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LC000780

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE -- HOLIDAYS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Henries, Stewart, Alzate, Hull, Abney, Felix, Biah,
Boylan, Cruz, and Kazarian

     Date Introduced: February 03, 2023

     Referred To: House Special Legislation

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 25-1-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 25-1 entitled "Holidays" is

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hereby amended to read as follows:

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     25-1-1. General holidays enumerated.

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     The first day of January or, in the event that day is a Saturday or Sunday, then state

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employees will celebrate the holiday on the following Monday (as New Year’s Day), the third

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Monday of January (as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday), the third Monday of February (as

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Washington’s Birthday), the fourth day of May (as Rhode Island Independence Day), the last

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Monday of May (as Memorial Day), the nineteenth day of June or, in the event that day is a

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Saturday or Sunday, then state employees will celebrate the holiday on the following Monday (as

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Juneteenth National Freedom Day), the fourth day of July or, in the event that day is a Saturday or

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Sunday, then state employees will celebrate the holiday on the following Monday (as Independence

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Day), the second Monday of August (as Victory Day), the first Monday of September (as Labor

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Day), the second Monday of October (as Columbus Day), the eleventh day of November or, in the

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event that day is a Saturday or Sunday, then state employees will celebrate the holiday on the

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following Monday (as Veterans’ Day), the twenty-fifth day of December, or in the event that day

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is a Saturday or Sunday, then state employees will celebrate the holiday on the following Monday

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(as Christmas Day), and each of the above days in every year, or when either of the above days

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falls on the first day of the week, then the day following it, the Tuesday next after the first Monday

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in November in each year in which a general election of state officers is held (as election day), the

 

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first day of every week (commonly called Sunday), and any other days as the governor or general

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assembly of this state or the president or the congress of the United States shall appoint as holidays

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for any purpose, days of thanksgiving, or days of solemn fast, shall be holidays.

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     SECTION 2. Section 25-3-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 25-3 entitled "Work on

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Holidays and Sundays" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     25-3-1. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter:

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     (1) “Director” means the director of the department of labor and training;

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     (2) “Economic necessity” means and refers to any case where the director determines that:

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     (i) Both the economics and technology of manufacture of the product or a component of

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the product requires continuous conversion or processing of raw materials, intermediates, or

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components without interruption to avoid disproportionate loss of production capacity;

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     (ii) The economics and technology of data processing requires the continuous operation of

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data processing equipment to avoid deterioration of equipment or a disproportionate loss of

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computer capacity or where customer requirements are that data processing equipment must be

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available for input or output on a continuous basis;

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     (iii) Because prevailing industry practice in the manufacturing or processing of the product

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or in the provision of banking or financial services is to operate facilities within that industry seven

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(7) days per week, the failure to operate on one or more Sundays or holidays will subject the

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employer to a competitive hardship within the industry in which the employer competes;

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     (iv) Maintenance or improvement of plant or equipment cannot practically or efficiently

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be performed while production is in process;

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     (v) The scheduling of production on Sundays or holidays is necessitated by interrupted or

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allocated energy supplies, or shortages of raw materials or component parts;

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     (vi) An employer has been deprived of its normal production schedule by fire, flood, power

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failure, or other circumstances beyond its control; or

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     (vii) Circumstances, temporary in nature, are that undue economic hardship would result

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from the inability to operate on one or more Sundays or holidays;

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     (3) “Employee” means any individual employed by an employer, but shall not include:

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     (i) Any individual employed in agriculture or maritime trades, including commercial

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fishing or boat repairs;

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     (ii) Any physician, dentist, attorney at law, or accountant;

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     (iii) Any individual engaged in the provision of health care or maintenance;

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     (iv) Any individual employed in a restaurant, hotel, motel, summer camp, resort, or other

 

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recreational facility (except health clubs);

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     (v) Any individual employed in the business of offshore petroleum or gas exploration or

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extraction, or in the business of servicing or supplying persons engaged in exploration or extraction;

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     (vi) Supervisory employees as defined in 29 U.S.C. § 213(a)(1) and regulations issued

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pursuant to that section;

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     (vii) Any individual employed by an employer holding a license issued pursuant to chapter

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23 of title 5; or

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     (viii) Any individual employed as part of a telephonic delivery of customer service, sales

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operations, and ancillary services related to those services and operations, except for specific

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employment positions in the telecommunications industry that are part of any collective bargaining

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agreement or employment contract in effect on July 2, 1998.

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     (4) “Employer” means any natural person, partnership, firm, corporation, or other

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enterprise engaged in industry, transportation, communication, or any other commercial occupation

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involving one or more employees; and

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     (5) “Holidays” means Sunday, New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National

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Freedom Day, July 4th, Victory Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving,

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and Christmas; provided, that as it pertains to all offices of state and municipal government, the

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term “holiday” includes in addition to the holidays enumerated in this subdivision, Dr. Martin

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Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, as defined in § 25-2-18.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HOLIDAYS AND DAYS OF SPECIAL OBSERVANCE -- HOLIDAYS

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     This act would establish June 19th as a state holiday, to be known as “Juneteenth National

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Freedom Day”.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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