2025 -- H 5945

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LC001970

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM

     Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Finkelman, Tanzi, and Morales

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2025

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Chapter 36-4 of the General Laws entitled "Merit System" is hereby amended

by adding thereto the following section:

     36-4-15.1. Specialized information technology positions in state service.

     (a) For purposes of this section: “specialized information technology position” means a

technical or specialized job classification in state service under the supervision and/or purview of

the division of enterprise technology strategy and services (“ETSS”), within the department of

administration. Such positions may include, but are not limited to, information technology

leadership roles (i.e., chief information officer, chief technology officer, chief information security

officer, etc.) software/application/cloud architects, engineers, developers and/or programmers,

cybersecurity professionals, artificial intelligence analysts, data/database/cloud administrators, and

any other information technology positions of a specialized and/or technical nature.

     (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law or regulation to the

contrary, including the personnel rules adopted pursuant to § 36-4-8, the personnel administrator,

in their sole discretion, may modify, change or amend any official pay plan for employees in the

classified or unclassified service in order to create new job classifications, and/or modify the title,

content or pay grade of an existing job classification, for any new or existing specialized

information technology positions.

     (c) The personnel administrator is hereby authorized to take whatever administrative action

is necessary to implement the changes to the official pay plans made pursuant to this section with

respect to new or existing specialized information technology positions without conducting a public

hearing or obtaining the approval of the governor prior to the implementation of any such action.

     (d) Within thirty (30) days after any personnel action under this section, the personnel

administrator shall file a written report with the governor, the speaker of the house, the senate

president, and the chairpersons of the house and senate finance committees. This report shall

include:

     (1) The title and paygrade of the position(s);

     (2) The job description of the position; and

     (3) The reason why the position is necessary. The personnel administrator shall also post

the report on the division of human resources’ website for at least one year.

     (e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any specialized information technology

position utilized by ETSS that is part of a collective bargaining unit established and certified by the

Rhode Island state labor relations board.

     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 PUBIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM

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     This act would provide for the creation of a new job classification for new or existing

specialized information technology positions.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001970

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