R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-41 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-41
§ 28-35-41. Time for payment or notification to employee of controverted question.
Status: in_force

For all injuries occurring on or before February 28, 1986, within twenty-one (21) days after the employer has notice of an injury or death as provided in chapters 29  38 of this title and has received the initial medical report referred to in § 28-33-8, the employer or employers insurer shall either immediately begin the payment of compensation, or advise the director and the employee or his or her representative that the right to benefits under those chapters is controverted. In the event that the employer or the employers insurer does not immediately begin the payment of compensation to the employee, or does not notify the director and the employee that the right to benefits under those chapters is controverted, within the time prescribed by this section, the employer or employers insurer may be required to pay to an employee who successfully prosecutes a petition for workers compensation an additional fifty dollars ($50.00), which is to be awarded to that employee by the workers compensation court in its discretion and added to his or her first weeks compensation.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-25-1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-25 / Section 28-25-1
§ 28-25-1. Definitions.
Status: in_force

In this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) Authorized inspector means an inspector of boilers and/or pressure vessels employed by the state of Rhode Island or an insurance company authorized to write boiler or pressure vessel insurance or of an authorized owner/user organization.

(2) Boiler means a closed vessel in which water or other liquid is heated, steam or vapor generated, steam is superheated, or in which any combination of these functions is accomplished, under pressure or vacuum, for use externally to itself, by the direct application of energy from the combustion of fuels or from electricity or nuclear energy. The term boiler includes fired units for heating or vaporizing liquids other than water where these units are separate from processing systems and are complete within themselves.

(3) Certificate inspection means an inspection, the report of which is used by the chief inspector to determine whether or not a certificate as provided by § 28-25-10 may be issued.

(4) Chief inspector means the existing position of chief boiler and pressure vessel inspector as appointed by the director of labor and training.

(5) Code of rules means the standard code of rules formulated and adopted by the division of occupational safety under the provision of this chapter.

(6) Heating boiler means a steam or vapor boiler operating at pressures not exceeding fifteen (15) psig, or a hot water boiler operating at pressures not exceeding one hundred sixty (160) psig or temperatures not exceeding two hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit (250Â° F).

(7) High pressure, high temperature water boiler means a water boiler operating at pressures exceeding one hundred sixty (160) psig or temperatures exceeding two hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit (250Â° F).

(8) Hot water supply boiler means a vessel used for the storage and/or supply of hot water to be used externally to itself at pressures not exceeding one hundred sixty (160) psig and/or temperatures not exceeding two hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit (250Â° F) at or near the vessel outlet.

(9) Imminent danger means a condition or practice that could reasonably be expected to cause death or serious physical harm immediately or before the danger can be eliminated through normal enforcement procedures.

(10) Owner means any person owning, operating, or in charge or control of any boiler or pressure vessel as defined in this section including the chief administrative officer in the private or public sector.

(11) Power boiler means a boiler in which steam or other vapor is generated at a pressure of more than fifteen (15) psig.

(12) Pressure vessel means a vessel in which the pressure is obtained from an external source or by the application of heat other than those vessels defined in subsection (7) of this section.

(13) Safety device means any valve, plug, or appurtenance attached to any boiler for the purpose of diminishing the danger of accident.

(14) Water heater means a closed vessel in which water is heated by the combustion of fuels, electricity, or any source and withdrawn for use external to the system at pressures not exceeding one hundred sixty (160) psig including the apparatus by which heat is generated and all controls and devices necessary to prevent water temperatures from exceeding two hundred ten degrees Fahrenheit (210Â° F).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-32-3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-32 / Section 28-32-3
§ 28-32-3. Other reports not required.
Status: in_force

No report of injuries to employees other than those required by chapters 29  38 of this title shall be required by any other department or office of the state from employers to whom the provisions of those chapters apply.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-38 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-38
§ 28-42-38. Records and reports  Confidentiality of information.
Status: in_force

(a) Every employer and every employing unit employing any person in employment in this state shall keep true and accurate employment records of all persons employed by him or her, and of the weekly hours worked for him or her by each, and of the weekly wages paid by him or her to each person; and every employer and employing unit shall keep records containing any other information that the director may prescribe. Those records shall at all times be available within this state and shall be open to inspection by the director, or his or her authorized representatives, at any reasonable time and as often as the director shall deem necessary.

(b) The director may require from any employer or employing unit employing any person in this state, any reports covering persons employed by him or her, on employment, wages, hours, unemployment, and related matters that the director deems necessary to the effective administration of chapters 42  44 of this title.

(c)(1) Information obtained, or information contained in other records of the department obtained from any individual pursuant to the administration of those chapters, shall be held confidential by the director and shall not be published or be open to public inspection in any manner revealing the individuals or employing units identity, but any claimant at a hearing provided for in those chapters shall be supplied with information from those records of the extent necessary for the proper presentation of his or her claim. Any department employee guilty of violating this provision shall be subject to the penalties provided in chapters 42  44 of this title; provided, that nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to prevent:

(i) The director, or any qualified attorney whom the director has designated to represent him or her in any court of this state, or the attorney general from making any record, report, or other information referred to in this section available in any proceeding before any court of this state in any action to which the director is a party;

(ii) The director from making any record, report, or other information referred to in this section available to any agency of this state or any agency of a political subdivision of this state charged with the administration of public assistance within this state, or any of its political subdivisions;

(iii) The director from making any record, report, or other information referred to in this section available to the railroad retirement board or to employees of the Internal Revenue Service in the performance of their public duties, and the director shall furnish, at the expense of the railroad retirement board or the Internal Revenue Service, copies of those records, reports, or other information referred to in this section;

(iv) The director from making available, upon request and on a reimbursable basis, any record, report, or other information referred to in this section to the federal Department of Health and Human Services in accordance with the provisions of United States Pub. L. No. 100-485, Family Support Act of 1988, or to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and to authorized representatives of public housing agencies in accordance with the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. §11301 et seq.;

(v) The director from making available to the division of taxation, upon request of the tax administrator, any record, report, or other information referred to in this chapter for the purposes of compiling the annual unified economic development budget report and performing the requirements under §42-142-3(e); enforcing the provisions of this chapter; and/or performing any of its obligations under title 44. The information received by the division of taxation from the department of labor and training pursuant hereto pertaining to an individual employer shall be held confidential and shall not be open to public inspection. Nothing herein shall prohibit the disclosure of statistics and statistical data that do not disclose the identity of individual employers and/or the contents of specific returns;

(vi) The director from making, and the director shall make, reports in the form and containing any information that the federal Social Security Administration may, from time to time, require, and complying with any provisions that the federal Social Security Administration may, from time to time, find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of those reports. The director shall make available, upon request, to any agency of the United States charged with the administration of public works or assistance through public employment, the name, address, ordinary occupation, and employment status of each recipient of unemployment compensation and a statement of that recipients rights to further compensation under that law;

(vii) The director from conducting any investigations he or she deems relevant in connection with these provisions;

(viii) The director from conducting any investigations he or she deems relevant in connection with the performance of his or her duties pursuant to the administration of chapters 29, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37 and 41 of this title, or from making any record, report, or other information referred to in this section available to the workers compensation fraud prevention unit for use in the performance of its duties under §42-16.1-12;

(ix) The director from forwarding, and the director shall forward, to the jury commissioner, the names and addresses of all individuals who are receiving unemployment compensation on a yearly basis in accordance with §9-9-1(e);

(x) The director from providing data on unemployment insurance recipients or any other data contained in departmental records that is obtained from an individual, pursuant to the administration of chapters 42  44 of this title, to the departments designated research partners for the purpose of its workforce data quality and workforce innovation fund initiatives. The provision of these records will be done in accordance with an approved data-sharing agreement between the department and its designated research partners that protects the security and confidentiality of these records and, through procedures, established by protocols, rules, and/or regulations as determined necessary by the director and appropriately established or promulgated;

(xi) The director from making available upon request and on a reimbursable basis to the department of corrections, and solely for the purpose of case management and post-release supervision, any record, report, or other information referred to in this chapter relating to wages, earnings, professional licenses, work or vocational skills or training, and work history of offenders under the department of corrections supervision for the purpose of case management and post-release supervision. The information received by the department of corrections from the department of labor and training pursuant to this subsection shall be held confidential and shall not be open to public inspection. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the disclosure of statistics and statistical data that does not disclose the identity of individuals, nor shall it prevent information referred to in this subsection from being available in any proceeding before any court of this state in an action in which an offenders conditions of probation or obligation to pay restitution and/or costs and fines are the subject of the court proceedings; or

(xii) The director from making any record, report, or other information referred to in this section available to the employees retirement system of Rhode Island and the office of the general treasurer for the sole purpose of ensuring compliance with §§16-16-19, 16-16-24, 36-10-17, 36-10-36, 45-21-24, and 45-21-54.

(2) The director may publish in statistical form the results of any investigations without disclosing the identity of the individuals involved.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-7 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-7
§ 28-44-7. Partial unemployment benefits.
Status: in_force

For weeks beginning on or after July 1, 1983, an individual partially unemployed and eligible in any week shall be paid sufficient benefits with respect to that week, so that the individuals weeks wages, rounded to the next higher multiple of one dollar ($1.00), as defined in § 28-42-3(26), and the individuals benefits combined will equal in amount the weekly benefit rate to which the individual would be entitled if totally unemployed in that week. For weeks beginning on or after May 23, 2021, through June 30, 2026, an individual partially unemployed and eligible in any week shall be paid benefits in an amount equal to the weekly benefit rate to which the individual would be entitled if totally unemployed in that week less any wages earned in that week, as defined in § 28-42-3(26), and the individuals benefits combined may not exceed in amount one hundred and fifty percent (150%) of the individuals weekly benefit rate.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-45-3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-45 / Section 28-45-3
§ 28-45-3. Powers and duties.
Status: in_force

(a) The department of labor and training is the agency with responsibility and accountability for apprenticeship within Rhode Island for federal purposes. The state apprenticeship council shall be a regulatory council and part of the department of labor and training. The council shall promulgate regulations consistent with 29 C.F.R. Parts 29 and 30 at the direction of the director of the department of labor and training and shall provide advice and guidance to the director of the department of labor and training on the operation of the Rhode Island apprenticeship system. Enforcement of apprenticeship rules and regulations shall be the duty of the director of the department of labor and training. In addition, the council shall:

(1) Adopt rules and regulations to ensure equality of opportunity in apprenticeship programs pursuant to the Rhode Island state plan for equal opportunity in apprenticeship;

(2) Establish trade, craft, manufacturing, or industrial standards for apprenticeship or training agreements in cooperation with joint employer and employee groups in conformity with 29 C.F.R. § 29.5;

(3) Establish program performance standards in conformity with 29 C.F.R. § 29.6;

(4) Hold at least four (4) regular public meetings each year; any additional meetings considered necessary shall be held at the call of the chairperson, or at the written request of a majority of the members of the council;

(5) Formulate and publish rules of procedure for the function of local, regional, and state joint apprenticeship committees and for the filling of vacancies on those committees;

(6) Adopt rules and regulations concerning the following:

(i) The contents of apprenticeship agreements in conformity with 29 C.F.R. § 29.7;

(ii) Criteria for apprenticeable occupations as provided by 29 C.F.R. § 29.4;

(iii) Reciprocal approval for federal purposes to apprentices, apprenticeship programs, and standards that are registered in other states by the United States Department of Labor or another state apprenticeship program recognized by the United States Department of Labor if such reciprocity is requested by the apprenticeship program sponsor;

(iv) The cancellation or deregistration of programs, and for temporary suspension, cancellation, or deregistration of apprenticeship agreements as provided in 29 C.F.R. §§ 29.8 and 29.9;

(v) The standards of apprenticeship, program performance standards, apprenticeship agreements, deregistration of registered apprenticeship programs, reinstatement of apprenticeship programs, and reciprocal recognition of apprentices from other states.

(b) The department of labor and training in accord with its regulations and this chapter shall:

(1) Encourage the promotion, expansion, and improvement of programs of apprenticeship training and pre-apprenticeship and the making of apprenticeship agreements;

(2) Bring about the settlement of differences arising out of an apprenticeship agreement when those differences cannot be adjusted locally or in accordance with established trade procedure;

(3) Supervise the execution of agreements and maintenance of standards;

(4) Register or terminate or cancel the registration of apprenticeship programs and apprenticeship agreements;

(5) Issue certificates of completion of apprenticeship;

(6) Keep a record of apprenticeship programs and apprentice agreements and their disposition;

(7) Render any assistance and submit any information and data that may be requested by employers, employees, and joint apprenticeship committees engaged in the formulation and operation of programs of apprenticeship, particularly in regard to work schedules, wages, conditions of employment, apprenticeship records, and number of apprentices;

(8) Adopt rules and regulations to insure nondiscrimination in all phases of apprenticeship and employment during apprenticeship;

(9) Register trade, craft, manufacturing, or industrial standards for apprenticeship or training agreements in cooperation with joint employer and employee groups and in conformity with this chapter, or approve and register trade, craft, manufacturing, or industrial standards for agreements submitted that are in conformity with this chapter, and disapprove those standards or agreements submitted that are not in conformity with this chapter, to the extent deemed appropriate;

(10) Establish committees and approve nominations to existing committees that are submitted in conformity with this chapter;

(11) Terminate registration of committees for failure of the committee to abide by the provisions of this chapter; and

(12) Perform any other duties that are described and imposed by this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-18-1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-18 / Section 28-18-1
§ 28-18-1. Purpose of chapter.
Status: in_force

The employment of workers in industry in the state of Rhode Island under conditions resulting in unreasonably low wages and conditions injurious to their health and general welfare is a matter of grave and vital public concern. Any conditions of employment especially fostering such working conditions are therefore destructive of purposes already accepted as sound public policy by the general assembly and should be brought into conformity with that policy. Uncontrolled continuance of homework is such a condition; here wages are notoriously lower and working conditions endanger the health of the worker; the protection of factory industries, which must operate in competition with homework and of the workers employed in homeworking and of the public interest of the community at large in their health and well being, require strict control and gradual elimination of industrial homework.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-40 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-40
§ 28-35-40. Delivery of weekly compensation.
Status: in_force

Whenever the employee is entitled to weekly compensation under chapters 29  38 of this title, the employer, and/or insurance carrier, until further order of the workers compensation court, shall cause to be paid by electronic fund transfer; or issued as an electronic access device; or mailed first-class mail to the employee, addressed to his or her last known residence; each week the amount of compensation payable to the employee as it may be due. Electronic fund transfer payments or issuance of an electronic access device shall be permitted if mutually agreed upon by the employee and the employer or its insurer on forms provided by the department of labor and training, which may be rescinded at will by either party on forms provided by the department of labor and training and filed with the department.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-10-4 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-10 / Section 28-10-4
§ 28-10-4. Relief denied to complainants in default.
Status: in_force

No relief shall be granted to any complainant who has failed to comply with any obligation imposed by law that is involved in the labor dispute in question, and who has failed to make every reasonable effort to settle the dispute either by negotiation and with the aid of any available governmental machinery of mediation or voluntary arbitration when imposed by contract or by law.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-37-24 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-37 / Section 28-37-24
§ 28-37-24. Suspension of right to write insurance.
Status: in_force

(a) If the director or any appellate tribunal determines after a hearing that any insurer has failed to make any payment required by this chapter or has violated any of the provisions of this chapter, that insurer shall not write or renew workers compensation insurance or employers liability insurance on risks in this state or subject to the jurisdiction of this state. Any suspended insurer writing or renewing workers compensation insurance or employers liability insurance shall be fined not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000).

(b) If the director determines at any time that any insurer has fully complied with all the provisions of this chapter, that insurer may again write or renew workers compensation insurance or employers liability insurance.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-26-13 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-26 / Section 28-26-13
§ 28-26-13. Compensation of chief as investigator.
Status: in_force

While acting as an investigator under the provisions of this chapter, the chief of the section shall be paid at a rate to be determined by the director of labor and training.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-3-3.3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-3 / Section 28-3-3.3
§ 28-3-3.3. Manufacturing and industrial pre-apprenticeship and internships.
Status: in_force

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to preclude any manufacturing or industrial pre-apprenticeship or internship program, provided that the child is sixteen (16) years of age or older and that the pre-apprenticeship or internship program complies with the career and technical education regulations promulgated by the board of education pursuant to § 16-45-1 et seq.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-53 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-53
§ 28-44-53. Parties to judicial review  Service of petition  Certification of record.
Status: in_force

The board of review and all parties to the proceedings before it shall be parties to the review proceedings. If the director is a party respondent, the petition shall be served by leaving with him or her, or any representative whom he or she designates for that purpose, as many copies of the petition as there are respondents. Within ten (10) days after filing of that petition an affidavit of compliance shall be filed with the district court. The director shall file with the court certified copies of the record of the case together with his or her petition for review or his or her answer to the appellants petition. Upon the filing of a petition for review by the director, or upon service of a petition upon him or her, the director shall send a copy of the petition by registered or certified mail to each party and that mailing shall constitute service upon the parties.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-26-11 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-26 / Section 28-26-11
§ 28-26-11. Penalty for violations.
Status: in_force

Whoever, being an engineer or user or agent of steam, internal combustion engines, electric, or compressed air hoisting machinery described in this chapter, violates any provision of this chapter shall be fined not less than one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000) per offense. Each day in which a violation occurs shall be deemed a separate offense.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-39-33 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-39 / Section 28-39-33
§ 28-39-33. Use of federal funds for administration.
Status: in_force

To the extent that funds are made available by the federal government, under Title III of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 501 et seq.), or otherwise for such purpose, the expenses of administering chapters 39  41 of this title shall be paid from those funds, provided that this section shall not be considered to permit any expenditure of funds from the employment security administration account contrary to § 28-42-29. In the event that the Social Security Act is amended to permit funds granted under Title III to be used to pay expenses of administering a sickness compensation law, such as chapters 39  41 of this title, then from and after the effective date of that amendment, the expenses of administering those chapters shall be paid out of the employment security administration account or any other account or fund in which funds granted under Title III are deposited.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-31-6 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-31 / Section 28-31-6
§ 28-31-6. Payment of benefits for municipal employees  Action for collection.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) The expenses incurred for and in behalf of any town or city under the provisions of §§ 28-31-3 and 28-33-5  28-33-11, and the amount of compensation due an employee of a town or city as determined by an agreement with or paid by that town or city, or by the departments preliminary determination or decree of the workers compensation court, shall be paid by the treasurer of that town or city out of any money of the town or city in its hands.

