Bill Sponsors
Sosnowski, Burke, Britto, Murray, Gu, DiPalma, and Gallo
Committee
Senate Labor & Gaming
Summary
Select
This legislation amends the "Merit System" laws governing Rhode Island state employees. Specifically, it directs the Office of Personnel Administration (OPA) to change its guidelines regarding "desk audits," which are reviews used to determine if an employee's job classification or pay grade should be upgraded. The bill mandates that supervision of other employees (or the lack thereof) can no longer be a requirement for a classification upgrade. This allows state workers to qualify for higher job classifications based on their skills and duties, even if they do not manage other staff members.
Sponsor
Analysis
Pros for Progressives
- Promotes fair compensation and career advancement for individual contributors and technical experts who provide high value to the state but do not wish to, or cannot, enter management roles.
- Reduces workplace hierarchy and acknowledges that labor has intrinsic value based on the complexity and output of the work itself, rather than solely on authority over others.
- May improve retention of specialized staff in public service by offering them a path to higher wages without forcing them into supervisory positions for which they may not be suited.
Cons for Progressives
- Could inadvertently undervalue the emotional labor and additional stress carried by supervisors if individual contributors can achieve equal pay grades without the burden of managing people.
- Might strain the state budget by increasing salary costs for existing employees, potentially diverting funds from other social programs or hiring initiatives.
- Could discourage experienced employees from taking on necessary mentorship and leadership roles if there is no distinct classification advantage to doing so.
Pros for Conservatives
- Promotes a merit-based approach where compensation is tied to the specific output and skills of the worker rather than the accumulation of subordinates and bureaucracy.
- May streamline government efficiency by keeping skilled experts on the front lines doing actual work, rather than pushing them into middle-management layers just to justify a pay raise.
- Prevents the creation of unnecessary supervisory positions that are established solely to help an employee qualify for a higher pay grade.
Cons for Conservatives
- Likely increases the cost of government by making it easier for state employees to obtain pay raises, placing a higher burden on taxpayers without necessarily increasing productivity.
- Removes a clear, objective metric (supervision) for promotion, potentially leading to "grade creep" where job classifications are inflated without increased accountability.
- Could lead to a bloated administrative state where a larger portion of the workforce commands top-tier salaries, complicating efforts to shrink the size of government.
Constitutional Concerns
None Likely
Impact Overview
Groups Affected
- State Employees
- Office of Personnel Administration
- Taxpayers
- Public Sector Unions
- Department Heads
Towns Affected
All
Cost to Taxpayers
Amount unknown
Revenue Generated
None
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Bill Status
Current Status
Held
Comm Passed
Floor Passed
Law
History
• 01/16/2026 Introduced, referred to Senate Labor and Gaming
Bill Text
SECTION 1. Section 36-4-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-4 entitled "Merit System" is hereby amended to read as follows:
36-4-9. Adoption of classification plan.
(a) The personnel administrator shall, after consultation with appointing authorities and principal supervising officials, classify all of the positions in the classified service according to the duties and responsibilities of each position. The plan of classification shall designate an appropriate title for each class of position and shall indicate the education, experience, capacity, knowledge, skill, and other qualifications to be required of persons appointed to positions in each class. The complete classification plan shall be so arranged that all positions that are substantially similar with respect to authority, responsibility, and character of work are included within the same class and that the same pay schedules can be made to apply with equity under like working conditions. The class titles so established shall be used in all personnel, accounting, budget, appropriation, and financial records of all state departments, commissions, and institutions.
(b) The office of personnel administration ("OPA") classification guide to desk audit analysis and class specification development shall be amended to remove the supervision of other employees, or lack thereof, as a requirement for classification upgrades through the desk audit process.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
36-4-9. Adoption of classification plan.
(a) The personnel administrator shall, after consultation with appointing authorities and principal supervising officials, classify all of the positions in the classified service according to the duties and responsibilities of each position. The plan of classification shall designate an appropriate title for each class of position and shall indicate the education, experience, capacity, knowledge, skill, and other qualifications to be required of persons appointed to positions in each class. The complete classification plan shall be so arranged that all positions that are substantially similar with respect to authority, responsibility, and character of work are included within the same class and that the same pay schedules can be made to apply with equity under like working conditions. The class titles so established shall be used in all personnel, accounting, budget, appropriation, and financial records of all state departments, commissions, and institutions.
(b) The office of personnel administration ("OPA") classification guide to desk audit analysis and class specification development shall be amended to remove the supervision of other employees, or lack thereof, as a requirement for classification upgrades through the desk audit process.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.