FOREWORD

Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of Title 36 of the General Laws of 1956, together, are known as the State Merit System Act. Title 36-4-8 of this Act reads as follows: “(1) The Personnel Administrator shall recommend such rules as (s)he may consider necessary, appropriate, or desirable to carry out the provisions of this Chapter and Chapters 3 of this Title, and may from time to time recommend amendments thereto. When such rules or amendments are recommended by the Personnel Administrator, the director shall hold a public hearing thereon, and shall have the power to approve or reject the recommendations of the Personnel Administrator wholly or in part or to modify them and approve them as so modified. Rules or amendments thereto which are approved by the Director, shall be submitted to the Governor, who shall have the power to approve them with or without modification or to reject them. Such rules or amendments thereto shall become effective when approved by the Governor. Rules adopted this section shall have the force and effect of law.

It is the purpose of these rules to establish procedures for handling personnel activities and transactions provided for in the “State Merit System Act” in such a manner as to insure that the controlling factor in making appointments to and discharges from State service, in determining promotions and demotions within the State service, and in doing all other things which in any way affect an employee or prospective employee of the state service will always be based on the merit and fitness of the person concerned without regard to personal, political or other factors not relating to true merit and fitness.

The Personnel Administrator shall promulgate, rescind or amend administrative regulations deemed necessary for the interpretation or application of the Act and Rules or to establish procedures to be followed in their application. Such regulations, when approved by the Director shall be deemed to be the official policy of the State and shall be binding upon all parties concerned.

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