(2) The payment shall be made by the treasurer upon receipt by him or her of a certificate of those expenses satisfactory to him or her, or of a certified copy of the agreement, preliminary determination, or decree under which the compensation is to be paid; provided, that he or she shall not make any payment until the payment has been approved by the auditor of the city or town if there is any such officer, and if there is not any such officer, then payment shall first be approved by the mayor of the city or the president of the town council of the town.

(3) If more than one payment of money is made or required by any agreement, preliminary determination, or decree, the payments shall be made in the manner provided in this section as they become due.

(4) If any expenses or compensation required to be paid by a town or city under the provisions of chapters 29  38 of this title or any installment of them is not paid within twenty (20) days after the certificate or certified copy is filed with the treasurer of the town or city, the expenses or compensation may be collected in the manner in which a judgment against a town or city may be collected under the provisions of §§ 45-15-5  45-15-7.

(b) The provisions of this section are subject to the provisions of § 28-33-18.2.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-41-32 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-41 / Section 28-41-32
§ 28-41-32. Exemption of benefits from assignment or process.
Status: in_force

Benefits that are due or may become due under chapters 39  41 of this title shall not be assigned, pledged, or encumbered before payment. When awarded, adjudged, or paid, so long as they are not mingled with other funds of the recipient, the benefits shall be exempt from all claims of creditors, and from levy, execution, and attachment or other remedy now or subsequently provided for recovery or collection of debt, which exemption may not be waived.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-54 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-54
§ 28-44-54. Scope of judicial review  Additional evidence  Precedence of proceedings.
Status: in_force

The jurisdiction of the reviewing court shall be confined to questions of law, and, in the absence of fraud, the findings of fact by the board of review, if supported by substantial evidence regardless of statutory or common law rules, shall be conclusive. Additional evidence required by the court shall be taken before the board of review, and the board of review, after hearing that additional evidence shall file with the court such additional or modified findings of fact or conclusions as it may make, together with transcripts of the additional record. All proceedings under §§ 28-44-52 and 28-44-53 shall be summarily heard and given precedence over all other civil cases. Appeals involving benefit rights shall be given precedence over all other cases arising under chapters 42  44 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-9.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-27 / Section 28-27-9.1
§ 28-27-9.1. Grandfathering  Licensing of sheet metal contractors and sheet metal journeypersons without examination.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) After enactment of this chapter and at any time prior to the expiration of twelve (12) months following enactment of this section, the authority shall, without examination, upon payment of the fees required in this chapter issue through the department of labor and training, division of professional regulation, a sheet metal contractors license or sheet metal journeypersons license to any applicant who currently holds a valid pipefitter or refrigeration license in the state of Rhode Island. A sheet metal journeyperson shall have a minimum of four (4) years of verified experience in the sheet metal business covered by the license, as applicable.

(2) An applicant for a sheet metal contractors license under this provision must further provide sworn evidence of satisfactory sheet metal experience for a minimum of five (5) years of verified experience in the sheet metal business covered by such license, as applicable.

(b) Any person qualified to obtain a sheet metal contractors license or a sheet metal journeypersons license under this section who is prevented from making application herefor by reason of service in the armed forces of the United States during the twelve-month (12) period following enactment of this section [July 7, 2000] shall have three (3) months after discharge or release from active duty to make such application.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-4.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-27 / Section 28-27-4.1
§ 28-27-4.1. Journeyperson refrigeration technician defined.
Status: in_force

Journeyperson refrigeration technician means any person who has completed an appropriate ten thousand (10,000) hour registered apprenticeship program in accordance with chapter 45 of this title, and has passed a refrigeration technician examination and who does work in refrigeration/air conditioning subject to provisions of this chapter and the rules, regulations, and licensing criteria promulgated hereunder.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-28 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-28
§ 28-14-28. Garnishees fees.
Status: in_force

Any garnishee defendant shall be required to appear and make answer in any action, as required by law, without having paid to him or her in advance garnishees fees, but garnishees fees shall be included as part of the taxable costs of the action.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-47-2 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-47 / Section 28-47-2
§ 28-47-2. Adoption of plan of group self-insurance.
Status: in_force

Any group consisting exclusively of employers may adopt a plan for group self-insurance, as a group, for the payment of compensation under this chapter to their employees. Under that plan, the group shall assume the liability of all the employers within the group and pay all compensation for which those employers are liable under this chapter. Notwithstanding the previous provisions, the members of a group self-insurer shall be jointly and severally liable for all of the obligations of the group self-insurer incurred during the period of membership. Where that plan is adopted, the group shall furnish satisfactory proof to the director of its financial ability to pay that compensation for the employers in the industry covered by it, its revenues, their source, and assurance of continuance. The director shall require the filing of a bond of a surety company authorized to transact business in the state, trust fund, or other adequate security, in an amount to be determined by the director to secure its liability to pay the compensation of each employer as above provided in accordance with the provisions of § 28-47-10. That surety bond, trust fund, or security must be approved as to form by the director. The director may also require that any and all agreements, contracts, and other pertinent documents relating to the organization of the employers in the group be filed with him or her at the time the application for group self-insurance is made. That application shall be on a form prescribed by the director. The director shall have the authority to deny the application of the group to pay the compensation or to revoke his or her consent furnished under this section at any time for good cause shown. The director shall have the authority to deny the application of the group or to revoke his or her consent furnished under this section at any time if he or she is not satisfied that the group can provide adequate claims and loss prevention services to each employer in the group either by the staff of the group or through contractual arrangements with a service company competent to provide that claim and loss prevention services. The group qualifying under this section shall be known as a group self-insurer.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-29-20 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-29 / Section 28-29-20
§ 28-29-20. Rights in lieu of other rights and remedies.
Status: in_force

The right to compensation for an injury under chapters 29  38 of this title, and the remedy for an injury granted by those chapters, shall be in lieu of all rights and remedies as to that injury now existing, either at common law or otherwise against an employer, or its directors, officers, agents, or employees; and those rights and remedies shall not accrue to employees entitled to compensation under those chapters while they are in effect, except as otherwise provided in §§ 28-36-10 and 28-36-15.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-12-4.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-12 / Section 28-12-4.1
§ 28-12-4.1. Overtime pay.
Status: in_force

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no employer shall employ any employee for a workweek longer than forty (40) hours unless the employee is compensated at a rate of one and one-half (1Â½) times the regular rate at which he or she is employed for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per week. Provided, however, employers who or that pay any delivery drivers or sales merchandisers an overtime rate of compensation for hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in any one week shall not calculate that overtime rate of compensation by fluctuating workweek method of overtime payment under 29 C.F.R. § 778.114.

(b) In any workweek in which an employee of a retail business is employed on a Sunday or a holiday, or both, at a rate of one and one-half (1Â½) times the regular rate at which he or she is employed as provided in § 5-23-2, the hours worked on the Sunday or holiday, or both, shall be excluded from the calculation of overtime pay as required by this section.

(c) No city, town, or fire district shall employ any firefighter, as defined in § 28-9.1-3, excluding however civilian employees, for an average workweek longer than forty-two (42) hours unless the firefighter is compensated at the rate of one and one-half (1Â½) times his or her regular rate for all hours worked in excess of forty-two (42) hours based upon an average workweek. An average workweek shall be calculated utilizing the prior consecutive eight-week (8) period, based upon a seven-day (7) workweek. For the purposes of this section, hours worked shall include all paid leave.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-43-33 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-43 / Section 28-43-33
§ 28-43-33. Transition provisions.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any provisions in §§ 28-43-29 and 28-43-30, any nonprofit organization or group of organizations not required to be covered pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 3309(a)(1) prior to January 1, 1978, and that prior to October 20, 1976, paid contributions required by the provisions of chapters 42  44 of this title, and pursuant to § 28-43-29, elects within thirty (30) days after January 1, 1978 to make payments in lieu of contributions, shall not be required to make any payments on account of any regular or extended benefits paid on the basis of wages paid by that organization to individuals for weeks of unemployment that begin on or after the effective date of that election until the total amount of those benefits equals the amount of the positive balance in the experience rating account of that organization or group of organizations.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-58-6 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-58 / Section 28-58-6
§ 28-58-6. Regulations.
Status: in_force

The department of labor and training shall coordinate implementation and enforcement of this chapter and may promulgate appropriate guidelines or regulations for such purposes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-18-13 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-18 / Section 28-18-13
§ 28-18-13. Costs of delivery or return of work.
Status: in_force

Any cost of obtaining or returning material for industrial homework or the completed product shall be borne by the employer.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-47-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-47 / Section 28-47-8
§ 28-47-8. Advisory committee for group self-insurance.
Status: in_force

(a) To advise the director, there shall be an advisory committee for group self-insurance, which shall consist of seven (7) members appointed by the governor: (1) One of those members shall be named from the manufacturing and trade group of group self-insurance; (2) Two (2) from the transportation, public utilities, and construction group; (3) Two (2) from the services industry; (4) One from healthcare facilities; and (5) One member shall be a group self-insurer selected at large by the governor, who shall be vice-chairperson of the advisory committee. The director, or his or her designee, shall be an additional member of the advisory committee and act as chairperson of the committee. Any member appointed to the advisory committee shall be a group self-insurer or an officer of a group self-insurer or a person who on account of his or her employment or affiliation can be classed as a management representative of a group self-insurer.

(b) The members of the advisory committee for group self-insurance shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term by appointment by the governor. Members shall continue in office until their successors are appointed. In the event that no appointment is made within three (3) months after a vacancy exists or after the expiration of the term of a member, the remaining members may fill the vacancy by a majority vote. If a member is absent from two (2) consecutive regular meetings without adequate excuse his or her place may be declared vacant by the director.

(c) Members of the advisory committee shall serve without pay, but are entitled to their reasonable and necessary traveling and other expenses incurred in connection with their duties.

(d) Regular meetings of the advisory committee shall be held twice a year on the dates to be fixed by the director. In addition, special meetings shall be held if called by the director or any three (3) members of the committee.

(e) The advisory committee shall have access to all group self-insurance records and shall have the power to require the presence before it of any employee or any group self-insurer. Information obtained by members of the advisory committee shall be deemed confidential unless disclosed by order of the committee.

(f) It shall be the duty of the advisory committee to advise the director on all matters relating to group self-insurance, particularly in respect to rules governing group self-insurance, the deposit or withdrawal of securities, and on such other matters as the director shall request.

(g) The director shall detail to the advisory committee any stenographic or other assistance that may be necessary.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-15-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-15 / Section 28-15-8
§ 28-15-8. Assignments under small loan law.
Status: in_force

All assignments of wages made in accordance with the provisions of chapter 25 of title 19 for the purpose of securing any loan made in accordance with the provisions of that chapter, shall be exempt from provisions of this chapter that are inconsistent with the provisions of chapter 25 of title 19.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-12-4.2 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-12 / Section 28-12-4.2
§ 28-12-4.2. Biweekly overtime pay.
Status: in_force

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no employer shall employ any employee on a biweekly basis with hours worked and hourly wages averaged over that period for longer than forty (40) hours per week unless the employee is compensated at a rate of one and one-half (1Â½) times the regular rate at which he or she is employed for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per week.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-46-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-46 / Section 28-46-10
§ 28-46-10. Rules and regulations of director.
Status: in_force

The director may promulgate rules and regulations to provide for the efficient administration of the provisions of this chapter applicable to him or her, or to clarify those provisions as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter. The director may use the facilities and personnel of the department of labor and training and any appropriations available to carry out his or her duties and responsibilities under this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-18.3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-18.3
§ 28-14-18.3. Collective bargaining.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall not be construed to diminish or impair the rights of a person under any collective bargaining agreement.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-7.4 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-5 / Section 28-5-7.4
§ 28-5-7.4. Accommodation of pregnancy-related and menopause-related conditions.
Status: in_force

(a) It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer, as defined in § 28-5-6, to do the following:

(1) To refuse to reasonably accommodate an employees or prospective employees condition related to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or a related medical condition, including, but not limited to, the need to express breast milk for a nursing child, if she so requests, unless the employer can demonstrate that the accommodation would pose an undue hardship on the employers program, enterprise, or business;

(2) To require an employee to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to an employees condition related to the pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or a related medical condition;

(3) To deny employment opportunities to an employee or prospective employee, if such denial is based on the refusal of the employer to reasonably accommodate an employees or prospective employees condition related to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or a related medical condition;

(4) To fail to provide written notice, including notice conspicuously posted at an employers place of business in an area accessible to employees, of the right to be free from discrimination in relation to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and related conditions, including the right to reasonable accommodations for conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or related conditions pursuant to this section to:

(i) New employees at the commencement of employment;

(ii) Existing employees within one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective date of June 25, 2015;

(iii) Any employee who notifies the employer of her pregnancy or menopause, within ten (10) days of such notification;

(5) For any person, whether or not an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or employee, to aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of any act declared by this section to be an unlawful employment practice; or to obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions of this section or any order issued pursuant to this section; or to attempt directly or indirectly to commit any act declared by this section to be an unlawful employment practice.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(1) Qualified employee or prospective employee means a qualified individual as defined in 42-87-1(3)(i);

(2) Reasonably accommodate means providing reasonable accommodations, including, but not limited to, more frequent or longer breaks, time off to recover from childbirth, acquisition or modification of equipment, seating, temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position, job restructuring, light duty, break time and private non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk, assistance with manual labor, or modified work schedules;

(3) Related conditions includes, but is not limited to, lactation or the need to express breast milk for a nursing child, or the need to manage the effects of vasomotor symptoms;

(4) Undue hardship means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense to the employer. In making a determination of undue hardship, the factors that may be considered include, but shall not be limited to, the following:

(i) The nature and cost of the accommodation;

(ii) The overall financial resources of the employer; the overall size of the business of the employer with respect to the number of employees, and the number, type, and location of its facilities; and

(iii) The effect on expenses and resources or the impact otherwise of such accommodation upon the operation of the employer.

(A) The employer shall have the burden of proving undue hardship.

(B) The fact that the employer provides, or would be required to provide, a similar accommodation to other classes of employees who need it, such as those who are injured on the job or those with disabilities, shall create a rebuttable presumption that the accommodation does not impose an undue hardship on the employer.

(c) No employer shall be required by this section to create additional employment that the employer would not otherwise have created, unless the employer does so, or would do so, for other classes of employees who need accommodation, such as those who are injured on the job or those with disabilities.

(d) No employer shall be required to discharge any employee; transfer any employee with more seniority; or promote any employee who is not qualified to perform the job, unless the employer does so, or would do so, to accommodate other classes of employees who need it, such as those who are injured on the job or those with disabilities.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to affect any other provision of law relating to sex discrimination, pregnancy, or menopause, or to preempt, limit, diminish, or otherwise affect any other law that provides greater protection or specific benefits with respect to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or medical conditions related to childbirth or menopause.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require an individual with a need related to pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, or a related medical condition to accept an accommodation which such individual chooses not to accept.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-8
§ 28-14-8. Payment of undisputed amounts in wage disputes.
Status: in_force

In case of a dispute over wages, the employer shall give written notice to the employee of the amount of wages that he or she concedes to be due and shall pay that amount without condition within the time set by this chapter; provided, that acceptance by the employee of this payment shall not constitute a release as to the balance of his or her claim.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-10-9 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-10 / Section 28-10-9
§ 28-10-9. Advertising for employees during labor dispute.
Status: in_force

If an employer during the continuance of a strike, lockout, or other labor trouble among his or her employees publicly advertises in newspapers or by posters or otherwise for employees, or by himself or herself or his or her agents solicits persons to work for him or her to fill the places of strikers, he or she shall plainly in type as prominent as the largest printed matter in the body of the advertisement or poster explicitly mention in the advertisement or oral or written solicitations that a strike, lockout, or other labor trouble exists among his or her employees. If any person, firm, association, or corporation violates any provisions of this section, he or she or it shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for each offense.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-37-31 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-37 / Section 28-37-31
§ 28-37-31. Data collecting.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) Recognizing the need for collection, analysis, and utilization of quantifiable data to provide the basis for recommendations to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of the workers compensation system, the director of the department of labor and training will be responsible to coordinate a comprehensive program of data collection, in accordance with the standards or recommendations of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, that can be utilized to analyze and provide guidance for the improvement of the system through legislation or administrative action.

