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:

{ADD 42-11-2. Powers and duties of department. -- ADD} The department of administration shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) To prepare a budget for the several state departments and agencies, subject to the direction and supervision of the governor;

(b) To administer the budget for all state departments and agencies, except as specifically exempted by law;

(c) 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;

(d) 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;

(e) To prescribe standard specifications for those purchases and contracts and to enforce compliance with specifications;

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

(g) 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;

(h) 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;

(i) To provide for the periodic inspection, appraisal or inventory of all state buildings and property, real and personal;

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

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

(l) 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;

(m) To control and supervise the acquisition, operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of state-owned motor vehicles by state agencies;

(n) To maintain and operate central duplicating and mailing service for the several state departments and agencies;

(o) To furnish the several departments and agencies of the state with other essential office services;

(p) 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;

(q) To assess and collect all taxes levied by the state by virtue of the various laws of the state;

(r) To analyze, evaluate and appraise the tax system of the state, and to make recommendations for its revision in accordance with the best interests of the economy of the state;

(s) To operate a merit system of personnel administration and personnel management as defined in section 36-3-3 in connection with the conditions of employment in all state departments and agencies within the classified service;

(t) 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;

(u) 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;

(v) To devise, formulate, promulgate, supervise and control a comprehensive and coordinated statewide information system designed to improve the data base 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;

(1) The comprehensive and coordinated statewide information system may include a Rhode Island geographic information system of land-related economic, physical, cultural and natural resources.

(2) 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.

(w) To administer a statewide planning program including planning assistance to the state departments and agencies;

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

(y) To negotiate with public or private educational institutions in the state, in cooperation with the department of health, for state support of medical education;

(z) 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;

(aa) To approve costs as provided in section 23-19-32;

(bb) To provide all necessary civil service tests for child protective investigators and social workers at least twice each year and to maintain an adequate hiring list for these positions at all times; and

(cc) To prepare a report every three (3) months by all current property leases or rentals by any state or quasi-state agency to include the following information:

(1) Name of lessor;

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

(3) Cost of the lease;

(4) Amount paid to date;

(5) Date initiated;

(6) Date covered by the lease.

(dd) To provide by December 31, {DEL 1994 DEL} {ADD 1995 ADD} 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.

(ee) To operate a division of motor vehicles. The division will be responsible for activities assigned to it by law, including but not limited to, motor vehicle registration, testing and licensing of motor vehicle operators, inspection of motor vehicles, and enforcement of laws relating to the issuance, suspension and revocation of motor vehicle registrations and drivers' licenses. The division shall administer the financial responsibility law. The chief of the division shall use the title and designation "Registrar" on all licenses, registrations, orders of suspensions, financial responsibility notices or orders, or any other official documents issued or promulgated by the division.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 1995; however, the amendment to Section 42-11-2 (dd) shall be retroactive to December 31, 1994.