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HB 5524

AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES -- RETIREMENT SYSTEM--CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Matthew Dawson and 1 co-sponsor

Adds the deputy chief of inspection and inspector to the retirement-on-service-allowance rules for correctional staff, ensuring they receive the same eligibility and benefit treatm

06/04/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 5524

Bill Summary — HB 5524

Title: AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES — RETIREMENT SYSTEM — CONTRIBUTIONS AND BENEFITS
Bill No.: HB 5524 (2025) — Amends R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-10-9.2
Status: Committee recommended measure be held for further study (06/04/2025)
Introduced/Filed: 2025 (filed 03/14/2025; first read 04/07/2025)
Effective date if enacted: upon passage

Purpose / Intent

The bill modifies the statutory retirement provisions that apply to correctional officers and certain correctional department supervisors by explicitly adding two job classifications — the deputy chief of inspection and the inspector — to the list of positions eligible for the retirement-on-service-allowance rules in R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-10-9.2. The intent is to ensure those positions are covered by the same retirement eligibility and benefit-combination rules that apply to other correctional officers and supervisors.

Key provisions / What the bill changes

  • Adds the positions “deputy chief of inspection” and “inspector” to the list of covered members in § 36-10-9.2(a).
  • Leaves intact the existing retirement eligibility and benefit rules in § 36-10-9.2 for covered correctional staff, including:
    • Pre-October 1, 2009 rule: members age 50 with 20 years of department service (or who were eligible as of 9/30/2009).
    • Post-October 1, 2009 rule: members age 55 with at least 25 years of department contributory service; transitional proportional age reductions for certain members in service as of 9/30/2009 through 6/30/2012.
    • For members with contributory service on/after 7/1/2012 who have 5–24 years contributory service: eligibility at Social Security retirement age, with an alternative phased early-eligibility schedule effective 7/1/2015 (earlier of):
    • Age 65 with 30 years; or age 64 with 31 years; or age 63 with 32 years; or age 62 with 33 years; or
    • The member’s retirement eligibility date under § 36-10-9(1)(c)(ii).
    • Election and combination rules allowing members with service in the state employee or teacher systems to combine service credits with § 36-10-9.2 service to determine eligibility and receive a single aggregated benefit (computed under § 36-10-10.2 and § 36-10-10 / § 16-16-13).
    • Post-retirement adjustment requests (per subsection (e)) apply prospectively from the date the retirement board receives the request.

Who is affected

  • Directly: Department of Corrections employees in the newly specified titles — deputy chief of inspection and inspector — who will now be explicitly covered by § 36-10-9.2 retirement rules.
  • Indirectly: other correctional officers and supervisors covered by § 36-10-9.2 (no change to their rules), the Employees’ Retirement System and its actuaries, and potentially state finances (pension liabilities/annual contributions).

Fiscal/Practical impact

  • The bill itself is limited in scope (adding two classifications). If these positions were previously treated differently, explicit inclusion could modestly increase retirement applications or change timing of retirements for those positions.
  • Any increase in short-term or long-term pension liabilities or employer contribution requirements would depend on the number of affected employees and actuarial factors; the bill does not include a fiscal note.

Procedural history (selected)

  • Filed: 03/14/2025
  • Referred to House Finance; later referred/read by State Affairs
  • Hearing(s) scheduled; sponsor requested postponement (04/19/2025)
  • Committee action: 06/04/2025 — committee recommended measure be held for further study

If enacted, the bill takes effect upon passage.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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