2017 -- H 5600

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LC001648

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - STATE POLICE - EQUAL

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

     

     Introduced By: Representative Anastasia P. Williams

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2017

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 42-28 of the General Laws entitled "State Police" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     42-28-51. Establishment of equal opportunity unit.

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     (a) There is hereby established within the division of state police an equal opportunity

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compliance unit which shall be responsible for the preparation, revision, implementation, and

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administration of policies of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity as these policies relate to

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the recruitment, selection and promotion of persons to positions in the division. The unit shall

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maintain an active public recruiting program designed to enlarge the pool of qualified minority

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and women recruits to ensure sufficient numbers of these candidates for appointment to Rhode

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Island state police training academy classes. As used in this chapter, "minority" means persons of

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African­American, Hispanic, Asian and native American descent.

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     (b) The unit shall utilize personnel currently employed by the division and may hire such

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additional personnel as may be necessary. The supervisor of the unit shall report to the

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superintendent.

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     (c) To assure that member positions at all levels of the division are equally accessible to

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all qualified persons, and to eliminate the underutilization of qualified minorities and non-

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minority women, the superintendent shall adopt, and periodically revise if necessary, an equal

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opportunity plan for the division. The plan shall be based on an analysis of the division's

 

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deficiencies and resources and shall provide for the following:

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     (1) Numeric goals and timetables for recruitment and promotion of members that are

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reasonably attainable through the good faith efforts of the division. In determining timetables and

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establishing goals, the equal opportunity compliance unit shall:

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     (i) Involve division members and other personnel at all levels in the goal-setting process;

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     (ii) Establish goals that are significant, measurable and attainable;

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     (iii) Establish goals that are specific for planned results, with timetables for completion;

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     (iv) Consider the anticipated expansion, contraction, and turnover in the division's work

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force;

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     (v) Specify distinct goals and timetables for the hiring and promotion of minorities and

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for non-minority women which identify existing deficiencies in numbers or percentages of these

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personnel and target measures to correct these deficiencies;

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     (vi) Provide for inclusion of the goals and timetables, with supporting data and the

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analysis thereof, into a written equal opportunity program; and

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     (vii) Provide for the collection of data that will permit the measurement and evaluation of

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goals. This data shall include, but not be limited to, progression line charts, seniority rosters,

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applicant flow data, and applicant rejection ratios indicating minority and gender status.

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     (2) Rhode Island state police training academy classes consisting of at least twenty

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percent (20%) qualified minority recruits and ten percent (10%) non-minority women recruits.

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The division shall make a good faith effort to meet or exceed these goals.

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     (3) Enhancement of promotional opportunities for minorities and women in member

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positions in the division based on their merit and fitness as determined by suitable promotion tests

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or other unbiased criteria, such as training and pertinent experience. Selection shall, except under

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special circumstances, be based on division-wide promotional lists. The division shall make

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available a statement of justifiable reasons as to why a division-wide promotional list is not being

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utilized for promotions to a particular title. Goals for promotion shall generally seek to achieve a

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percentage of minorities and non-minority women in each sworn rank that is at least equal to the

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percentages minorities and non-minority women represent in the total member force of the

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division.

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     (d)(1) The division shall be deemed to be in compliance with its commitments under

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subsection (c) of this section if it meets its goals and timetables or if it makes a good faith effort

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to meet these goals and timetables. In the event of the failure of the division to meet these goals

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and timetables, it shall be given an opportunity to demonstrate that it has made every good faith

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effort to meet its commitments. All the actions of the division shall be reviewed and evaluated by

 

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the attorney general in determining whether such good faith efforts have been made.

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     (2) If the division, despite its good faith efforts, fails to meet its goals and timetables

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within a reasonable period of time, it shall make appropriate changes in its equal opportunity plan

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to the extent necessary to attain its goals. The division shall develop and adopt alternative

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recruitment and selection methods, if it is determined that the failure of the division to meet its

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goals is attributable in substantial part to its recruitment and selection methods. If the division's

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failure to meet its goals is attributable in substantial part to its use of a qualification standard or

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criterion which has adversely affected the opportunities of minorities and non-minority women

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for hiring or promotion, the division shall demonstrate that such qualification standard or criterion

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is directly related to job performance. In the event of a failure to demonstrate this relationship, the

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division shall assess the reason for the failure and propose to both the house committee on

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oversight and senate committee on government oversight measures that it will take to address the

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failure.

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     (e) The superintendent shall annually submit to the governor and to the legislature a

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report describing efforts undertaken by the unit during the previous year to expand the pool of

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qualified minority candidates and of non-minority women candidates for appointment to the

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Rhode Island state police training academy and to increase the promotional opportunities for

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minority candidates and non-minority women candidates within the division. The report shall also

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describe the division's efforts and progress being made in attaining and maintaining the goals and

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timetables established pursuant to this section.

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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 - STATE POLICE - EQUAL

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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     This act would establish an equal opportunity unit within the division of state police to

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adopt an equal opportunity plan to increase the ranks of minorities and women among members

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of the state police.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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