Rhode Island SB 2537: AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS RETIREMENT

Bill Text

2026 -- S 2537 
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S T A T E     O F     R H O D E     I S L A N D 
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY 
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 
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A N   A C T 
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS RETIREMENT 
Introduced By: Senators Gallo, Tikoian, Ciccone, DiPalma, Burke, and LaMountain 
Date Introduced: February 13, 2026 
Referred To: Senate Finance 
 
 
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 
SECTION 1. Section 16-16-5 of the  General Laws in Chapter 16-16 entitled "Teachers’ 1 
Retirement  [See  Title  16  Chapter  97 — The  Rhode  Island  Board  of  Education  Act]"  is  hereby 2 
amended to read as follows: 3 
16-16-5. Service creditable. 4 
(a) In calculating “service”, “prior service”, or “total service” as defined in § 16-16-1, every 5 
teacher shall be given credit for a year of service for each year in which he or she shall have served 6 
as a teacher; provided, that any teacher who through illness or leave of absence without pay does 7 
not serve a full school year may receive credit for a full school year of service by paying the full 8 
actuarial  cost  as  defined  in  §  36-8-1(9).  Credit  for  leaves  of  absence  shall  be  limited,  in  the 9 
aggregate,  during the total service of a  teacher to a  period of four (4) years; provided, however, 10 
every  teacher  who  had  been  required  to  resign  for  maternity  reasons  may  receive  credit  for 11 
maternity reasons by making contribution to the system upon her return to teaching the amount she 12 
would have  contributed  to the  retirement system, with regular interest, based upon her expected 13 
compensation but for her absence due to maternity reasons. 14 
(b) The retirement board shall fix and determine the time when and the conditions under 15 
which the payments shall be made. 16 
(c) Any teacher who serves or who has served during a school year the number of days that 17 
the public schools are required by law to be in session during the year shall be given credit for a 18 
year of service for that year. A teacher who takes an unpaid parental or medical leave during the 19 

 
 
 
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year shall be given credit for a year of service for that school year, provided they serve at least one-1 
hundred thirty-five  (135) school days. In determining the  number of days served by a  substitute 2 
teacher the total number of days served in any public school of any city or town in the state may be 3 
combined for any one school year. Any teacher shall be entitled to “prior service” credit for service 4 
prior to July 1, 1949, provided the teacher shall have been in service during the school year 1949-5 
1950.  The  teacher  shall  be  entitled  to  service  credit  for  any  year  subsequent  to  July  1,  1949  in 6 
accordance with this chapter, by making contribution to the retirement system of the full actuarial 7 
cost for any such service credit. 8 
(d) Any teacher employed in at least a half (½) program including a job share program, or 9 
working at least half the number of days that the public schools are required to be in session, shall 10 
remain a contributing member and shall receive credit for that part-time service on a proportional 11 
basis. The purchase of any remaining program or job share time in which the teacher did not work 12 
shall not be permitted. 13 
(e) In computing service or in computing compensation, the retirement board shall credit 14 
no more than one year of service on account of all service in one calendar year. 15 
(f) Notwithstanding any other section of law, no member of the retirement system shall be 16 
permitted to purchase service credit for any portion of a year for which he or she is already receiving 17 
service credit in this retirement system. 18 
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 19 
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EXPLANATION 
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 
OF 
A N   A C T 
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- TEACHERS RETIREMENT 
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This act would amend the current law on teacher’s creditable service so that a teacher who 1 
takes an unpaid parental or medical leave during the year would be given credit for a year of service 2 
for that school year if they served a minimum of one-hundred thirty-five school days. 3 
This act would take effect upon passage. 4 
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