2026 -- S 2171

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM

     Introduced By: Senators Sosnowski, Burke, Britto, Murray, Gu, DiPalma, and Gallo

     Date Introduced: January 16, 2026

     Referred To: Senate Labor & Gaming

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 36-4-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-4 entitled "Merit System"

is hereby amended to read as follows:

     36-4-9. Adoption of classification plan.

     (a) The personnel administrator shall, after consultation with appointing authorities and

principal supervising officials, classify all of the positions in the classified service according to the

duties and responsibilities of each position. The plan of classification shall designate an appropriate

title for each class of position and shall indicate the education, experience, capacity, knowledge,

skill, and other qualifications to be required of persons appointed to positions in each class. The

complete classification plan shall be so arranged that all positions that are substantially similar with

respect to authority, responsibility, and character of work are included within the same class and

that the same pay schedules can be made to apply with equity under like working conditions. The

class titles so established shall be used in all personnel, accounting, budget, appropriation, and

financial records of all state departments, commissions, and institutions.

     (b) The office of personnel administration ("OPA") classification guide to desk audit

analysis and class specification development shall be amended to remove the supervision of other

employees, or lack thereof, as a requirement for classification upgrades through the desk audit

process.

     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 -- MERIT SYSTEM

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     This act would amend the OPA desk audit classification rules to eliminate supervising other

employees as a factor for position upgrade eligibility.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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