(2) This analysis will be based on the collection of quantifiable data with emphasis on the actuarial assumptions and projections utilized for the basis of enactment of this section to effect economies in the overall system. The data collection will include, but not be limited to, injury statistics by type of industry and job classification as well as ergonomic statistics and analysis that will assist in the development of safety training programs and rehabilitation programs. Reports will be compiled and submitted to all interested parties enumerated in the section on an annual basis to allow for executive or legislative action to correct or improve on the efficiency of the system.

(3) The director of labor and training will coordinate and distribute statistical analysis to all state departments and agencies impacted by the workers compensation system, to include the:

(i) Governor;

(ii) Workers compensation advisory council;

(iii) Workers compensation court;

(iv) Department of business regulation;

(v) State compensation fund; and

(vi) Other agencies and branches requesting dissemination of information.

(4) The director will also be responsible to recommend sufficient appropriations from his annual budget to meet the expenses of the collection and analysis of data as described in this section.

(b) The director shall promulgate regulations pursuant to § 28-29-26 requiring the provision of any information regarding workers compensation claims that he or she deems necessary and useful, provided that this information shall be furnished in a form that will not identify, directly or indirectly, any individual employers or employees in any manner.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-18 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-18
§ 28-20-18. Penalties.
Status: in_force

(a) Any employer who or that willfully or repeatedly violates the requirements of § 28-20-8, any code, rule, or order promulgated pursuant to § 28-20-24, or regulations prescribed pursuant to this chapter, may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each violation.

(b) Any employer who or that has received a compliance order for a serious violation of the requirements of § 28-20-8, any code, rule, or order promulgated pursuant to § 28-20-24, or of any other regulations prescribed pursuant to this chapter, shall be assessed a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation.

(c) Any employer who or that has received a compliance order for a violation of the requirements of § 28-20-8, any code, rule, or order promulgated pursuant to § 28-20-24, or of other regulations prescribed pursuant to this chapter, and the violation is specifically determined not to be of serious nature, may be assessed a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation.

(d) Any employer who or that fails to correct a violation for which a compliance order has been issued under § 28-20-16 within the period permitted for its correction, which period shall not begin to run until the date of the final order of the review board in the case of any review proceeding under § 28-20-17 initiated by the employer in good faith and not solely for delay or avoidance of penalties, may be assessed a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each day during which the failure or violation continues.

(e) Any employer who or that willfully violates any code, rule, or order promulgated pursuant to § 28-20-24, or of any regulations prescribed pursuant to this chapter, and that violation caused death to any employee, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both; except that if the conviction is for a violation committed after a first conviction of the employer, punishment shall be by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or by imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, or by both.

(f) Any person who gives advance notice of any inspection to be conducted under this chapter without authority from the director shall upon conviction be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both.

(g) Whoever knowingly makes any false statements, representation, or certification in any application, record, report, plan, or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to this chapter shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both.

(h) Any employer who or that violates any of the posting requirements, as prescribed under the provisions of this chapter, shall be assessed a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation.

(i)(1) Any person who obstructs or otherwise interferes with the director of labor and training or the director of health or their representative while engaged in the performance of their duties shall be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year or be fined a sum not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500).

(2) Subdivision (1) of this subsection shall in no way limit the authority of the state to impose any other penalty that may be deemed appropriate for other offenses by any person against any employee or other representative of the division of occupational safety while engaged in the performance of his or her duties.

(j) The review board shall have the authority to assess all civil penalties provided in this section, giving due consideration to the appropriateness of the penalty with respect to the size of the business of the employer being charged, the gravity of the violation, the good faith of the employer, and the history of previous violations.

(k) For purposes of this section, a serious violation exists in a place of employment if there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a condition that exists, or from one or more practices, means, methods, operations, or processes that have been adopted or are in use in the place of employment unless the employer did not, and could not with the exercise of reasonable diligence, know of the presence of the violation.

(l) Civil penalties due under this chapter shall be paid to the director for deposit into the treasury of the state of Rhode Island and shall accrue to the state and may be recovered in a civil action in the name of the state brought in the superior court for the county where the violation is alleged to have occurred or where the employer has its principal office.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-78 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-78
§ 28-42-78. Establishment of employment security tardy account fund  Sources.
Status: repealed

(a)(1) There is created as a restricted-receipt account within the general fund the employment security tardy account fund, to be administered by the director without liability on the part of the state beyond the amounts paid into and earned by the fund. This fund shall consist of:

(i) All penalties received from employers and paid pursuant to §§ 28- 42-62 [repealed], 28-42-62.1, 28-42-63 [repealed], 28-42-64, and 28-42-65  28-42-67;

(ii) All other moneys paid into and received by the fund;

(iii) Property and securities acquired by and through the use of moneys belonging to the fund; and

(iv) Interest earned upon the moneys belonging to the fund.

(2) All moneys in the fund shall be mingled and undivided.

(b) All moneys received by the director for account of the employment security tardy account fund shall, upon receipt, be deposited by the director in a clearance account in a bank in this state and shall be exempt from the provisions of § 35-4-27.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-16 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-16
§ 28-20-16. Compliance orders.
Status: repealed

(a) If upon inspection or investigation the director believes that an employer has violated a requirement of § 28-20-8, or of any code, rule, or order promulgated pursuant to § 28-20-24, or of any regulation prescribed pursuant to this chapter or chapter 19 [repealed] of this title, he or she shall promptly issue a compliance order to the employer. Each compliance order shall be in writing and shall describe with particularity the nature of the violation, including a reference to the provision of the law, code, rule, regulation, or order alleged to have been violated. In addition, the compliance order shall fix a reasonable time for the abatement of the violations.

(b) Each compliance order issued under this section or a copy or copies of each order shall be prominently posted as prescribed in regulations issued by the director at or near each place a violation referred to in the compliance order has occurred.

(c) No compliance order may be issued under this section after the expiration of six (6) months following the occurrence of a violation.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-2-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-2 / Section 28-2-10
§ 28-2-10. Exemption of temporarily unemployed and students.
Status: in_force

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to persons temporarily unemployed by reason of differences with their employers, to bona fide students during the school term, or to persons preparing themselves to engage in trade or industrial pursuits.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-7 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-7
§ 28-9-7. Selection of arbitrators.
Status: in_force

If in the contract for arbitration or in the submission, provision is made for a method of naming or appointing an arbitrator or arbitrators or an umpire, that method shall be followed, but if no method is provided in the contract, the parties to the contract or submission shall agree to the method of naming or appointing an arbitrator or arbitrators or an umpire. If the parties fail to agree, then the director of labor and training, upon application of either of the parties after due notice to the other party, shall appoint an arbitrator to hear the dispute.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-43-19 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-43 / Section 28-43-19
§ 28-43-19. Representation of director in civil actions.
Status: in_force

In any civil action brought to enforce the provisions of chapters 42  44 of this title, the director may be represented by any qualified attorney whom the director has designated and employed for this purpose, or at the directors request, by the attorney general.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-3-9 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-3 / Section 28-3-9
§ 28-3-9. Employment of minors in hazardous places or occupations.
Status: in_force

No minor under sixteen (16) years of age shall be employed or permitted to work in operations or operating or assisting in operating any of the following machines: circular or bandsaws, wood shapers, wood jointers, planers, sand paper or wood polishing machinery; picker machines or machines used in picking wool, cotton, fur, hair, or any upholstering material; paper lace machines; burnishing machines in any tannery or leather manufactory; job or cylinder printing presses, having motive power other than foot; wood turning or boring machinery; stamping machines used in sheet metal or tinware manufacturing or in washer and nut factories; machines used in making corrugated rolls; steam boilers, dough brakes, or cracker machinery of any description; wire or iron straightening machinery; rolling mill machinery, power punches, shears, or rolls in rubber manufacturing drop presses; washing, grinding, or mixing machinery; calender rolls in rubber manufacturing; laundering or dry cleaning machinery; or in any capacity in adjusting or assisting in adjusting any belt to any machinery or in oiling or cleaning machinery in motion; or in any capacity in preparing any composition in which dangerous or poisonous acids are used; or in the manufacture or packing of paints, dry colors, or red or white lead; or in dipping, dyeing, or packing matches; or in the manufacture, packing, or storing of powder, dynamite, nitroglycerine compounds, fuses, or other explosives; or in stripping, assorting, manufacturing or packing tobacco; or in a tunnel; or in a pool or billiard room; or upon any railroad, whether steam or electric; or in any foundry; or in any place where dangerous belting or gearing is not provided with proper safeguards; or in any work, occupation, place, or process declared by the department of labor and training to be injurious, dangerous, or hazardous for minors under sixteen (16) years of age; or on any docks, private or public, warehouses and storage rooms; dispensing gasoline or other types of fuel, checking or changing of oil or other fluids, parking lot attendants; car washes either by hand or machine (including drying vehicles by hand.)
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-3-3.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-3 / Section 28-3-3.1
§ 28-3-3.1. Work experience program.
Status: in_force

The school committee of each city and town is authorized to adopt and implement a school-supervised and school-administered work experience and career exploration program (WECEP), under which students who have completed fourteen (14) years of age may be enrolled, notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter, in a work experience career exploration program (WECEP) as approved by the wage/hour administrator of the United States Department of Labor in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq., and 29 C.F.R. 570.1 et seq. (child labor regulations).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-7 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-7
§ 28-42-7. Independent contractor and employee distinguished.
Status: in_force

The determination of independent contractor or employee status for purposes of chapters 42  44 of this title shall be the same as those factors used by the Internal Revenue Service in its code and regulations.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-29 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-5 / Section 28-5-29
§ 28-5-29. Initiation of judicial proceedings  Powers of court.
Status: in_force

Judicial proceeding shall be initiated by the filing of a petition in the superior court, together with a transcript of the record upon the hearing before the commission, and the service of a copy of the petition upon the commission and upon all parties who appeared before the commission. Upon the filing, the court shall have jurisdiction of the proceeding and of the questions determined in it, and shall have the power to grant any temporary relief or restraining order that it deems just and proper, and to make and enter upon the pleadings, testimony, and proceedings set forth in the transcript an order enforcing, modifying and enforcing as so modified, or setting aside in whole or in part the order of the commission.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-25 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-25
§ 28-42-25. Creation of administration account  Sources.
Status: in_force

For the purpose of carrying out chapters 42  44 of this title and chapter 102 of title 42 and providing for the administration of these chapters, there is created within the general fund an employment security administration account, referred to as the administration account, to consist of all moneys that may from time to time be appropriated by the general assembly, or received from the Secretary of Labor of the United States, the railroad retirement board, or other agency, or that may be transferred from the employment security tardy account fund, or the job development fund, for the administration of those chapters. Moneys received from the railroad retirement board as compensation either for services or for facilities supplied to that board shall be paid into this account. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, all money received in this account for the payment of expenses incurred pursuant to an appropriation duly made by the legislature in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 1103 shall remain part of the employment security fund and shall be used only in accordance with 42 U.S.C. § 1103.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-37-30 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-37 / Section 28-37-30
§ 28-37-30. Cost of living increase.
Status: in_force

(a) Payments made to injured employees pursuant to § 28-37-8 shall be increased effective May 10 of each year by an amount equal to the total percentage increase in the most recently published annual consumer price index, United States city average for urban wage earners and clerical workers, as formulated and computed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor for the period March 1 to February 28 each year. An injured employee must be in receipt of benefit payments pursuant to § 28-37-8 for a period of at least twelve (12) consecutive months to be eligible for the annual increase.

(b) This section shall apply to all existing and future claims for reimbursement pursuant to § 28-37-8.

(c) The computations in subsection (a) of this section shall be made by the director and promulgated to insurers making payments required by this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-64.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-64.1
§ 28-42-64.1. Injunctive relief.
Status: in_force

(a) The superior court shall have jurisdiction to restrain and enjoin any employer from engaging in business as an employer in this state without a registration or registrations or after a registration has been suspended or revoked.

(b) The director may institute proceedings to prevent and restrain violations of this chapter as provided in subsection (a).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-33-21 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-33 / Section 28-33-21
§ 28-33-21. Savings or other insurance not to be considered.
Status: in_force

No savings or insurance of the injured employee, independent of chapters 29  38 of this title, shall be taken into consideration in determining the compensation to be paid, nor shall benefits derived from any other source than the employer be considered in fixing the compensation under those chapters, except as provided in § 28-33-45. Any employer who refuses or delays payment under those chapters on account of the receipt by any injured employee of savings, insurance, or benefits shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction shall be liable to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-29-16 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-29 / Section 28-29-16
§ 28-29-16. Certificate of coverage by another state.
Status: in_force

A certificate from the duly authorized officer of the workers compensation court or similar department of another state certifying that the employer from that other state is insured in that state and has provided extraterritorial coverage insuring the employers employees while working within this state shall be prima facie evidence that the employer carries the compensation insurance.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-21 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-21
§ 28-9-21. Time for motion to vacate, correct, or modify award  Stay of enforcement.
Status: in_force

Notice of a motion to vacate, modify, or correct an award must be served upon the adverse party, or his or her attorney, within three (3) months after the award is filed or delivered, as prescribed by law for service of notice of a motion upon an attorney in an action; except that in opposition to a motion to confirm an award, any of the grounds specified in § 28-9-18 may be set up. For the purpose of the motion, any judge who might make an order to stay the proceedings in an action brought in the same court may make an order, to be served with the notice of motion, staying the proceedings of the adverse party to enforce the award.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-39-29 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-39 / Section 28-39-29
§ 28-39-29. Recovery of benefits paid in error.
Status: in_force

Any individual who, by reason of a mistake or misrepresentation made by himself or herself or another, has received any sum as benefits under chapters 39  41 of this title, in any week in which any condition for the receipt of those benefits imposed by those chapters was not fulfilled by him or her, or with respect to any week in which he or she was disqualified from receiving those benefits, shall in the discretion of the director be liable to have that sum deducted from any future benefits payable to him or her under those chapters, or shall be liable to repay to the director for the temporary disability insurance fund a sum equal to the amount so received and that sum shall be collectible in the manner provided in § 28-40-12 for the collection of past due contributions.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-33-35 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-33 / Section 28-33-35
§ 28-33-35. Appointment of impartial medical examiner.
Status: in_force

(a) Any judge of the court may, at any time after an injury, on his or her own motion or on the request or petition of the employer or employee, appoint an impartial medical examiner or a comprehensive independent healthcare review team to act as a medical examiner, and the reasonable fee of the medical examiner for examinations under this section and/or § 28-33-34.1 shall be paid by the employer.

(b) Impartial medical examiners and/or comprehensive independent healthcare review teams shall provide guidance and make recommendations with respect to contested or disputed findings of fact concerning health care. Impartial medical examiners and/or comprehensive independent healthcare review teams may also make findings as to compliance of healthcare providers with medical care standards and protocols established by the medical advisory board. Unless previously approved by the board, treatment or diagnostic services that are not consistent with the medical care standards and protocols shall not be charged to the employer or employee. The report of the findings of the impartial medical examiner and/or comprehensive independent healthcare review team may be admissible as an exhibit of the court. The findings of the report shall become final and binding unless either party elects to contest the findings. Notice of the contest must be filed within ten (10) days of receipt of the report required to be provided pursuant to § 28-33-34.1(a). The contesting party shall pay the cost of the court appearance of the author of the report. In the event that the employee is the prevailing party, the employee shall be reimbursed for the entire amount paid by him or her for the court appearance of the author of the report.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-3
§ 28-20-3. Annual report.
Status: in_force

The director shall issue an annual report to the governor and to the general assembly no later than January 10 in each year. He or she shall also submit reports to the United States Secretary of Labor in any form and from time to time that the secretary may require.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-42 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-42
§ 28-42-42. Agent for cooperation with federal government, states, and territories.
Status: in_force

(a) The director is designated as the agent within this state charged with the responsibility of cooperating in all necessary respects with the appropriate agencies and departments of the federal government in the administration of chapters 42  44 of this title, or in the administration of any law of either this state or the United States relating to free public employment offices, or relating to payment of employment security benefits under any law of the United States.

