§ 36-10.1-2. Definitions.
(a) "Crime related to public office or public employment� shall mean any of the following
criminal offenses:
(1) The committing, aiding, or abetting of an embezzlement of public funds;
(2) The committing, aiding, or abetting of any felonious theft by a public officer or
employee from his or her employer;
(3) Bribery in connection with employment of a public officer or employee; and
(4) The committing of any felony by a public officer or employee who, willfully and with
the intent to defraud, realizes or obtains, or attempts to realize or obtain, a profit,
gain, or advantage for himself or herself or for some other person through the use
or attempted use of the power, rights, privileges, duties, or position of his or her
public office or employment position.
(b) "Public official� or "public employee� shall mean any current or former state or municipal
elected official as defined in § 36-14-2(10), state or municipal appointed official as defined in § 36-14-2(4), and any employee of state or local government, of boards, commissions or agencies
as defined in § 36-14-2(8)(i), (ii), who is otherwise entitled to receive or who is receiving retirement benefits
under this title, under title 16, under title 45, under title 8, under chapter 30 of title 28, under chapter 43 of title 31, or under chapter 28 of title 42, whether that person is acting on a permanent or temporary basis and whether or not
compensated on a full-time or part-time basis. For the purposes of this chapter, all
these persons are deemed to be engaged in public employment.
(c) As used in this chapter, the phrase "pleads guilty or nolo contendere� shall not include
any plea of nolo contendere which does not constitute a conviction by virtue of § 12-10-12 or 12-18-3.
(d) For purposes of this chapter, "domestic partner� shall be defined as a person who,
prior to the decedent's death, was in an exclusive, intimate and committed relationship
with the decedent, and who certifies by affidavit that their relationship met the
following qualifications:
(1) Both partners were at least eighteen (18) years of age and were mentally competent
to contract;
(2) Neither partner was married to anyone else;
(3) Partners were not related by blood to a degree which would prohibit marriage in the
state of Rhode Island;
(4) Partners resided together and had resided together for at least one year at the time
of death; and
(5) Partners were financially interdependent as evidenced by at least two (2) of the following:
(i) Domestic partnership agreement or relationship contract;
(ii) Joint mortgage or joint ownership of primary residence;
(iii) Two (2) of: (A) joint ownership of motor vehicle; (B) joint checking account; (C)
joint credit account; (D) joint lease; and/or
(iv) The domestic partner had been designated as a beneficiary for the decedent's will,
retirement contract or life insurance.