§ 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 of the division of enterprise technology strategy and services (“ETSS”) within the department of administration. Such positions may include information technology leadership roles (i.e., chief information officer, chief technology officer, chief information security officer, etc.) and any other information technology positions which are supervisory, confidential, or managerial as defined by chapter 7 of title 28 and the rules and regulations of the Rhode Island state labor relations board. There shall be no more than fifteen (15) specialized information technology positions employed by the state in any fiscal year.
(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 as defined above. All information technology job specifications and corresponding pay grades shall be reviewed annually to maintain accuracy and fluency with emerging technologies, operating systems, and/or applications.
(c) The personnel administrator is hereby authorized to take whatever administrative action is necessary to implement the changes to the official pay plans for specialized information technology positions, as defined in this section, 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 pay grade of the position(s);
(2) The job description of the position(s); and
(3) The reason why the position(s) is/are 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 or which are eligible to be accreted into an existing collective bargaining unit pursuant to chapter 7 of title 28 and the rules or regulations of the Rhode Island state labor relations board.
(f) Except as authorized by chapter 7 of title 28 and the rules or regulations of the Rhode Island state labor relations board, nothing shall permit the conversion of any/all information technology positions in the classified, unclassified, or non-classified, covered by a collective bargaining unit to any/all specialized information technology position utilized by ETSS.
(g) The authorization granted by this section to the personnel administrator to convert any/all information technology positions to specialized information technology positions shall sunset on December 31, 2026.
History of Section.
P.L. 2025, ch. 278, art. 3, § 14, effective June 29, 2025.