The bill amends Section 16-16-24.2 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-16, which pertains to the Teachers' Retirement system in Rhode Island. The amendment includes an insertion that specifically addresses substitute teaching and post-retirement employment related to statewide staffing, with an expiration date of June 20, 2024. The bill allows retired teachers, administrators, or staff members to exceed the 90-day cap on post-retirement employment if a local education authority determines there is a specialized need to fill positions temporarily. This can only occur if the retired individuals possess the necessary skills and knowledge to address teacher and administrative staffing shortages, and the local education authority has notified the state retirement board of the need to exceed the 90-day cap.

The bill also includes a provision that retired individuals employed under this section will not be entitled to additional service credits for such employment. Importantly, the bill extends the sunset clause of this section from June 20, 2024, to June 20, 2026, as indicated by the deletion of "2024" and the insertion of "2026." This means that the provisions allowing for the extended employment of retired staff will remain in effect until the new sunset date in 2026 unless further extended by the general assembly. The act will take effect immediately upon passage.

Statutes affected:
7592: 16-16-24.2