2019 -- H 6211

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Filippi, Mattiello, Chippendale, Shekarchi, and
Nardone

     Date Introduced: June 12, 2019

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 36-4-31 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-4 entitled "Merit

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System" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     36-4-31. Temporary appointment when no list available.

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     (a) Whenever it is not possible to certify the required number of eligible persons for

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appointment to a vacancy in the classified service because no appropriate list exists, the

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appointing authority may nominate a person to the personnel administrator and if the nominee is

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found by the personnel administrator to have had experience and education which appear to

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qualify him or her for the position and meets such other requirements as are established by this

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chapter and the personnel rules, he or she may be temporarily appointed to fill the vacancy. All

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persons with temporary status who have been or who shall be temporarily appointed to those

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vacancies shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority or until removed in accordance

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with other provisions of this chapter. The personnel administrator shall within one year of the

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appointment of the temporary appointee establish an appropriate list. In the event the personnel

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administrator has failed or fails to establish an appropriate list within one year of a temporary

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appointment, the temporary employee shall become a provisional employee until a suitable list is

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established, at which time the appropriate merit system laws, rules, and regulations shall apply. In

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the event that the personnel administrator within the department of administration fails to

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establish and administer any competitive test required by chapter 4 of title 36, for a period of

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more than twelve (12) months from the time a position becomes vacant, there shall exist a hiring

 

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freeze for all positions with the classification within that department, for which the competitive

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test is required to be administered. Provided, however, any vacant position for which a hiring

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freeze exists shall be permitted to be filled if the speaker of the house, president of the senate, and

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the house and senate minority leaders unanimously agree in writing, that the position needs to be

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filled for the health and safety of the general public. When an appropriate list is established for a

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position held by a temporary or provisional appointee, the position shall be deemed to be vacant

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for the purposes of certification and appointment, and no salary or other compensation shall be

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paid to any temporary or provisional appointee for services in the position for more than fifteen

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(15) days after certification of at least three (3) available eligibles from the appropriate list.

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     (b) Any employee who holds temporary or provisional status for at least twelve (12)

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consecutive months in the class in which he or she is serving and who takes the appropriate

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examination for the position shall receive in addition to his or her test score five (5) additional

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points for each year of state service, which shall be added to his or her test score, provided,

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however, that in no case shall an employee receive credit for more than four (4) years of service.

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An employee who holds temporary provisional status for at least twelve (12) consecutive months

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in the class in which he or she is serving and is found to be reachable for certification to the

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position he or she holds shall be appointed to the position unless the appointing authority certifies

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to the personnel administrator that the individual's service has been unsatisfactory.

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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 PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- MERIT SYSTEM

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     This act would create a hiring freeze for all state positions within a classification, for

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which a competitive test is required, if no test is given within twelve (12) months of the vacancy.

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It would allow the hiring freeze to be lifted and the position filled, by the unanimous written

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agreement of the speaker, president and minority leaders of both the house and the senate,

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indicating that the position needs to be filled for the health and safety of the general public.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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