(b) The director is further authorized to make those investigations, obtain and transmit that information, make available those services and facilities, including entering into arrangement for them, and exercise those of the other powers provided with respect to the administration of chapters 42  44 of this title, as he or she deems necessary or appropriate to facilitate the administration of any state, territorial, or federal unemployment insurance or public employment service law, including the taking of claims and the payment of benefits, and in like manner, accept and utilize information, services, and facilities made available to the state by the agency charged with the administration of any other employment security or public employment service law. The director is authorized and directed, subject to § 28-42-38, to make all reports requested by any directly interested federal agency or department, and to enter in any agreement with that agency or department, relative to the administration of those laws in this state, and to accept any sums of money, pursuant to those agreements, and to accept any sums of money allotted or appropriated to the director or to this state for that administration, and to comply with all reasonable federal regulations governing the expenditure of that money.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-34-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-34 / Section 28-34-8
§ 28-34-8. Apportionment of liability among successive employers.
Status: in_force

The total compensation due shall be recovered from the employer who or that last employed the employee in the employment to the nature of which the disease was due and in which it was contracted. If, however, the disease was contracted while the employee was in the employment of a prior employer, the employer who or that is made liable for the total compensation as provided by this section may petition the workers compensation court for an apportionment of the compensation among the several employers who or that since the contraction of the disease have employed the employee in the employment to the nature of which the disease was due. The apportionment shall be proportioned to the time the employee was employed in the service of the employers and shall be determined only after a hearing, notice of the time and place of which shall have been given to every employer alleged to be liable for any portion of the compensation. If the court finds that any portion of the compensation is payable by an employer prior to the employer who or that is made liable for the total compensation as provided by this section, it shall make an award accordingly in favor of the last employer, and that award may be enforced in the same manner as an award for compensation.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-4.4 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-27 / Section 28-27-4.4
§ 28-27-4.4. Master mechanical contractor defined  License fee.
Status: in_force

(a) Master mechanical contractor means any person who has worked as a contractor and has been associated in both trades of pipefitting and refrigeration for at least ten (10) years as a Rhode Island Licensed Pipefitter Master I and at least ten (10) years as a Rhode Island Licensed Refrigeration Master I, and who shall be designated as a master mechanical contractor subject to provisions of this chapter or the rules and regulations and licensing criteria promulgated hereunder.

(b) The license fee for a master mechanical contractor is two hundred forty dollars ($240).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-47-3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-47 / Section 28-47-3
§ 28-47-3. Notice to group  Jurisdiction  Insolvency  Termination.
Status: in_force

An employer participating in group self-insurance shall not be relieved from the liability for compensation prescribed by chapters 29  38 of this title except by the payment of the compensation by the group self-insurer or by itself. As between the employee and the group self-insurer, notice to or knowledge of the occurrence of the injury on the part of the employer shall be deemed notice or knowledge, as the case may be, on the part of the group self-insurer. Jurisdiction of the employer shall, for the purpose of this chapter, be jurisdiction of the group self-insurer, and that group self-insurer shall in all things be bound by and subject to the orders, findings, decisions, or awards rendered against the participating employer for the payment of compensation under the provisions of chapters 29  38 of this title. The insolvency or bankruptcy of a participating employer shall not relieve the group self-insurer from the payment of compensation for injuries or death sustained by an employee during the time the employer was a participant in the group self-insurance. The group self-insurer shall promptly notify the director, on a prescribed form, of the addition of any participating employer or employers. Notice of termination of a participating employer shall not be effective until at least ten (10) days after notice of that termination, on a prescribed form, has been either filed in the office of the director or sent by certified or registered letter, return receipt requested, and also served in like manner upon the employer.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-32 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-32
§ 28-35-32. Costs  Counsel and witness fees.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, the workers compensation court shall be allowed a filing fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) for the filing of a petition under chapters 29  38 of this title and a filing fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for the filing of an appeal under § 28-35-28, which sums shall be deposited to provide additional funding to the uninsured employers fund as established by chapter 53 of this title. The workers compensation court may charge fees for certified copies of decrees and copies of transcripts. In addition to the fees set forth herein, the workers compensation court shall apply a technology surcharge on all petitions and appeals in accordance with § 8-15-11. In proceedings under this chapter, and in proceedings under chapter 37 of this title, costs shall be awarded, including counsel fees and fees for medical and other expert witnesses, including interpreters, to employees who successfully prosecute petitions for compensation; petitions for medical expenses; petitions to amend a preliminary order or memorandum of agreement; and all other employee petitions, except petitions for lump-sum commutation; and to employees who successfully defend, in whole or in part, proceedings seeking to reduce or terminate any and all workers compensation benefits; and to medical services providers who successfully prosecute petitions for the payment of medical expenses, except that medical services providers shall not be paid expert witness fees for testimony in support of petitions filed in their behalf. These costs shall be assessed against the employer by a single judge, by an appellate panel, and by the supreme court on appeal consistent with the services rendered before each tribunal and shall be made a part of the decree. No employees attorney shall accept any other or additional fees for his services for the particular petition for which the fees are awarded in each tribunal.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-37-28 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-37 / Section 28-37-28
§ 28-37-28. Prosecution of actions.
Status: in_force

All actions for any violations of this chapter or of any of the rules or regulations promulgated by the director, or for the collection of payments in accordance with § 28-37-13 or § 28-53-9 or other penalties under this chapter, shall be prosecuted by any qualified member of the Rhode Island bar whom the director may designate, in the name of the director, and the director shall be exempt from giving surety for costs in any proceedings. The workers compensation court shall have jurisdiction over all civil actions filed pursuant to this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-47-7 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-47 / Section 28-47-7
§ 28-47-7. Classification of group self-insurers.
Status: in_force

(a) The director shall administer all matters relating to group self-insurance under this chapter.

(b) The director shall assign each group self-insurer, qualified under this chapter to one of the following groups:

(1) Manufacturing and trade;

(2) Transportation, public utilities, and construction;

(3) Service industry;

(4) Hospitals licensed under the provisions of the healthcare facility licensing act of Rhode Island that are subject to the provisions of chapters 29  38 of this title, and nonbusiness corporations not including educational institutions to which the provisions of chapter 6 of title 7 apply that are subject to the provisions of chapters 29  38 of this title and that are operated for the benefit of and in connection with any one or more of the hospitals; or

(5) Miscellaneous.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-29-4 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-29 / Section 28-29-4
§ 28-29-4. Defenses available in action against employer subject to law  Towns and cities.
Status: in_force

The provisions of § 28-29-3 shall not apply to actions to recover damages for personal injuries or for death resulting from personal injuries sustained by an employee of an employer who is subject to or has elected to become subject to the provisions of chapters 29  38 of this title, as provided in §§ 28-29-6  28-29-8, nor to any action brought against a town or city by an employee of a town or city, unless that town or city votes to accept the provisions of those chapters in the manner provided.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-39 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-39
§ 28-35-39. Payment of compensation.
Status: in_force

Compensation under chapters 29  38 of this title shall be paid by check as defined in § 6A-3-104 and not by draft, or if mutually agreed upon by both the employee and the employer or employers insurer in accordance with § 28-35-40, by electronic fund transfer, or by electronic access device, at no cost to the employee, with the exception of any third-party transactional fees incurred by the employee and shall be paid promptly and directly to the person entitled to it. The check shall contain the following language: I understand that endorsement hereon or deposit to my accounts constitutes my affirmation that I am receiving these workers compensation benefits pursuant to law, that I have made no false claims or statements or concealed any material fact, in order to receive these benefits and that doing so would make me liable for civil and criminal penalties, including jail. If paid by electronic fund transfer or by electronic access device, the notice shall be satisfied in accordance with § 28-33-17.2(c)(2). The insurer/employer and/or its third-party administrator shall not have, or be entitled to gain, access to the details of electronic transactions without the express written consent of the employee or court order from a court of competent jurisdiction.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-10
§ 28-9-10. Oath of arbitrators.
Status: in_force

Before hearing any testimony, arbitrators selected as prescribed in this chapter must be sworn, by an officer authorized by law to administer an oath, faithfully and fairly to hear and examine the matters in controversy and to make a just award according to the best of their understanding, unless the oath is waived by the written consent of the parties to the submission or contract or their attorneys, or the parties have continued with the arbitration without objection to the failure of the arbitrators to take the oath.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-7-34 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-7 / Section 28-7-34
§ 28-7-34. Taking of depositions.
Status: in_force

If any witness resides outside of the state, or through illness or other cause is unable to testify before the board or its member, agent, or agency conducting the hearing or investigation, his or her testimony or deposition may be taken within or without this state, in any manner and in any form that the board or its member, agent, or agency conducting the hearing may by special order or general rule, prescribe.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-30-4.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-30 / Section 28-30-4.1
§ 28-30-4.1. Deputy administrator  Appointment and term of office.
Status: in_force

There shall be a deputy administrator of the workers compensation court who shall be appointed by the administrator of the workers compensation court with the approval of a majority of the judges. Beginning in January, 2002, and during the month of January in every fifth (5th) year thereafter, the administrator, with the approval of a majority of the judges, shall appoint a deputy administrator of the court to serve for a period of five (5) years, commencing on the first day of the following February, and thereafter until his or her successor is appointed and qualified.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-18 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-18
§ 28-9-18. Grounds for vacating award.
Status: in_force

(a) In any of the following cases the court must make an order vacating the award, upon the application of any party to the controversy that was arbitrated:

(1) When the award was procured by fraud.

(2) Where the arbitrator or arbitrators exceeded their powers, or so imperfectly executed them, that a mutual, final, and definite award upon the subject matter submitted was not made.

(3) If there was no valid submission or contract, and the objection has been raised under the conditions set forth in § 28-9-13.

(b) A motion to vacate, modify, or correct an arbitrators award shall not be entertained by the court unless the award is first implemented by the party seeking its vacation, modification, or correction; provided, the court, upon sufficient cause shown, may order the stay of the award or any part of it upon circumstances and conditions that it may prescribe.

(c) If the motion to vacate, modify, or correct an arbitrators award is denied, the moving party shall pay the costs and reasonable attorneys fees of the prevailing party.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-52 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-52
§ 28-44-52. Finality of boards decision  Petition for judicial review.
Status: in_force

Each party shall be promptly furnished a copy of the decision and the supporting findings and conclusions of the board of review. The decision shall be final unless any party in interest, including the director, initiates judicial review by filing a petition with the clerk of the sixth division of the district court within thirty (30) days as set forth in the administrative procedures act, chapter 35 of title 42. The petition for review shall state the grounds upon which review is sought but need not be verified. Exceptions taken to the rulings of the board of review shall not be necessary to obtain judicial review nor shall a bond be required either as a condition of initiating a proceeding for judicial review of a determination of benefit rights or of entering an appeal from the decision of the court upon that review.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-32 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-27 / Section 28-27-32
§ 28-27-32. Discrimination.
Status: in_force

The department of labor and training shall not grant, deny, suspend, or revoke the license of any person on the grounds of race, color, religious creed, sex, age, national origin, disability, or ancestry.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-39-18 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-39 / Section 28-39-18
§ 28-39-18. Parties to judicial review  Legal representation.
Status: in_force

The director or the board of review shall be deemed to be a party to any judicial action involving decisions which have been appealed to the courts and may be represented in any judicial action by any qualified attorney designated by him, her, or it for that purpose, or at his, her, or its request, by the attorney general.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-29-24 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-29 / Section 28-29-24
§ 28-29-24. Revocation of certificate as to alternative scheme.
Status: in_force

If at any time the scheme no longer fulfills the requirements of §§ 28-29-22 and 28-29-23, or is not fairly administered, or any other valid and substantial reason for it exists, the director, on reasonable notice to the interested parties, shall revoke the certificate and the scheme shall be terminated.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-12-3.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-12 / Section 28-12-3.1
§ 28-12-3.1. Wages for minors.
Status: in_force

Every minor, fourteen (14) and fifteen (15) years of age shall be paid at a rate of not less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the minimum wages as specified in § 28-12-3; provided, every minor who works in excess of twenty-four (24) hours in any week shall be paid for all hours worked in that week at the hourly rate provided by § 28-12-3 or § 28-12-5(f).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-3.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-3.1
§ 28-14-3.1. Payroll deductions.
Status: in_force

(a) Subject to any provisions of the general laws or the public laws to the contrary, whenever any employer provides for a payroll deduction for any purpose, the employer shall transfer those funds deducted to the appropriate person, agency, partnership, or corporation entitled to the money deducted, within twenty-one (21) days following the last day of the month in which the deduction is made, except if the person, agency, partnership, or corporation entitled to money deducted permits otherwise in writing.

(b) Any employer who violates the provisions of this section shall be liable to an employee in a civil action brought by the employee for any loss sustained by the employee as a result of a violation.

(c) In addition to the penalty provided by subsection (b) of this section, any employer who fails intentionally, or who fails after written notification by the employee or by the collective bargaining representative of the employee, to transfer funds as required by subsection (a) of this section within thirty (30) days following the last day of the month in which the deduction is made, shall be liable for an additional penalty in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00) for each day beyond the thirty-day (30) period during which he or she fails to transfer the funds. This additional penalty shall be payable to the employee from whose wages the funds were deducted.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-43-20 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-43 / Section 28-43-20
§ 28-43-20. Contributions as debt to state  Lien on real estate.
Status: in_force

(a) The amount of any contributions, interest, and penalties imposed upon any employer under the provisions of this chapter shall be a debt due from that employer to the state; shall be recoverable at law in the same manner as other debts; and shall until collected constitute a lien upon all the real property of that employer located in this state. That lien shall take precedence over any other lien or encumbrance on that property except as subsequently provided. The director may file a notice of that tax lien with the records of land evidence for the city or town where that property is located and it shall be the duty of the recorder of deeds or the city or town clerk having custody of those records to receive, file, and index that notice under the name of the employer. Notwithstanding any of the preceding provisions of this section to the contrary, the lien imposed by this section shall not be valid with respect to property in any city or town as against any bona fide purchaser, mortgagee, or lessee whose interest in that real property appears of record in the city or town prior to the time of filing of the notice of tax lien in that city or town.

(b) The notice of the filed tax lien shall be in writing; shall contain the name and last known address of the employer; and shall state that the employer is indebted to the state of Rhode Island under this chapter for which the director claims a lien. That notice need not describe the employers property, or specify the amount of taxes owed, or the period of time covered by the delinquency. When a notice is filed in a city or town by the director, it shall, unless sooner discharged or released, also apply to property in the same city or town subsequently acquired by the employer during a period of six (6) years from the date of filing, and that filing need not be repeated for each successive delinquency of the employer. The notice shall expire six (6) years from the date of filing unless renewed by again filing a notice on or before that expiration date. The director shall discharge or release the notice of lien when the employer is no longer delinquent in the payment of any contributions, interest, or penalties, whether incurred prior or subsequent to the date of filing of the notice, or upon request, following the expiration of the statutory lien period, as set forth in this subsection.

(c) For the filing of a notice of lien or for its discharge, the recorder of deeds or the city or town clerk shall be paid out of any money appropriated for expenses, a fee of four dollars ($4.00) for a completed entry.

(d) The authority granted to the director to file a notice of lien shall not be held to repeal or amend in any other respect the provisions of § 28-42-38.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-15 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-15
§ 28-20-15. Prosecution of violations.
Status: in_force

It shall be the duty of the director to enforce the provisions of this chapter and upon request of the director the attorney general shall prosecute all violations of this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-28 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-28
§ 28-20-28. Temporary codes.
Status: in_force

(a) The director of labor and training in cooperation with the director of health shall promulgate, without regard to the requirements of §§ 28-20-24  28-20-26, an emergency temporary code to take immediate effect upon publication and filing with the secretary of state if he or she determines that employees are exposed to grave danger from exposure to substances or agents determined to be toxic or physically harmful or from new hazards, and that the emergency code is required to protect employees from the danger.

(b) A temporary code shall be effective until superseded by a code promulgated in accordance with the procedure prescribed in §§ 28-20-24  28-20-26, or for a maximum period of one hundred and twenty (120) days.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-33-34.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-33 / Section 28-33-34.1
§ 28-33-34.1. Schedule of medical review.
Status: in_force

(a) On or about twenty-six (26) weeks from the date of a compensable injury, any person obtaining incapacity benefits may be examined and his or her diagnosis and treatment reviewed by a comprehensive independent healthcare review team or an impartial medical examiner. The comprehensive independent healthcare review team or impartial medical examiner shall be selected through a mechanism to be established by the administrator of the medical advisory board. The results of the examination and review shall be provided to the employee and the insurer or self-insured employer within fourteen (14) days of the examination and a copy shall be filed with the medical advisory board. The comprehensive independent healthcare review team and/or impartial medical examiner shall review the treating physicians findings and diagnosis and make its own findings of the extent and nature of the claimed disability; the degree of functional impairment and/or disability; the expectation of further medical improvement; any further medical care, treatment, and/or rehabilitation services that may be required to reach maximum medical improvement; type(s) of work that can be performed within existing physical capacity; the degree of disability expected at maximum medical improvement; whether the employee can return to the former position of employment; and compliance of the treating physician with protocols and standards of medical care established by the medical advisory board. The report may be subsequently admissible as a court exhibit. A party may be permitted to cross-examine the author(s) of the report with leave of the court.

(b) On or about thirteen (13) weeks after any examination under this section or § 28-33-35, a comprehensive independent healthcare review team or impartial medical examiner shall perform a similar review. The same comprehensive independent healthcare review team or impartial medical examiner may not perform more than two (2) consecutive reviews on a particular employee.

