The bill amends Section 28-9.1-17 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-9.1, which is entitled "Firefighters’ Arbitration." The amendment changes the conditions under which contractual provisions in a collective bargaining agreement for firefighters continue in effect. The new language inserted into the law states that all contractual provisions shall continue until a successor agreement has been reached between the parties or an interest arbitration award has been rendered. This replaces the previous language that required either the bargaining agent or the corporate authority to propose changes in writing within a 30-day period and allowed for the possibility of written agreement to continue contractual provisions until a new agreement was ratified or arbitrated.

The explanation provided by the Legislative Council clarifies that the purpose of the act is to ensure that all contractual provisions in a firefighters' collective bargaining agreement remain in effect until a new agreement is reached or an arbitration award is issued. The act is set to take effect upon passage, meaning that the changes to the law will become effective immediately once the bill is enacted.

Statutes affected:
5133: 28-9.1-17