Merit Institute Merit

The Rhode Island Government Transparency & Performance Act (RI-GT&P)

Rhode Island state companion to GT&P. Strengthens the Access to Public Records Act, inspector-general independence, and extends state-law whistleblower rewards under the Rhode Island False Claims Act (R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 9-1.1).

THE RHODE ISLAND GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY & PERFORMANCE ACT (RI-GT&P)

Vehicle: State passage. Rhode Island General Assembly, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Judiciary / State Government and Elections.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Rhode Island Government Transparency & Performance Act (RI-GT&P).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that the Access to Public Records Act operates under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 38-2; that the Office of the Auditor General operates under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 22-13; and that the Rhode Island False Claims Act, R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 9-1.1, authorizes qui tam relators. This Act extends these frameworks consistent with collective bargaining and merit-system protections.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH RHODE ISLAND LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “APRA” means the Access to Public Records Act, R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 38-2.
  2. (b) “RIFCA” means the Rhode Island False Claims Act, R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 9-1.1.
  3. (c) “State performance data” means outcome measures published by State agencies.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Rhode Island Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 38-2 (APRA).
  • R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 9-1.1 (RIFCA).
  • R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 28-50 (Whistleblowers’ Protection Act).
  • Collective bargaining under R.I. Gen. Laws Title 28.

TITLE II — STATE PERFORMANCE DASHBOARD

Sec. 201. Dashboard

  1. (a) The Office of Management and Budget shall publish a Rhode Island Performance Dashboard in machine-readable form, updated at least quarterly, crosswalked to Federal FPD.

TITLE III — OPEN RECORDS

Sec. 301. APRA Strengthening

  1. (a) Reduce response time to 10 business days absent extraordinary circumstances under R.I. Gen. Laws §38-2-7.
  2. (b) Mandatory fee waivers for public-interest requesters.
  3. (c) Attorney General APRA enforcement strengthened under R.I. Gen. Laws §38-2-8.

TITLE IV — INSPECTOR-GENERAL INDEPENDENCE

Sec. 401. Inspector-General Protections

  1. (a) Removal for cause only; findings reported to Presiding Officers.
  2. (b) Budgetary and staffing independence for the Office of the Auditor General and the Office of Internal Audit.

TITLE V — WHISTLEBLOWER AND QUI TAM

Sec. 501. RIFCA Strengthening

  1. (a) Amendments to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 9-1.1 to (i) confirm relator share ranges, (ii) strengthen retaliation remedies under R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 28-50, (iii) clarify public-disclosure bar.
  2. (b) Full collective-bargaining protections preserved under R.I. Gen. Laws Title 28.

TITLE VI — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 601. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 602. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect on July 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: GT&P. Other Rhode Island bills: RI-ACSA, RI-MEWRA, RI-AI-Workforce.