Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-28.4-5. Payments

(a) The chiefs of the various fire departments and fire districts and Cumberland rescue department and emergency service technicians of the town of Lincoln shall supply to the chief of classification and training, division of personnel, on or before the first day of September of each year, a list of all members of the respective departments who have earned incentive credits from July 1, 1970. The chief shall certify the amount of incentive pay for each firefighter or Cumberland rescue personnel and emergency service technicians of the town of Lincoln; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw his or her orders upon the general treasurer for payment to the chief of the sums to be distributed by him or her to the several city and town treasurers who shall in turn distribute these funds to the eligible firefighters or Cumberland rescue personnel and emergency service technicians of the town of Lincoln; provided, however, that if the appropriation in any fiscal year is not sufficient to pay in full the total amount which is eligible to be distributed during the fiscal year, the maximum amounts which the eligible firefighters or Cumberland rescue personnel, and emergency service technicians of the town of Lincoln are eligible to receive shall be ratably reduced to the level of the appropriation.

(b) Individual incentive payments shall remain fixed at the dollar amount obtained by the incentive point score attained as of September 1, 1978, and will not increase until the additional required incentive points have been earned.

(c) No participant in this program shall receive an incentive award in an amount less than the amount he or she received in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1979.

(d) Firefighters who are participants in this program as of September 1, 1978 and who do not have a degree nor are enrolled in a degree program must enroll in a degree program by January 1, 1980 in order to be eligible for the incentive award payments.