(c) Failure to appear for examination under this section shall be grounds for suspension or termination of benefits unless justified by good cause. Residence outside the state does not, by itself, constitute good cause for failure to appear.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-4.2 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-27 / Section 28-27-4.2
§ 28-27-4.2. Journeyperson pipefitter, journeyperson sheet metal worker, and journeyperson sprinkler fitter defined.
Status: in_force

(a) Journeyperson pipefitter means any person who has completed an appropriate ten thousand (10,000) hour registered apprenticeship program in accordance with chapter 45 of this title, and has passed a journeyperson examination and who does work on pipefitting systems subject to provisions of this chapter. The rules, regulations, and licensing criteria guide promulgated under this chapter referencing Class II limited journeyperson licenses shall require completion of an accepted formal technical program approved by the department of labor and training.

(b) Journeyperson sheet metal worker means any person who has completed an appropriate eight thousand (8,000) hour registered apprenticeship program in accordance with chapter 45 of this title, and has passed a journeyperson sheet metal worker examination and who does sheet metal work subject to provisions of this chapter and the rules, regulations, and licensing criteria promulgated under this chapter.

(c) Journeyperson sprinkler fitter means any person who has completed an appropriate eight thousand (8,000) hour registered apprenticeship program in accordance with chapter 45 of this title, and has passed a journeyperson sprinkler fitter examination and who does work in fire protection sprinkler systems subject to provisions of this chapter and the rules, regulations, and licensing criteria promulgated under this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-10-7 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-10 / Section 28-10-7
§ 28-10-7. Tear gas prohibited.
Status: in_force

It shall be unlawful for any person to use or to cause to be used during the progress of labor strikes or lockouts of any type, any tear gas, brombenzylcyanide, or any other gas that would affect the respiratory organs.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-47-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-47 / Section 28-47-10
§ 28-47-10. Surety bonds or other security.
Status: in_force

For the purpose of this chapter, the amount of surety bond, trust fund, or other adequate security required for group self-insurance plans shall be determined by the director by rule or regulation. If the director requires the group self-insurer to provide security other than a surety bond, the security that the director requires shall reside in Rhode Island and shall be in the form the director requires.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-45 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-45
§ 28-44-45. Consolidated appeals.
Status: in_force

When the same or substantially similar evidence is material to the matter in issue with respect to more than one individual, the same time and place for considering all those cases may be fixed, hearings jointly conducted, a single record of the proceedings made, and evidence introduced with respect to one proceeding considered as introduced in the others, provided no party is prejudiced by these steps.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-29-18 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-29 / Section 28-29-18
§ 28-29-18. Minors deemed sui juris  Claim of common law rights.
Status: in_force

A minor working at an age legally permitted under the laws of this state shall be deemed sui juris for the purpose of chapters 29  38 of this title and no other person shall have any cause of action or right to compensation for an injury to that minor employee except as expressly provided in those chapters; but if that minor has a parent living or a guardian, that parent or guardian, as the case may be, may give the notice and file a copy of it as provided by § 28-29-17, and that notice shall bind the minor in the same manner that adult employees are bound under the provisions of chapters 29  38 of this title. In case no notice is given, the minor shall be held to have waived his or her right of action at common law to recover damages for personal injuries.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-34 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-5 / Section 28-5-34
§ 28-5-34. Commissions copy of testimony  Hearing on transcript.
Status: in_force

The commissions copy of the testimony shall be available at all reasonable times to all parties without cost for examination and for the purposes of judicial review of the order of the commission. The petition shall be heard on the transcript of the record without requirement of printing.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-31-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-31 / Section 28-31-10
§ 28-31-10. Computation of earnings of guard members.
Status: in_force

In ascertaining the average weekly wages, earnings, or salary of an injured member of the national guard or the Rhode Island state guard, § 28-33-20 will be followed and for the purpose of that ascertainment, it will be assumed that the injury occurred in the civilian employment of the injured member of the national guard and Rhode Island state guard.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-55 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-55
§ 28-35-55. Filing day or required act falling on weekend or holiday.
Status: in_force

Whenever, under chapters 29  38 of this title, the day, or the last day, for the filing with the workers compensation court, of any original petition or other petition, motion, decree, claim of appeal, reasons of appeal, brief, or other document, or for the doing of any act required or permitted to be done by those chapters, falls on Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday, the act or filing may be done on the next succeeding business day.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-40-7 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-40 / Section 28-40-7
§ 28-40-7. Appeals to board of review.
Status: in_force

Any employer, employee, or other person aggrieved by any decision of fact or law by the director as to his, her, or its liability to make contributions or to withhold and pay contributions, or as to the amount of contributions due from or to be withheld and paid by him, her, or it under chapters 39  41 of this title, or by any refusal of the director to grant a refund or credit under § 28-40-6, may, either on behalf of himself or herself, or on behalf of his or her employees or other persons aggrieved by the decision, or on behalf of both himself or herself and those employees or persons, within fifteen (15) days after notice of the decision has been mailed to his, her, or its last-known address, file an appeal in writing with the board of review, setting forth the grounds for the appeal. If an appeal is duly filed, the board of review shall set a time and place to give the appellant an opportunity to show cause as to why the decision of the director should be changed. Following that hearing, the board of review shall, as promptly as possible, notify the appellant and the director of its decision on the appeal. The decision shall become final unless the appellant or the director files an appeal to the courts in accordance with §§ 28-41-26  28-41-29.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-32 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-32
§ 28-42-32. Annual report  Recommendations.
Status: in_force

Annually, by the first day of April, the director shall submit to the governor and to the general assembly a summary report covering the administration and operation of chapters 42  44 of this title during the preceding calendar year and making any recommendations that the director may deem proper.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-26-6 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-26 / Section 28-26-6
§ 28-26-6. Authorized types of machinery specified to licensees.
Status: in_force

Licenses issued under this chapter shall specify the types of equipment that the holder is authorized to operate. The board shall promulgate rules and regulations that specify types of licenses.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-7-1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-7 / Section 28-7-1
§ 28-7-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited and referred to as the Rhode Island State Labor Relations Act.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-75 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-75
§ 28-42-75. Establishment of employment security interest fund  Sources.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) There is created as a restricted-receipt account within the general fund the employment security interest fund, to be administered by the director without liability on the part of the state beyond the amounts paid into and earned by the fund. This fund shall consist of:

(i) All interest received from employers and paid pursuant to §28-43-15;

(ii) All other moneys paid into and received by the fund;

(iii) Property and securities acquired by and through the use of moneys belonging to the fund; and

(iv) Interest earned upon the moneys belonging to the fund.

(2) All moneys in the fund shall be mingled and undivided.

(b) All moneys received by the director for the employment security interest fund shall, upon receipt, be deposited by the director in a clearance account in a bank in this state and shall be exempt from the provisions of §35-4-27.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-29 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-29
§ 28-20-29. Granting of variances  Statement of reasons for various actions by director.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) Any employer may apply to the director for a temporary order granting a variance from a code or any provision of a code promulgated under this chapter.

(2) The temporary order shall be granted only if the employer files an application that meets the requirements of subsection (b) of this section and establishes that:

(i) The employer is unable to comply with a code by its effective date because of the unavailability of professional or technical personnel or of materials and equipment needed to come into compliance with the code, or because necessary construction or alteration of facilities cannot be completed by the effective date;

(ii) The employer is taking all available steps to safeguard employees against the hazards covered by the code; and

(iii) The employer has an effective program for coming into compliance with the code as quickly as practicable.

(3) Any temporary order issued under this subsection shall prescribe the practices, means, methods, operations, and processes the employer must adopt and use while the order is in effect and state in detail his or her program for coming into compliance with the code.

(4) A temporary order may be granted only after notice to employees and an opportunity for a hearing; provided, that the director may issue one interim order to be effective until a decision is made on the basis of the hearing.

(5) No temporary order may be in effect for longer than the period needed by the employer to achieve compliance with the code or one year, whichever is shorter, except that a temporary order may not be renewed more than twice:

(i) So long as the requirements of this subsection are met; and

(ii) If an application for renewal is filed at least ninety (90) days prior to the expiration date of the order.

(6) No interim renewal of an order may remain in effect for longer than one hundred and eighty (180) days.

(b) An application for a temporary order under this section shall contain:

(1) A specification of the code or portion of it from which the employer seeks a variance;

(2) A representation by the employer, supported by representations from qualified persons having first-hand knowledge of the facts represented, that the employer is unable to comply with the code or portion of it and a detailed statement of the reasons for the noncompliance;

(3) A statement of the steps the employer has taken and will take, with specific dates, to protect employees against the hazards covered by the code;

(4) A statement of when the employer expects to be able to comply with the code and what steps the employer has taken and what steps the employer will take, with specific dates, to come into compliance with the code; and

(5) A certification that the employer has informed employees of the application by giving a copy of it to their authorized representatives, and by posting a statement giving a summary of the application and specifying where a copy may be examined at the place or places where notices to employees are normally posted, and by other appropriate means. A description of how employees have been informed shall be contained in the certification. The information to employees shall also inform them of their rights to petition the director for a hearing.

(c) The director is authorized to grant a variance from any code or portion of it whenever he or she determines, or the director of health certifies, that the variance is necessary to permit an employer to participate in an experiment approved by him or her or the director of health designed to demonstrate or validate new and improved techniques to safeguard the health or safety of workers.

(d) Any affected employer may apply to the director for a rule or order for a permanent variance from a code promulgated under § 28-20-24. Affected employees shall be given notice of each application and an opportunity to participate in a hearing. The director shall issue a rule or order if he or she determines on the record, after opportunity for an inspection where appropriate, and a hearing that the proponent of the permanent variance has demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence that the conditions, practices, means, methods, operations, or processes used or proposed to be used by an employer will provide employment and places of employment to the employees that are as safe and healthful as those which would prevail if the employer complied with the code. The rule or order issued shall prescribe the conditions the employer must maintain, and the practices, means, methods, operations, and processes, that the employer must adopt and utilize to the extent they differ from the code in question. The rule or order may be modified or revoked for cause upon application by an employer, employees, or by the director on his or her own motion, in the manner prescribed for its issuance under this subsection at any time after six (6) months from its issuance.

(e) Whenever the director promulgates any code, makes any rule, order, or decision; grants any exemption or extension of time; or compromises, mitigates, or settles any penalty assessed under this chapter or title 23, he or she shall include a statement of the reasons for the action, and a copy of the code, rule, order, or decision shall be filed with the secretary of state pursuant to § 42-35-4 on the day in which it is promulgated.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-22-1.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-22 / Section 28-22-1.1
§ 28-22-1.1. Restricted receipts account.
Status: in_force

All proceeds of any fees collected pursuant to the provisions of chapter 6 of title 5 entitled Electricians, chapter 26 of this title entitled Hoisting Engineers, chapter 27 of this title entitled Mechanical Trades, chapter 45 of this title entitled Apprenticeship Programs in Trade and Industry, chapter 12 of title 37 entitled Contractors bonds, and chapter 13 of title 37 entitled Labor and Payment of Debts by Contractors, shall be deposited as general revenues.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-34-6 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-34 / Section 28-34-6
§ 28-34-6. Date of disablement.
Status: in_force

For the purpose of this chapter the date of disablement for an occupational disease shall be the date of partial or total incapacity to work as a result of the disease.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-41-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-41 / Section 28-41-8
§ 28-41-8. Pregnancy benefits.
Status: in_force

An eligible individual who is unemployed due to sickness resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, or abortion shall be entitled to receive those benefits that are regularly provided for unemployment due to sickness in chapters 39  41 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-40-14 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-40 / Section 28-40-14
§ 28-40-14. Contributions as debt to state  Lien on real estate.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) The amount of any contributions, interest, and penalties imposed upon any employer under this chapter shall:

(i) Be a debt due to the state;

(ii) Constitute a trust fund for the state until paid to the director;

(iii) Be recoverable at law in the same manner as other debts; and

(iv) Until collected constitute a lien upon all the real property located in this state of the following persons or entities:

(A) The employer;

(B) Any officer, agent, servant, or employee of any corporate employer responsible for either the withholding or payment, or both, of the contribution; and

(C) Any person receiving any part of the fund without consideration, or knowing that the employer or any officer, agent, servant, or employee or any corporate employer is committing a breach of trust.

(2) The lien shall take precedence over any other lien or encumbrance on that property except as provided in this section. The director may file a notice of that tax lien with the records of land evidence for the city or town where that property is located and it shall be the duty of the recorder of deeds or the city or town clerk having custody of those records to receive, file, and index that notice under the name of the lienee. Any of the preceding provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, the lien imposed by this section shall not be valid with respect to property in any city or town as against any bona fide purchaser, mortgagee, or lessee, whose interest in that real property appears of record in that city or town prior to the time of filing of that notice of tax lien in that city or town.

(b) The notice of the tax lien filed shall: (1) Be in writing; (2) Contain the name and last known address of the lienee; and (3) State that the lienee is indebted to the state under this chapter. The notice need not describe the lienees property, or specify the amount of contributions owed, or the period of time covered by the delinquency. When the notice is filed in a city or town by the director, it shall, unless sooner discharged or released, also apply to property in the city or town subsequently acquired by the lienee during a period of six (6) years from the date of filing and that filing need not be repeated for each successive delinquency of the lienee. The notice shall expire six (6) years from the date of filing unless renewed by again filing a similar notice on or before the expiration date. The director shall be obliged to discharge or release the notice of lien when the lienee is no longer delinquent in the payment of any contributions, interest, or penalties, whether incurred prior or subsequent to the date of filing of that notice, or upon request, following the expiration of the statutory lien period, as set forth in this section.

(c) For the filing of a notice of lien or discharge of a lien, the recorder of deeds or the city or town clerk shall be paid, out of any money appropriated for expenses of the director, a fee of four dollars ($4.00) for a completed entry.

(d) The authority granted in this section to the director to file a notice of lien shall not be held to repeal or amend in any other respect §28-39-19.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-52-1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-52 / Section 28-52-1
§ 28-52-1. Short title.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall be known and may be cited as The Rhode Island Workplace Violence Prevention Act.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-12-20 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-12 / Section 28-12-20
§ 28-12-20. Assignment of wage claim and action by department.
Status: in_force

At the written request of an employee paid less than the wage to which he or she is entitled under or by virtue of this chapter, the director of labor and training or the commissioner of minimum wage may take an assignment of the employees wage claim in trust for the assigning employee and may bring any legal action necessary to collect the claim, and the employer shall be required to pay the costs and any reasonable attorneys fees that may be allowed by the court.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-40 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-40
§ 28-42-40. Legislative recommendations  Research and planning.
Status: in_force

The director, at his or her discretion, shall recommend to the governor for transmission to the general assembly any action that will tend to aid and promote the prevention of unemployment and as will effect the regularization of employment. The director shall encourage and recommend methods of vocational training, retraining, and guidance, shall make a study of seasonal employment, and shall recommend measures that will promote the reemployment of unemployed workers throughout the state in every way that may be feasible. The director shall cooperate with the Rhode Island commerce corporation and the department of transportation in planning public works projects to be conducted in times of depression and unemployment, and publish the results of investigations and research studies.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-47-5 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-47 / Section 28-47-5
§ 28-47-5. Termination of group.
Status: in_force

If for any reason, the status of a group self-insurer under this chapter is terminated, the surety bond on deposit, trust fund, or other security referred to in § 28-47-2 shall remain in the custody of the director for a period of at least twenty-six (26) months. At the expiration of any time or any further period that the director may deem proper and warranted, he or she may accept in lieu of the bond, and for the additional purpose of securing that further and future contingent liability as may arise from prior injuries to workers and be incurred by reason of any change in the condition of those workers warranting the workers compensation court making subsequent awards for payment of additional compensation, a policy of insurance furnished by the group self-insurer, its successors or assigns, or others carrying on or liquidating that self-insurance group. That policy shall be in a form approved by the director and issued by any insurance company licensed to issue this class of insurance in this state. It shall only be issued for a single complete premium payment in advance by the group self-insurer. It shall be given in an amount to be determined by the director and when issued shall not be subject to cancellation for any cause during the continuance of the liability secured and so covered.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-43-8.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-43 / Section 28-43-8.1
§ 28-43-8.1. Time and manner of payment of employer contributions.
Status: in_force

Contributions required under this chapter for each year shall be paid by each employer in the manner and at the times that the director may prescribe.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-12-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-12 / Section 28-12-10
§ 28-12-10. Learners and apprentices.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any order or regulation previously issued under chapter 289 of the general laws of 1938, as amended, the director of labor and training may provide by regulation, after a public hearing at which any person may be heard, for the employment in the occupation at the wages lower than the wage rates applicable under this chapter for learners and apprentices as the director of labor and training finds appropriate to prevent curtailment of opportunities for employment, and to safeguard the wage rates applicable under this chapter. No employee shall be employed at wages fixed pursuant to this section except under special license issued under applicable regulation of the director of labor and training. After a learner or apprentice has been employed for ninety (90) days, he or she shall be paid the rate provided in § 28-12-3, notwithstanding any order or administrative regulation previously issued under chapter 289 of the general laws of 1938.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-3-6 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-3 / Section 28-3-6
§ 28-3-6. Certificates and permits kept by employer.
Status: in_force

