The bill amends Chapter 45-2 of the General Laws by adding a new section, 45-2-70, which establishes a reimbursement system for public safety training expenses incurred by municipalities and fire districts in Rhode Island. Under this new provision, any law enforcement agency, fire department, fire district, or emergency medical services organization that hires a public safety employee (including law enforcement officers, firefighters, or emergency medical personnel) from another municipality or fire district must reimburse the original employing municipality or fire district for the cost of training and equipping the employee, provided these costs were incurred within three years of the employee's hire.

The reimbursable expenses include, but are not limited to, costs for basic and specialized training programs, uniforms, personal protective equipment, and other non-reusable items, equipment and materials directly provided during the training period, and a prorated portion of the base salary and benefits paid during the training academy period.

The hiring organization is required to notify the original employing municipality or fire district within ten days of the employee's hire. The original employer must provide an itemized statement of reimbursable costs within thirty days of notification, and payment must be made within one hundred twenty days of receipt of the itemized claim.

Reimbursement percentages are determined based on the time elapsed since the completion of training: one hundred percent (100%) reimbursement for hires made within one year of training academy completion; seventy-five percent (75%) reimbursement for hires between one and two years after training academy completion; and fifty percent (50%) reimbursement for hires between two and three years after training academy completion. This section supersedes any conflicting municipal policies, resolutions, charter provisions or bylaws, or ordinances. This act would take effect upon passage.