Establishes a maximum hourly workday for all peace officers as defined in § 12-7-21 and a violation rate of pay of double time and a half.

Rhode Island Peace Officer Workday and Overtime Bill

This bill sets a maximum number of hours that peace officers in Rhode Island can be required to work in a single day. "Peace officers" is a broad category that includes police officers, sheriffs, corrections officers, and other law enforcement personnel. By establishing a legal cap on daily work hours, the bill aims to limit how long these workers can be on duty in a given shift.

The bill also creates a financial penalty for employers — such as police departments or other government agencies — that require peace officers to work beyond the established maximum. If a peace officer is made to work more than the allowed hours, they must be paid at a rate of "double time and a half," meaning two and a half times their regular hourly wage for those extra hours. This higher rate of pay is intended to discourage agencies from regularly exceeding the workday limit and to compensate officers fairly when they do.

This legislation would directly affect peace officers across Rhode Island as well as the government agencies that employ them. Officers could benefit from stronger protections against excessively long shifts and higher pay if those limits are crossed. Employing agencies would need to adjust their scheduling practices and budgets to comply with the new rules. The bill has been introduced and referred to the Senate Labor and Gaming Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.