SB 2090 changes retirement benefit calculations for police officers and firefighters employed by towns and cities. Starting July 1, 2026, their retirement allowance will be based on their accrued benefit as of June 30, 2026, plus 2.5% of their final compensation for each year of service after that date. Retirees who are 57 with at least 30 years of service will continue using the previous formula until 2026 and then switch to the new calculation for service after that date. The bill preserves existing options for how benefits are paid to survivors after retirement.
Establishes the commuter transportation benefit chapter. Employers with five hundred (500) or more employees required to establish a pre-tax commuter transportation fringe benefit program.
HB 7291 allows non-union employees to form a collective bargaining group with their employer. To establish this group, employees must show majority support by either gathering signed cards from 30% of the unit requesting an election (where a majority must vote for representation) or 50% of the unit agreeing to skip an election. The bill prohibits employers from interfering with this process and requires neutrality from management. It also creates new rules for deducting union dues from paychecks and sharing confidential employee lists with bargaining representatives.
Recognizes that municipal employees have the opportunity to utilize binding arbitration and establishes new factors for the arbitrators to consider. These factors include comparisons of wages/hourly conditions of employment in similarly skilled jobs.
Effective January 1, 2028, Increases the hourly minimum wage in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for the Northeast Region for the previous four (4) fiscal years.
SB 2369, the Rhode Island Early Educator Workforce Act, directs state departments to collaborate on managing existing programs supporting early educators in licensed child care and early learning programs. It specifically allocates at least $1 million annually to continue the Child Care WAGE$ program, which provides salary supplements based on education to help improve compensation and retention. The bill focuses on sustaining current workforce development initiatives like the T.E.A.C.H. scholarship program and registered apprenticeships for early educators. This directly affects early educators (including infant/toddler caregivers) who currently earn low wages - averaging $16.74/hour in Rhode Island - by strengthening existing compensation support mechanisms.
Establishes a restricted receipt account at the DLT for hospitality industry workforce training grants, funded by an annual $50 dollar fee to be charged by RIDOH to food service establishments.
Provides that adjunct faculty members at any state college or university who teach at least 50% of the hours regularly worked by full-time faculty in a semester would be eligible for the same medical benefits as other state employees.
SB 2167 increases the maximum number of days retired municipal employees in towns and cities can work in a calendar year without losing pension benefits, raising the limit to 90 days. This directly affects current retirees employed by local governments who wish to return to part-time work. The key provision replaces the previous work limit with a new 90-day annual cap for maintaining full pension payments. The bill applies specifically to municipal retirement systems covering employees of incorporated towns and cities.
Clarifies the role of a corporation electing to be governed as a workers' cooperative to allow it to operate as a hiring hall under certain circumstances.