All certificates of age and permits required by this chapter relating to the qualification of children employed in any factory, or manufacturing, or business establishment coming under the provisions of this chapter, shall be kept by the employer at the place where the child is employed, and shall be shown to the compliance inspectors provided for by chapter 20 of this title, or either or any of them, on demand by the inspector or inspectors, and the proprietor or manager of any factory or manufacturing or business establishment who shall fail to produce or shall refuse to show to any compliance inspector any certificate or permit when demand is made therefore, shall be fined one hundred dollars ($100) for each offense.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-3-20 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-3 / Section 28-3-20
§ 28-3-20. Penalty for violations generally.
Status: in_force

Except as otherwise specifically provided, any person or corporation who or that: (1) Employs a child under sixteen (16) years of age without the permit required by § 28-3-3; (2) Makes a false statement in regard to any part required by the certificate; (3) Violates any of the provisions of §§ 28-3-1  28-3-20, or suffers or permits any child to be employed in violation of their provisions, shall be fined five hundred dollars ($500) for each offense; provided, however, that if a child employed in violation of the provisions of §§ 28-3-1  28-3-20 is injured or killed in the course of the employment, then the above fine may be increased to five thousand dollars ($5,000); and, provided further, however, that this section does not apply to that portion of § 28-3-6 which fixes the penalty for the refusal to show to the inspector any certificate provided for in that section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-73 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-73
§ 28-42-73. Construction of provisions.
Status: in_force

Chapters 42  44 of this title shall be construed liberally in aid of their declared purpose, which declared purpose is to lighten the burden that now falls on the unemployed worker and his or her family.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-39-17 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-39 / Section 28-39-17
§ 28-39-17. Witness fees.
Status: in_force

Witnesses subpoenaed pursuant to chapters 39  41 of this title shall be allowed fees at a rate fixed by the director. Those fees shall be deemed a part of the expense of administering chapters 39  41 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-30 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-30
§ 28-14-30. Severability.
Status: in_force

If any provision of this chapter, or its application to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter and the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected by the invalidity.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-18-12 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-18 / Section 28-18-12
§ 28-18-12. Homeworkers certificate required.
Status: in_force

No person shall do industrial homework unless his or her name is on a homeworkers certificate issued by the director of labor and training and permitting industrial homework to be done by him or her in the residence and at the address named in the certificate. The certificate shall be shown on demand of the director of labor and training or any of his or her duly authorized agents.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-10
§ 28-35-10. Duplicates of documents furnished to employee  Inadmissibility of documents when copies not furnished.
Status: in_force

Where an employer, his or her insurer, or the agents or independent contractors of either obtains from an injured employee any paper, document, report, statement, or agreement, including hospital records, nurses notes, personnel records, reports, or statements by forepersons or any other supervisory employees at the injured employees place of employment, whether signed or unsigned, and regardless of the mode of obtaining it, concerning compensation, the injured employee shall receive an exact duplicate original copy of that paper, document, report, statement, or agreement, including hospital records, nurses notes, personnel records, reports, or statements by forepersons or any other supervisory employees at the injured employees place of employment which shall be signed by a duly authorized agent or the employer or his or her insurer. The paper, document, report, statement, or agreement, including hospital records, nurses notes, personnel records, reports, or statements by forepersons or any other supervisory employees at the injured employees place of employment, shall be furnished to the employee at the time it is obtained, and a copy shall also be furnished to the employees attorney immediately upon request by that attorney. If a copy of a paper, document, report, statement, or agreement, including hospital records, nurses notes, personnel records, reports, or statements by forepersons or any other supervisory employees at the injured employees place of employment is not furnished strictly in accordance with this section, nothing contained in it may be used by an employer or his or her insurer or attorney for direct or cross-examination of the employee. The individual obtaining it may not testify in any proceeding and the paper, document, report, statement, or agreement, including hospital records, nurses notes, personnel records, reports, or statements by forepersons or any other supervisory employees at the injured employees place of employment shall be inadmissible in any proceeding, if objection by the employee to its admission is made.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-39-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-39 / Section 28-39-10
§ 28-39-10. Responsibility for administration.
Status: in_force

Chapters 39  41 of this title shall be administered by the department of labor and training. The director and the board of review shall have the same powers and duties with relation to those chapters as they have to chapters 42  44 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-27 / Section 28-27-8
§ 28-27-8. Duties of director.
Status: in_force

The director of the department of labor and training shall:

(1) Prepare license certificates and issue them in conformity with this chapter;

(2) Maintain an up-to-date record specifying the name and address of licensed pipefitters or refrigeration/air conditioning or fire protection sprinkler contractors, and sprinkler fitters masters, journeypersons and sheet metal contractors and journeypersons sheet metal workers of this state. These records shall show dates of issuance of licenses and be open to public inspection. These records shall also show dates of filing of complaints and the nature of the complaints for revocation of license and the date of, as well as the final order upon, those complaints;

(3) Prescribe standards for what constitutes a recognized college or university, and determine the conformance to the standards; and

(4) Prepare a full and complete monthly statement of all receipts derived under this chapter and turn over to the general treasurer all money in possession in the department.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-20 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-20
§ 28-44-20. Refusal of suitable work.
Status: in_force

(a) For benefit years beginning prior to July 1, 2012, if an otherwise eligible individual fails, without good cause, either to apply for suitable work when notified by the employment office, or to accept suitable work when offered to him or her, he or she shall become ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits for the week in which that failure occurred and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has, subsequent to that failure, had at least eight (8) weeks of work and in each of those eight (8) weeks has had earnings of at least twenty (20) times the minimum hourly wage, as defined in chapter 12, for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42  44 of this title. For benefit years beginning on or after July 1, 2012, and prior to July 6, 2014, if an otherwise eligible individual fails, without good cause, either to apply for suitable work when notified by the employment office, or to accept suitable work when offered to him or her, he or she shall become ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits for the week in which that failure occurred and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has, subsequent to that failure, had at least eight (8) weeks of work and in each of those eight (8) weeks has had earnings greater than or equal to his or her weekly benefit rate for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42  44 of this title.

For benefit years beginning on or after July 6, 2014, if an otherwise eligible individual fails, without good cause, either to apply for suitable work when notified by the employment office, or to accept suitable work when offered to him or her, he or she shall become ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits for the week in which that failure occurred and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has, subsequent to that failure, had earnings greater than, or equal to, eight (8) times his or her weekly benefit rate for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42  44 of this title.

(b) Suitable work means any work for which the individual in question is reasonably fitted, that is located within a reasonable distance of his or her residence or last place of work, and is not detrimental to his or her health, safety, or morals. No work shall be deemed suitable, and benefits shall not be denied under chapters 42  44 of this title, to any otherwise eligible individual for refusing to accept new work, under any of the following conditions:

(1) If the position offered is vacant due directly to a strike, lockout, or other labor dispute;

(2) If the wages, hours, or other conditions of the work are substantially less favorable to the employee than those prevailing for similar work in the locality;

(3) If, as a condition of being employed, the individual would be required to join a company union or to resign from, or refrain from, joining any bona fide labor organization.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-38 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-5 / Section 28-5-38
§ 28-5-38. Liberal construction.
Status: in_force

(a) The provisions of this chapter shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of the purposes of it, and any law inconsistent with any provision of this chapter shall not apply.

(b) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed to repeal any of the provisions of any law of this state relating to discrimination because of race or color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, or country of ancestral origin.

(c) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed to repeal any of the provisions of any law of this state relating to parental leave.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-12 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-12
§ 28-9-12. Arbitrators fees.
Status: in_force

(a) In any proceeding under this chapter, unless the parties agree to the arbitrators or arbitrators fees, those fees shall be fixed by the director of labor and training who shall require equal payment of the arbitrators fees by both parties.

(b) If a party to the arbitration is a department or division of state government, the director of labor and training shall inform the office of budget of the amount of the arbitrators fee attributable to the department or division. The office of budget shall charge to the account of the department or division the amount of the arbitrators fees attributable to it. In addition, the office of budget shall also charge to the account of the department or division any and all other costs, including, but not limited to, witness fees and attorneys fees incurred by the department or division in connection with the arbitration proceeding.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-17 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-17
§ 28-44-17. Voluntary leaving without good cause.
Status: in_force

(a) For benefit years beginning prior to July 1, 2012, an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit, or benefits for the week in which the voluntary quit occurred, and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has subsequent to that leaving had at least eight (8) weeks of work, and in each of those eight (8) weeks has had earnings of at least twenty (20) times the minimum hourly wage as defined in chapter 12 of this title for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42  44 of this title. For benefit years beginning on or after July 1, 2012, and prior to July 6, 2014, an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits for the week in which the voluntary quit occurred and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has subsequent to that leaving had at least eight (8) weeks of work, and in each of those eight (8) weeks has had earnings greater than, or equal to, his or her weekly benefit rate for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42  44 of this title. For benefit years beginning on or after July 6, 2014, an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits for the week in which the voluntary quit occurred and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has, subsequent to that leaving, had earnings greater than, or equal to, eight (8) times his or her weekly benefit rate for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42  44 of this title. For the purposes of this section, voluntarily leaving work with good cause shall include:

(1) Sexual harassment against members of either sex;

(2) Voluntarily leaving work with an employer to accompany, join, or follow his or her spouse to a place, due to a change in location of the spouses employment, from which it is impractical for such individual to commute; and

(3) The need to take care for a member of the individuals immediate family due to illness or disability as defined by the Secretary of Labor; provided that the individual shall not be eligible for waiting period credit or benefits until he or she is able to work and is available for work. For the purposes of this provision, the following terms apply:

(i) Immediate family member means a spouse, parents, mother-in-law, father-in-law and children under the age of eighteen (18);

(ii) Illness means a verified illness that necessitates the care of the ill person for a period of time longer than the employer is willing to grant leave, paid or otherwise; and

(iii) Disability means all types of verified disabilities, including mental and physical disabilities, permanent and temporary disabilities, and partial and total disabilities.

(b) For the purposes of this section, voluntarily leaving work without good cause shall include voluntarily leaving work with an employer to accompany, join, or follow his or her spouse in a new locality in connection with the retirement of his or her spouse, or failure by a temporary employee to contact the temporary help agency upon completion of the most recent work assignment to seek additional work unless good cause is shown for that failure; provided, that the temporary help agency gave written notice to the individual that the individual is required to contact the temporary help agency at the completion of the most recent work assignment to seek additional work.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-30-25 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-30 / Section 28-30-25
§ 28-30-25. Severability.
Status: in_force

The holding of any section or sections or parts of this chapter to be void, ineffective, or unconstitutional for any cause shall not be deemed to affect any other section or part hereof.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-48-9 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-48 / Section 28-48-9
§ 28-48-9. Severability.
Status: in_force

If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end, the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-56-1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-56 / Section 28-56-1
§ 28-56-1. Definitions.
Status: in_force

For the purposes of this chapter:

(1) Applicant means an applicant for employment.

(2) Employee means an individual who provides services or labor for an employer for wages or other remuneration.

(3) Employer includes the state, and all political subdivisions of the state, and any person in this state, employing individuals, and any person acting in the interest of an employer directly or indirectly.

(4) Social media account means an electronic service or account, or electronic content, including, but not limited to, videos, still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts, instant and text messages, email, online service or accounts, or internet website profiles or locations. For the purposes of this chapter, social media account does not include an account opened at an employers behest, or provided by an employer, or intended to be used primarily on behalf of the employer.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-61 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-61
§ 28-42-61. Continuance of arrangements after changes in law.
Status: in_force

If after entering into an arrangement provided in §§ 28-42-58  28-42-60, the director finds that the employment security law of any state or territory, the federal government, or any foreign government participating in that arrangement has been changed in a material respect, the director shall make a new finding as to whether those arrangements shall be continued with that state or territory, the federal government, or the foreign government involved.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-46-9 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-46 / Section 28-46-9
§ 28-46-9. Termination of employees.
Status: in_force

For the purposes of this chapter, the employment of any employee terminated within one year, or within any longer period as prescribed by the director when he or she determines that an employer is attempting to evade the provisions of this chapter, of the date an employer ceases to operate a place of employment within this state shall be deemed to have been terminated because of the employers ceasing to operate its place of employment, unless the employer can conclusively show that the termination was attributable to some other cause.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-22-1.2 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-22 / Section 28-22-1.2
§ 28-22-1.2. Professional regulation board  Composition  Appointment of members.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) There is hereby created in the division of professional regulation, in the department of labor and training, a professional regulation board that at all times shall consist of seven (7) qualified electors of the state as follows: three (3) members shall represent labor; three (3) members shall represent industry; and one member shall be the director of labor and training or his or her designee.

(2) On or before January 31, the governor shall annually appoint a member or members of the board to succeed the member or members whose term is at that time expiring who shall serve for four (4) years or until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Any vacancy that occurs in the board from any cause shall be filled by the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(b) The board shall supervise the operation of the division in an advisory capacity in promulgating any policy that is necessary to improve the operation of the division in programs contained within this chapter that do not fall within the categories enforced by other licensing boards within the division of professional regulation. The promulgation of that policy is subject to the approval of the director of the department. Members of the board are subject to the provisions of chapter 14 of title 36.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-33-17.3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-33 / Section 28-33-17.3
§ 28-33-17.3. Fraud and abuse.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) The workers compensation court is authorized and directed to impose sanctions and penalties necessary to maintain the integrity of, and to maintain the high standards of, professional conduct in the workers compensation system. All pleadings related to proceedings under chapters 29  38 of this title shall be considered an attestation by counsel that valid grounds exist for the position taken and that the pleading is not interposed for delay.

(2) If any judge determines that any proceedings have been brought, prosecuted, or defended by an employer, insurer, or their counsel without reasonable grounds, then:

(i) The whole cost of the proceedings shall be assessed upon the employer, insurer, or counsel, whoever is responsible; and

(ii) If a subsequent order requires that additional compensation be paid, a penalty of double the amount of retroactive benefits ordered shall be paid to the employee and the penalty shall not be included in any formula utilized to establish premium rates for workers compensation insurance.

(3) If any judge determines that any proceedings have been brought or defended by an employee or his or her counsel without reasonable grounds, the whole cost of the proceedings shall be assessed against the employee or counsel, whoever is responsible.

(4) The court shall determine whether an action or defense is frivolous or conduct giving rise to the action or defense was unreasonable. Where the amount at issue is less than the actual attorneys fees of the parties combined, the court shall exercise particular vigilance. Nothing in this subsection, however, is intended to discourage prompt payment in full of all amounts required to be paid.

(5) The appropriate body with professional disciplinary authority over the attorney shall be notified of the action.

(b)(1) It is unlawful to do any of the following:

(i) Make, or cause to be made, any knowingly false or fraudulent material statement or material representation for the purpose of obtaining or denying any compensation;

(ii) Present, or cause to be presented, any knowingly false or fraudulent written or oral material statement in support of, or in opposition to, any claim for compensation or petition regarding the continuation, termination, or modification of benefits;

(iii) Knowingly assist, aid and abet, solicit, or conspire with any person who engages in an unlawful act under this section;

(iv) Make, or cause to be made, any knowingly false or fraudulent statements with regard to entitlement to benefits with the intent to discourage an injured worker from claiming benefits or pursuing a claim;

(v) Willfully misrepresent or fail to disclose any material fact in order to obtain workers compensation insurance at less than the proper rate for the insurance including, but not limited to, intentionally misleading or failing to disclose information to an insurer regarding the appropriate rate classification of an employee;

(vi) Willfully fail to provide a lower rate adjustment favorable to an employer as required by an approved experience rating plan or regulations promulgated by the insurance commissioners;

(vii) Willfully fail to report or provide false or misleading information regarding ownership changes as required by an approved experience rating plan or regulations promulgated by the insurance commissioner; or

(viii) Knowingly assist, aid and abet, solicit, or conspire to coerce an employee to willfully misrepresent an employees status as a shareholder, director, or officer of a corporation, or as a member or manager of a limited-liability company, or as a partner, in a general or limited partnership, registered limited-liability partnership or a registered limited-liability limited partnership, or as an independent contractor for the purpose of avoiding the inclusion of that or other employees in a workers compensation insurance application, renewal or both.

(2) For the purposes of this section, statement includes, but is not limited to, any endorsement of a benefit check; signature on an agreement for electronic fund transfer of compensation benefits or issuance of an electronic access device; application for insurance coverage; oral or written statement; proof of injury; bill for services; diagnosis, prescription, hospital or provider records; x-rays; test results; or other documentation offered as proof of, or in the absence of, a loss, injury, or expense.

(3) If it is determined that any person concealed or knowingly failed to disclose that which is required by law to be revealed; knowingly gave or used perjured testimony or false evidence; knowingly made a false statement of fact; participated in the creation or presentation of evidence which he or she knows to be false; or otherwise engaged in conduct in violation of subsection (b)(1) of this section, that person shall be subject in criminal proceedings to a fine and/or penalty not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by imprisonment up to five (5) years in state prison or both.

