The bill amends the General Laws in Chapter 8-4.1 entitled "Court Clerks’ Incentive Pay" to establish an incentive pay program for clerks of the supreme, superior, family, and district courts, as well as administrators of the workers’ compensation court, who further their education in court administration or law enforcement. The incentive program is extended to all clerks who meet the eligibility requirements set forth in §8-4.1-2, removing the previous restriction that excluded clerks hired after July 5, 1994. The eligibility for the plan is now based on clerks covered by a collective bargaining agreement in existence on July 5, 1994, and those who have acquired the requisite degree, accumulated at least 50% of the necessary credits, or are enrolled in a degree program as specified in § 8-4.1-3.
The bill also stipulates that clerks must submit a certified copy of a transcript as evidence of their credits to the court administrator, and it clarifies that incentive payments will not continue for individuals who no longer hold a clerk position. The previous language that barred clerks hired after July 5, 1994, from receiving incentive payments has been deleted. Additionally, the effective date section (§8-4.1-7) has been updated to state that the amended sections shall take effect upon passage, removing the previous condition that tied the effectiveness to the expiration of any collective bargaining agreement in existence on July 5, 1994. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage.