Rhode Island General Laws Title 36. Public Officers and Employees § 36-4-14. Adoption of pay plan

(a) After reasonable opportunity to be heard has been given to employees, appointing authorities, and the general public, and after incorporating any modification, change, or amendment he or she considers desirable, the director shall submit the plan to the governor who shall approve and adopt the plan with such changes as he or she deems necessary and order its application to all positions in the classified service. When the governor has adopted the pay plan, it shall constitute the official pay schedule for positions in the classified service; thereafter, no person in the classified service shall be paid a salary that is greater than the maximum or less than the minimum rates fixed in the approved pay plan or by amendments thereto, or by the personnel rules. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or any other section of this chapter, upon successful completion of a four-course curriculum incentive in-service training program approved by the personnel administrator, a state employee hired before July 1, 2001 shall be granted a one-step pay increment next above the current base step, or if the employee is at the maximum of the grade the employee shall receive a pay increment equal in amount to the last step in the pay grade, the increment to be retained, separate and apart from any salary or longevity increase that the employee may at that time or thereafter receive.

(b) Upon leaving state service, upon choosing an educational incentive plan provided for in the Personnel Rules or upon choosing to participate in another recognized educational incentive plan, a state employee's eligibility for the one-step pay increase described in subsection (a) shall cease.

(c) Unless otherwise provided in the general laws, state employees hired on or after July 1, 2001 shall be eligible only for the educational incentive plan as provided for in the Personnel Rules. However, state employees who are eligible for a different statutory or contractual educational incentive plan may choose that other plan instead of the educational incentive plan as provided for in the Personnel Rules.