Allows any peace officer working in a Rhode Island school as a full or part-time resource officer to work in excess of the 75 working days in a calendar year and not have an interruption in their benefits.

Plain-English Summary

This bill addresses a specific rule that currently limits how many days retired municipal employees can work before their retirement benefits are affected. Under existing Rhode Island law, retired municipal employees who return to work are generally capped at 75 working days per calendar year. If they exceed that limit, their retirement benefits can be interrupted or reduced.

This bill would create an exception to that rule specifically for retired peace officers — such as former police officers — who return to work as school resource officers (SROs) in Rhode Island schools, either full-time or part-time. Under this proposal, these individuals could work more than 75 days in a year without losing or interrupting their retirement benefits. Essentially, it allows retired officers serving in schools to work a full school year or longer without having to choose between the job and their pension.

The people most directly affected are retired law enforcement officers who work or want to work as school resource officers, as well as the schools and districts that employ them. Schools could benefit by having experienced, qualified officers available for the full school year rather than being limited by the 75-day cap. Students and school communities could also be affected, since this may make it easier for schools to maintain consistent security staffing throughout the year.

The bill has been introduced in the Senate and referred to the Senate Labor and Gaming Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.