(4) There shall be a general amnesty until July 1, 1992, for any person receiving compensation under chapters 29  38 of this title, to the extent compensation has been voluntarily reduced or relinquished by the employee prior to that date.

(c) The director of labor and training shall establish a form, in consultation with the attorney general, to be sent to all workers who are presently receiving benefits, and those for whom first reports of injury are filed in the future, that shall give the employee notice that the endorsement of a benefit check sent pursuant to §28-35-39 is the employees affirmation that he or she is qualified to receive benefits under the workers compensation act. The insurers and self-insured employers are directed to send the form to all workers receiving benefits.

(d) Any employer, or in any case where the employer is a corporation, the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and other officers of the corporation; or in any case where the employer is a limited-liability company, the managers, and the managing members; or in any case where the employer is a general partnership or a registered limited-liability partnership, or in the case where the employer is a limited partnership or a registered limited-liability limited partnership, the partners, who are found to have violated this section or §28-36-15, shall be guilty of a felony for failure to secure and maintain compensation, and upon conviction, shall be subject to imprisonment of up to two (2) years, a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or both. In any case where the employer is a corporation, the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and other officers of the corporation, shall be severally liable for the fine or subject to imprisonment, or both. In any case where the employer is a limited-liability company, the managers and managing members shall be severally liable for the fine or subject to imprisonment, or both. In any case where the employer is a partnership or a registered limited-liability partnership, the partners shall be severally liable for the fine or subject to imprisonment, or both. In any case where the employer is a limited partnership or a registered limited-liability limited partnership, the general partners shall be severally liable for the fine or subject to imprisonment, or both.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-40-2.2 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-40 / Section 28-40-2.2
§ 28-40-2.2. Exemption of certain persons with disabilities.
Status: in_force

Disabled persons employed through a supported employment program as described in the federal Rehabilitation Act amendments of 1992 (see 29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.) and who are ineligible to receive temporary disability benefits because their pay is too low may elect to be exempt from the provisions of chapters 39  41 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-7-12 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-7 / Section 28-7-12
§ 28-7-12. Rights of employees.
Status: in_force

Employees shall have the right of self organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations; to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing; and to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection free from interference, restraint, or coercion from any source. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be interpreted to prohibit employees and employers from conferring with each other at any time; provided, that during that conference there is no attempt by the employer, directly or indirectly, to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed by this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-39-5 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-39 / Section 28-39-5
§ 28-39-5. Withdrawals from fund.
Status: in_force

The temporary disability insurance fund shall be administered and used solely to pay benefits upon vouchers drawn on the fund by the director pursuant to regulations and no other disbursements shall be made from it except as provided in §§ 28-39-33, 28-39-34, and 28-40-6. Those regulations shall be governed by and be consistent with any applicable constitutional requirements, but the procedure prescribed by those rules shall be deemed to satisfy and shall be in lieu of any and all statutory requirements for specific appropriation or other formal release by state officers of state moneys prior to their expenditure that might otherwise be applicable to withdrawals from the fund.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-15 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-15
§ 28-14-15. Subpoena powers.
Status: in_force

The director and his or her authorized representatives shall have the power to administer oaths and examine witnesses under oath, issue subpoenas, subpoenas duces tecum, compel the attendance of witnesses, and the production of papers, books, accounts, records, payrolls, documents, and testimony, and to take depositions and affidavits in any proceeding before the director.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-10.1 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-10.1
§ 28-14-10.1. Payment of wages directly to employees account in financial institution.
Status: in_force

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon written or electronic request, an employee of a state agency or any other employer may authorize a disbursing officer to make payment by sending to a financial organization designated by the employee a check or credit in the amount of net pay due to the employee drawn in favor of the organization and for credit to the checking account or payroll card of the employee or for deposit in the savings account of the employee or for the purchase of shares for the employee.

(b) If more than one employee to whom a payment is to be made designates the same financial organization, the disbursing officer shall make the payment by sending to the organization a check or credit that is drawn in favor of the organization for the total amount designated by those employees and by specifying the amount to be credited to the account of each of those employees.

(c) State agency means any department, agency, board, office, or commission in state government.

(d) Financial organization means any bank, savings bank, savings and loan association or similar institution, or federal or state chartered credit union.

(e) Payroll card account means an account that is directly or indirectly established through an employer to which transfers of the employees wages, salary, or other compensation are made, and that carries the consumer protections that apply to payroll card accounts under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1693 et seq., and Regulation E, 12 C.F.R. Part 1005, as may be amended.

(f) If an employer pays wages to an employee by credit to a payroll account:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (f)(2) of this section, the employee must be able to make at least one withdrawal from the payroll card account in each pay period without charge for any amount up to and including the full amount of the employees net wages for the pay period.

(2) If the employees wages are paid more frequently than weekly, the employee must be able to make at least one withdrawal from the payroll card account each week without charge for any amount up to and including the full amount of the employees net wages for that week.

(3) Employees who receive wages by credit to a payroll card account must be provided with a means of checking their payroll card account balances, either through an automated telephone system or online, through the use of the internet, without cost, irrespective of the number of inquiries made.

(g) The provisions of this section shall be with the consent of the employer.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-32-4 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-32 / Section 28-32-4
§ 28-32-4. Use of reports as evidence.
Status: in_force

No report required by chapters 29  38 of this title shall be admitted in evidence or referred to at the trial of any action or in any judicial or administrative proceedings, except in prosecutions for the violation of those chapters.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-19 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-19
§ 28-42-19. Disbursements from fund.
Status: in_force

The fund shall be administered and used solely to pay benefits upon vouchers drawn on the fund by the director pursuant to regulations adopted as subsequently prescribed and no other disbursement shall be made from them except as provided in §§ 28-42-21, 28-42-22, and 28-43-13. Those regulations shall be governed by and be consistent with any applicable constitutional requirements, but the procedure prescribed by those rules shall be deemed to satisfy and shall be in lieu of any and all statutory requirements for specific appropriation or other formal release by state officers of state moneys prior to their expenditure that might otherwise be applicable to withdrawals from the fund.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-49 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-49
§ 28-44-49. Conclusiveness of decisions  Reopening for fraud or coercion.
Status: in_force

(a) All final determinations and decisions shall be conclusive upon all parties in interest including the director.

(b) The director, appeal tribunal, or board of review shall reopen a determination or decision or revoke permission for withdrawal of an appeal if:

(1) He or she or it finds that a worker or employer has been defrauded or coerced in connection with the determination, decision, or withdrawal of the appeal; and

(2) The defrauded or coerced person informs the appropriate officer or body of the fraud or coercion within sixty (60) days after he or she has become aware of the fraud or within sixty (60) days after the coercion has been removed.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-33-29 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-33 / Section 28-33-29
§ 28-33-29. Exercise of rights or privileges by guardian, conservator, or next friend.
Status: in_force

In case an injured employee is mentally incompetent, or, where death results from the injury, in case any of his or her dependents entitled to compensation under this chapter are mentally incompetent or minors at the time when any right, privilege, or election accrues to him or her or them under chapters 29  38 of this title, his or her conservator, guardian, or next friend may, in his or her behalf, claim and exercise that right, privilege, or election, and no limitation of time provided in those chapters shall run so long as the incompetent person or minor has no conservator or guardian.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-19.2 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-19.2
§ 28-14-19.2. Private right of action to collect wages or benefits and for equitable relief.
Status: in_force

(a) Any employee or former employee, or any organization representing the employee or former employee aggrieved by the failure to pay wages and/or benefits or misclassification in violation of chapter 12 of this title and/or this chapter may file a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction to obtain relief. An aggrieved party shall be entitled to recover any unpaid wages and/or benefits, compensatory damages, and liquidated damages in an amount up to two (2) times the amount of unpaid wages and/or benefits owed, as well as an award of appropriate equitable relief, including reinstatement of employment, fringe benefits and seniority rights, and reasonable attorneys fees and costs, and/or such other appropriate relief or penalties authorized under this chapter and chapter 12 of this title. In determining the amount of any penalty imposed under this section, consideration shall be given to the size of the employers business, the good faith of the employer, the gravity of the violation, the history of previous violations, and whether or not the violation was an innocent mistake or willful. Any unpaid fringe benefit contributions owed pursuant to this section in any form shall be paid to the appropriate benefit fund: however, in the absence of an appropriate fund, the benefit shall be paid directly to the aggrieved employee.

(b) An action instituted pursuant to this section may be brought by one or more employees or former employees individually and/or on behalf of other employees similarly situated.

(c) No agreement between the employee and employer to work for less than the applicable wage and/or benefit rate or to otherwise work under terms and/or conditions in violation of applicable law is a defense to an action brought pursuant to this section.

(d) An employers responsibility and liability hereunder is solely to the employers own employees.

(e) A civil action filed under this section may be instituted instead of, but not in addition to, the director of labor and training enforcement procedures authorized by the above referenced chapters, provided the civil action is filed prior to the date the director of labor and training issues notice of an administrative hearing.

(f) The filing of a civil action under this section shall not preclude the director of labor and training from investigating the matter and/or referring the matter to the attorney general, contractors registration board, and/or the tax administrator.

(g) Any claim hereunder shall be forever barred unless commenced within three (3) years after the cause of action accrued.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-50-7 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-50 / Section 28-50-7
§ 28-50-7. Exemption.
Status: in_force

This chapter shall not be construed to require an employer to compensate an employee for participation in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry held by a public body in accordance with § 28-50-3.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-56 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-56
§ 28-35-56. Effect of death of petitioner.
Status: in_force

No proceedings under chapters 29  38 of this title shall abate because of the death of the petitioner, but may be prosecuted by his or her legal representative or by any person entitled to compensation by reason of his or her death under those chapters.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-1-5 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-1 / Section 28-1-5
§ 28-1-5. Digital credentialing.
Status: in_force

Effective July 1, 2023, the department of labor and training (department) shall require publicly funded workforce and training programs to supplement all paper-based credentials with verified electronic credentials. Credentials include, but are not limited to, certifications, licenses, degrees, and training completion certificates issued by workforce and training programs within the departments responsibility. An electronic credential means an electronic method by which a person may display or transmit to another person information that verifies information about a person such as their licensure, program completion, and verified skills and competencies. The department may use a third-party electronic credential system that is not maintained by the agency. The electronic credential system shall include a verification system that is operated by the agency or its agent on its behalf for the purpose of verifying the authenticity and validity of electronic credentials.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-68 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-68
§ 28-44-68. Benefit payments for services with nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and governmental entities.
Status: in_force

(a) Benefits based on service in employment for nonprofit organizations and educational institutions and governmental entities covered by chapters 42  44 of this title shall be payable in the same amounts on the same terms and subject to the same conditions as benefits payable on the basis of other services subject to chapters 42  44 of this title, except that:

(1) With respect to services performed after December 31, 1977, in an instructional, research, or principal administrative capacity for an educational institution (including elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education), benefits shall not be paid based on those services for any week of unemployment commencing during the period between two (2) successive academic years or during a similar period between two (2) regular but not successive terms, or during a period of paid sabbatical leave provided for in the individuals contract, to any individual if that individual performs those services in the first of such academic years (or terms) and if there is a contract or a reasonable assurance that the individual will perform services in any such capacity for any educational institution in the second of those academic years or terms. Section 28-44-63 shall apply with respect to those services prior to January 1, 1978.

(2) With respect to services in any other capacity for an educational institution, including elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education, compensation payable for weeks of unemployment beginning on or after April 1, 1984, on the basis of the services shall be denied to any individual for any week that commences during a period between two (2) successive academic years or terms if that individual performs those services in the first of those academic years or terms and there is a reasonable assurance that the individual will perform those services in the second of those academic years or terms, except that if compensation is denied to any individual for any week under this subdivision and the individual was not offered an opportunity to perform the services for the educational institution for the second of the academic years or terms, the individual shall be entitled to a retroactive payment of the compensation for each week for which the individual filed a timely claim for compensation and for which compensation was denied solely by reason of this subdivision.

(3) With respect to any services described in subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2), compensation payable for weeks of unemployment beginning on or after April 1, 1984, on the basis of those services shall be denied to any individual for any week that commences during an established and customary vacation period or holiday recess if that individual performs those services in the period immediately before that vacation period or holiday recess, and there is a reasonable assurance that the individual will perform those services in the period immediately following that vacation period or holiday recess.

(4) With respect to any services described in subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2), compensation payable for weeks of unemployment beginning on or after April 1, 1984, on the basis of services in that capacity shall be denied as specified in subsection (a)(2) or (a)(3) to any individual who performed those services in an educational institution while in the employ of an educational service agency, and for this purpose the term educational service agency means a governmental agency or governmental entity that is established and operated exclusively for the purpose of providing those services to one or more educational institutions.

(b) Reasonable assurance means a written agreement by the employer that the employee will perform services in the same or similar capacity during the ensuing academic year, term, or remainder of a term. Further, reasonable assurance would not exist if the economic terms and conditions of the position offered in the ensuing academic period are substantially less than the terms and conditions of the position in the first period.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-29-12 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-29 / Section 28-29-12
§ 28-29-12. Certificate fee.
Status: in_force

The secretary of state shall be paid five dollars ($5.00) for each certificate issued pursuant to §§ 28-29-10 and 28-29-11.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-31-15 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-31 / Section 28-31-15
§ 28-31-15. Transfer of functions from the department of labor and training.
Status: in_force

There are transferred to the department of administration those functions, powers, duties, and necessary resources relating to claims of state employees that relate to workers compensation formerly vested in the department of labor and training.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-8
§ 28-20-8. Employers duties.
Status: in_force

(a) Each employer shall furnish to each of his or her employees a place of employment that is free from recognized safety and health hazards that are causing, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to the employees.

(b) Each employer shall comply with occupational safety and health codes promulgated under this chapter.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-59 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-59
§ 28-42-59. Inter-agency arrangements for payment of compensation through single agency.
Status: in_force

The director shall participate in any arrangements for the payment of compensation on the basis of combining an individuals wages and employment covered under chapters 42  44 of this title with his or her wages and employment covered under the employment security laws of other states that are approved by the United States Secretary of Labor in consultation with the state unemployment compensation agencies as reasonably calculated to assure the prompt and full payment of compensation in those situations and that include provisions for:

(1) Applying the base period of a single state law to a claim involving the combining of an individuals wages and employment covered under two (2) or more state employment security laws; and

(2) Avoiding the duplicate use of wages and employment by reason of that combining.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-40-4 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-40 / Section 28-40-4
§ 28-40-4. Employers liability for contributions not withheld.
Status: in_force

If any employer fails to deduct the contributions of any of the employers employees at the time their wages are paid or fails to make a deduction at the time wages are paid for the next succeeding payroll period, the employer alone shall subsequently be liable for those contributions, and, for the purposes of §§ 28-39-23  28-39-32 and 28-40-9  28-40-16 those contributions shall be treated as employers contributions required from him or her.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-13 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-13
§ 28-9-13. Validity of arbitration without judicial order  Grounds for attack.
Status: in_force

An award shall be valid and enforceable according to its terms and under the provisions of this chapter without previous adjudication of the existence of a submission or contract to arbitrate, subject to the provisions of this section:

(1) A party who has participated in any of the proceedings before the arbitrator or arbitrators may object to the confirmation of the award only on one or more of the grounds specified in this section, provided that he or she did not continue with the arbitration with notice of the facts or defects on which his or her objection is based, because of a failure to comply with § 28-9-8 or with § 28-9-10, or because of the improper manner of the selection of the arbitrators.

(2) A party who has not participated in any of the proceedings before the arbitrator or arbitrators and who has not made or been served with an application to compel arbitration under § 28-9-5 may also put in issue the making of the contract or submission or the failure to comply with it, either by a motion for a stay of the arbitration or in opposition to the confirmation of the award. If a notice has been personally served on the party of an intention to conduct the arbitration pursuant to the provisions of a contract or submission specified in the notice, the issues specified in this subdivision may be raised only by a motion for a stay of the arbitration, notice of which motion must be served within ten (10) days after the service of the notice of intention to arbitrate. The notice must state in substance that unless within ten (10) days after its service the party served shall serve a notice of motion to stay the arbitration, he or she shall subsequently be barred from putting in issue the making of the contract or submission or the failure to comply with it. The arbitration hearing shall be adjourned upon service of the notice pending the determination of the motion. Where the opposing party, either on a motion for a stay or in opposition to the confirmation of an award, sets forth evidentiary facts raising a substantial issue as to the making of the contract or submission or the failure to comply with it, an immediate trial of the issue shall be had. In the event that the opposing party is unsuccessful, he or she may, nevertheless, participate in the arbitration if the arbitration is still being carried on. Any party may, on or before the return day of the notice of application, demand a jury trial of the issue.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-18-11 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-18 / Section 28-18-11
§ 28-18-11. Child labor  Subcontracting  Time allowed for work.
Status: in_force

No child under sixteen (16) years of age shall be gainfully employed or otherwise in industrial homework. No industrial homework shall be processed except by a person to whom a certificate has been issued, and no person shall redistribute homework on a subcontractual basis. The employer shall allow the industrial homeworker sufficient time to process the entire amount of homework distributed to him or her in order that the homework may be completed without assistance from other persons and in accordance with the laws of this state limiting the hours of work.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-41-6 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-41 / Section 28-41-6
§ 28-41-6. Effect on waiting period credit and benefits of receipt of workers compensation payments.
Status: in_force

(a) No individual shall be entitled to receive waiting period credit benefits or dependents allowances with respect to which benefits are paid or payable to that individual under any workers compensation law of this state, any other state, or the federal government, on account of any disability caused by accident or illness. In the event that workers compensation benefits are subsequently awarded to an individual, whether on a weekly basis or as a lump sum, for a week or weeks with respect to which that individual has received waiting period credit, benefits, or dependents allowances, under chapters 39  41 of this title, the director, for the temporary disability insurance fund, shall be subrogated to that individuals rights in that award to the extent of the amount of benefits and/or dependents allowances paid to him or her under those chapters.

