number of vacant workstations;

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

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

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

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

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

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and total number of vacant seats per building; and

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

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

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equivalent employee;

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

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

 

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

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

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

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     (iii) Location of each building or leased space;

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

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

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

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

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     (vi) Expiration dates of leases;

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

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

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     (ix) Total number of vacant workstations;

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

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

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

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subsequent year thereafter;

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

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

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total number of vacant seats per building; and

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

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

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equivalent employee;

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     (29) 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 payment

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

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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 assist

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

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

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as compared with state benefit levels and costs; and

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

 

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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 STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- DEPARTMENT OF

ADMINISTRATION

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     This act would require the department of administration to publish a report to the speaker

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of the house, president of the senate, and secretary of housing evaluating the cost to establish and

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maintain a statewide geographic information system.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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