Provided, however, that nothing herein shall be construed to deny benefits or waiting period credit benefits or dependents allowances under this chapter to individuals who receive a lump sum settlement pursuant to §28-33-25 and subsequently apply for benefits under this chapter as long as the sickness or illness is materially different from the one for which the individual was paid workers compensation, is not affected by the injury and/or the medical condition did not result from the injury for which the employee was paid workers compensation benefits.

(b)(1) Whenever an employer or the employers insurance carrier has been notified that an individual has filed a claim for unemployment due to sickness for any week or weeks under chapters 39  41 of this title for which week or weeks that individual is or may be eligible for benefits under chapters 29  38 of this title, that notice shall constitute a lien upon any pending award, order, or settlement to that individual under chapters 29  38 of this title.

(2) The employer or the employers insurance carrier shall be required to reimburse the director, for the temporary disability insurance fund, the amount of benefits and/or dependents allowances received by the individual under chapters 39  41 of this title, for any week or weeks for which that award, order, or settlement is made.

(c) Whenever an individual becomes entitled to or is awarded workers compensation benefits for the same week or weeks with respect to which he or she has received benefits and/or dependents allowances under chapters 39  41 of this title, and notice of that receipt has been given to the division of workers compensation of the department of labor and training and/or the workers compensation court, the division or court is required to and shall incorporate in the award, order, or approval of settlement, an order requiring the employer or the employers insurance carrier to reimburse the director, for the temporary disability insurance fund, the amount of any disability benefits and/or dependents allowances that may have been paid to the employee for unemployment due to sickness for those weeks under chapters 39  41 of this title. Nothing herein shall be construed to deny benefits under this chapter to individuals who receive a lump sum settlement pursuant to §28-33-25 and subsequently apply for benefits under this chapter as long as the sickness or illness is materially different from the one for which the individual was paid workers compensation, is not affected by that injury and/or the medical condition did not result from the injury for which the employee was paid workers compensation benefits.

(d) If, through inadvertence, error, or mistake, an individual has received benefit payments and/or dependents allowances for any week or weeks under chapters 39  41 of this title, and has also received payments for the same week or weeks under any workers compensation law of this state, any other state, or of the federal government, he or she shall, in the discretion of the director of the department of labor and training, be liable to have that sum deducted from any benefits payable to him or her under chapters 39  41 of this title, or shall be liable to repay to the director, for the temporary disability insurance fund, a sum equal to that amount received, and that sum shall be collectible in the manner provided in §28-40-12 for the collection of past due contributions.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, no individual who, prior to September 1, 1969, has sustained an injury by reason of which he or she may be eligible for benefits under chapters 29  38 of this title shall be deprived of any rights which he or she may have under chapters 39  41 of this title.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-18-8 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-18 / Section 28-18-8
§ 28-18-8. Removal of material processed in unauthorized homework.
Status: in_force

The director of labor and training, or his or her authorized representative, may remove any material or article that is being processed in a home in violation of any provision of this chapter and may retain it until claimed by the employer. If the material or article is labeled as required by § 28-18-15, the director of labor and training shall by registered or certified mail give notice of the removal to the person whose name and address is affixed to the article as provided by § 28-18-15. Unless the article or material removed is claimed within thirty (30) days thereafter, it may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of; provided, that where the material or article is not so labeled the director may also destroy or otherwise dispose of the material or article after thirty (30) days if no claim is made for it within that period.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-20-6 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-20 / Section 28-20-6
§ 28-20-6. Appropriations.
Status: in_force

The general assembly shall annually appropriate any sums that are necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. The state controller is authorized and directed to draw his or her orders on the general treasurer for the payment of the sums so appropriated or so much of it that may be required, upon receipt by him or her of proper vouchers approved by the chief of the division of occupational safety and by the director.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-23 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-23
§ 28-9-23. Papers filed after judgment  Docketing.
Status: in_force

(a) Immediately after entering judgment, the clerk must attach together and file the following papers:

(1) The submission or contract, and each written extension of the time, if any, within which to make the award;

(2) The award;

(3) Each notice, affidavit, or other paper used upon an application to confirm, modify, or correct the award, and a copy of each order of the court upon an application; and

(4) A copy of the judgment.

(b) The judgment may be docketed as if it was rendered in an action.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-37-20 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-37 / Section 28-37-20
§ 28-37-20. Course of appeals.
Status: in_force

Any appeal authorized under this chapter shall be made to the workers compensation court, and from the workers compensation court, to the supreme court in accordance with § 28-35-30.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-41-31 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-41 / Section 28-41-31
§ 28-41-31. Fees charged claimants.
Status: in_force

No individual claiming benefits shall be charged fees of any kind by the director or his or her representative, or by the board of review or its representatives, in any proceeding under chapters 39  41 of this title. Any individual claiming benefits in any proceeding or court action may be represented by counsel or other duly authorized agent. The director shall have the authority to fix the fees of that counsel or other duly authorized agent, but no counsel or agents shall together be allowed to charge or receive for those services more than ten per cent (10%) of the maximum benefits at issue in that proceeding or court action except as specifically allowed by the superior court.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-20 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-20
§ 28-42-20. Treasurer of fund  Bond  Subordinates or employees.
Status: in_force

The general treasurer shall be custodian and treasurer of the fund and shall pay all vouchers duly authenticated and drawn upon the fund. He or she shall have custody of all moneys belonging to the fund and not otherwise held or deposited or invested pursuant to chapters 42  44 of this title. The general treasurer shall give bond conditioned on the faithful performance of his or her duties as custodian and treasurer of the fund, in a form prescribed by statute and approved by the attorney general, and in amount specified by the director and approved by the governor. All premiums upon bonds required pursuant to this section when furnished by an authorized surety company or by a duly constituted governmental bonding fund shall be paid from the employment security administration account. The general treasurer shall deposit the moneys in his or her custody subject to chapters 42  44 of this title. For the proper performance of the duties imposed by this section the general treasurer shall assign any subordinates or employees to the department of labor and training that he or she shall deem necessary, which subordinates and/or employees shall be within the classified service and shall be paid out of funds made available to the department for administrative purposes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-29 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-14 / Section 28-14-29
§ 28-14-29. Order of payment of fees and claims.
Status: in_force

Out of any recovery on a judgment in a suit there shall be paid:

(1) First, the garnishees and witness fees;

(2) Second, the wage claims involved;

(3) Third, the deputy sheriffs fees; and

(4) Fourth, the court costs.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6-23 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-6 / Section 28-6-23
§ 28-6-23. Regulations.
Status: in_force

The department shall coordinate implementation and enforcement of this chapter and shall promulgate appropriate guidelines or regulations for such purposes.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9-25 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-9 / Section 28-9-25
§ 28-9-25. Appeals.
Status: in_force

An appeal may be taken from an order made in a proceeding under this chapter, or from a judgment entered upon an award. The proceedings upon an appeal, including the judgment and the enforcement of the judgment, are governed by the provisions of statute and rule regulating appeal in actions as far as they are applicable.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-38.3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-38.3
§ 28-42-38.3. Penalty for unauthorized disclosure.
Status: in_force

Any person releasing or procuring the release of quarterly wage information supplied to the department of labor and training by any employer pursuant to this chapter, except as is otherwise specifically authorized by this chapter, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment for a term not to exceed one year, or both.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-42-36 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-42 / Section 28-42-36
§ 28-42-36. Personnel of department.
Status: in_force

The director is authorized, within his or her means, and in accordance with the state merit system act, chapters 3 and 4 of title 36, rules, and regulations, to appoint and fix the compensation of any officers, accountants, and other persons that are necessary in the execution of the functions of his or her department. The director shall not employ or pay any person who is serving as an officer or committee member of any political party organization or who is a member of the general assembly. The director, in accordance with the state merit system act, chapters 3 and 4 of title 36, rules, and regulations, shall fix the duties and powers of all persons thus employed, and may authorize any person to do any act or acts that could lawfully be done by the director. The director may in his or her discretion bond any person handling moneys or signing checks under this section.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-23 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-23
§ 28-35-23. Ex parte testimony.
Status: in_force

All ex parte testimony taken by the workers compensation court shall be reduced to writing and either party shall have opportunity to rebut it at any hearing where introduced.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-58-5 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-58 / Section 28-58-5
§ 28-58-5. Sale not compelled.
Status: in_force

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as compelling or preventing a sale by the employing business.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-35-58 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-35 / Section 28-35-58
§ 28-35-58. Liability of third person for damages.
Status: in_force

(a) Where the injury for which compensation is payable under chapters 29  38 of this title was caused under circumstances creating a legal liability in some person other than the employer to pay damages in respect of the injury, the employee may take proceedings, both against that person to recover damages and against any person liable to pay compensation under those chapters for that compensation, and the employee shall be entitled to receive both damages and compensation. The employee, in recovering damages either by judgment or settlement from the person so liable to pay damages, shall reimburse the person by whom the compensation was paid to the extent of the compensation paid as of the date of the judgment or settlement and the receipt of those damages by the employee shall not bar future compensation. An insurer shall be entitled to suspend the payment of compensation benefits payable to the employee when the damages recovered by judgment or settlement from the person so liable to pay damages exceeds the compensation paid as of the date of the judgment or settlement. The suspension period shall be the number of weeks that are equal to the excess damages paid divided by the employees weekly compensation rate; however, during the period of suspension the employee shall be entitled to receive the benefit of all medical and hospital payments on his or her behalf. If the employee has been paid compensation under those chapters, the person by whom the compensation was paid shall be entitled to indemnity from the person liable to pay damages, and to the extent of that indemnity shall be subrogated to the rights of the employee to recover those damages. When money has been recovered either by judgment or by settlement by an employee from the person liable to pay damages, by suit or settlement, and the employee is required to reimburse the person by whom the compensation was paid, the employee or his or her attorney shall be entitled to withhold from the amount to be reimbursed that proportion of the costs, witness expenses, and other out-of-pocket expenses and attorney fees which the amount which the employee is required to reimburse the person by whom compensation was paid bears to the amount recovered from the third party.

(b) In any case in which the employee or, in case of death, the administrator of the employees estate neglects to exercise the employees right of action by failing to file a lawsuit against such third person within two (2) years and eight (8) months after the injury, the self-insured employer or the employers insurance carrier may so proceed and shall be subrogated to the rights of the injured employee or, in case of death, to the rights of the administrator to recover against such person; provided, that no subrogation action shall commence unless at least twenty-six (26) weeks prior to the expiration of the two (2) years and eight (8) months the self-insured employer or the employers insurance carrier has notified the employee, or in the case of death, the administrator of the employees estate, in writing by personal service or certified mail, that failure to commence such action within two (2) years and eight (8) months after the injury will operate as an assignment of the right of action to the self-insured employer or the employers insurance carrier. Upon filing the lawsuit, the attorney for the self-insured employer or the employers insurance carrier shall notify the employee in writing by personal service or certified mail of the action and the name of the court where it was filed and the employee may join as a plaintiff in the action within thirty (30) days after the notification, and, if the employee fails to join, the right of joinder shall abate. The right of the employee, or in case of death, the administrator of the employees estate, to be fully compensated for the damages sustained shall be fully preserved as outlined in subsection (a).

(c) If the self-insured employer or the employers insurance carrier recovers from these other personal damages or benefits, after expenses and costs of action have been paid, in excess of the amount of the lien as defined in this section, then that excess shall be paid to the injured employee or, in the case of death, to the administrator of the employees estate for distribution.

(d) In the event there is a dispute over the reimbursement owed or the period of suspension going forward, the court, by agreement of the parties and upon petition by either the employee or the employer and/or its insurance carrier, shall assign the dispute to the workers compensation courts mediation program, in accordance with the rules and procedures established by the court. Nothing herein shall preclude any party or attorney from pursuing any action otherwise available.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-27-17.2 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-27 / Section 28-27-17.2
§ 28-27-17.2. Certificates expiring while licensee is in federal service.
Status: in_force

Any pipefitter, refrigeration, sprinkler fitter or sheet metal worker license expiring while the holder thereof is in the military, naval, or air service of the United States shall be renewed without further examination, upon payment of the prescribed fee, at any time within four (4) months after that persons discharge from the service.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-25-3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-25 / Section 28-25-3
§ 28-25-3. Chief inspector.
Status: in_force

The director shall appoint a chief inspector who shall be a citizen of this state to coordinate, administer, and implement the provisions of this chapter. This existing position shall be responsible to and report to the administrator of the division of occupational safety. The appointee will be in the classified service of the state.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-10 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-44 / Section 28-44-10
§ 28-44-10. Termination of benefit year.
Status: in_force

Notwithstanding any provision of chapters 42  44 of this title to the contrary, if the benefit year of an individual terminates prior to the end of a week in which he or she is totally or partially unemployed and eligible and his or her benefit credits for that benefit year have not been exhausted, then that individual shall be entitled to receive for that week from those benefit credits the full amount of benefits that he or she would have received if his or her benefit year had not so terminated; provided, that this shall in no manner affect the establishment of a new base period and benefit year in accordance with §§ 28-42-3(3) and 28-42-3(7).
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-37-19 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-37 / Section 28-37-19
§ 28-37-19. Right of appeal.
Status: in_force

Any insurer or certified employer shall have the right to appeal from any determination or order made under § 28-37-13, § 28-37-16, § 28-37-17, or §§ 28-37-24  28-37-26.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-21-3 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-21 / Section 28-21-3
§ 28-21-3. Employer notice requirements  Chemical identification lists.
Status: in_force

(a)(1) Each employer shall obtain and maintain chemical identification lists containing the following information with regard to the chemical substances:

(i) The common and trade names of all designated substances present in the workplace in alphabetical order, cross referenced to their chemical names;

(ii) For mixtures, the list shall contain the chemical and/or trade names of any mixture that contains designated substances present in amounts greater than one percent (1%) of a volume of more than two gallons (2 gals.) or 10 pounds (10 lbs.) within the workplace except in the case of carcinogens, mutagen, or teratogen that shall be reported if they are present in amounts of one part per ten thousand (10,000) by volume or greater; and, provided, that nothing contained in this subdivision precludes the director of labor and training from establishing more stringent standards pursuant to rules and regulations in conformity with the administrative procedures act, chapter 35 of title 42.

(2) The chemical identification list shall include the individual designated substances present in the mixture except as provided in §28-21-10.

(b) Each employer shall obtain a material safety data sheet for each designated substance or mixture containing the designated substance that must conform to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations on preparing material safety data sheets, 29 C.F.R. § 1910.1200(g).

(c) Upon being advised by an employer that the employer has made efforts to obtain material safety data sheets or other information necessary to determine whether a substance that is in the employers workplace is, may be, or may contain a designated substance, which efforts are documented and include, but are not limited to, a certified letter to the manufacturer, supplier, and/or distributor of the substance, and which efforts have resulted in failure to obtain the necessary information, the employer shall advise the department of labor and training of the failure within forty-five (45) days of the date the information was originally requested by the employer. The department of labor and training shall make demand of the manufacturer for the requested information, and shall notify the manufacturer that the manufacturer will be prohibited from selling or distributing the substance to any employer in Rhode Island unless the manufacturer supplies the information within ninety (90) days from the date the employer first requested the information. In the case of a mixture, the department of labor and training shall grant a variance to the employer that shall extend the above time period to one hundred eighty (180) days. The department of labor and training will make every effort to assist the employer in obtaining the necessary information. Until the necessary information is forthcoming from the manufacturer or otherwise obtained, the employer shall treat the mixture for which it has not received or developed the necessary information as a designated substance, until proven otherwise, and will protect employees accordingly, which protection shall include the listing of the mixture as a designated substance.

(d) Each employer covered by this chapter shall annually submit to the department of labor and training:

(1) An updated chemical identification list;

(2) Documentation detailing the nature of training provided employees as called for in §28-21-9. The documentation shall be in a standardized form determined by the department.
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-38-25 — RI Code / Title 28 / Chapter 28-38 / Section 28-38-25
§ 28-38-25. Effect of change of name.
Status: in_force

The change in name pursuant to § 28-38-24 shall in no way affect the powers and duties of the director or the administrator; and those officials shall be responsible for the control, management, and operation of the Chief Judge Robert F. Arrigan rehabilitation center in the same manner as they have previously been responsible for the control, management, and operation of the center under the name of the curative centre.