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<section article="ged" article_name="Education" number="9.5-704" title_number="9.5" title_name="Division of Early Childhood Development" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Collective Negotiations by Family Child Care Providers">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Department shall designate appropriate representatives to participate in collective bargaining with the provider organization certified as the exclusive representative of family child care providers.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Except as otherwise provided in this subtitle, the parties shall adhere to the bargaining process set forth in § 3–501 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Department shall negotiate in consultation with the Department of Budget and Management regarding all matters that require appropriation of State funds.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Collective bargaining shall include all matters related to the terms and conditions of participation by family child care providers in the Maryland Child Care Subsidy Program, including:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>Reimbursement rates;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Benefits;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Payment procedures;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>Contract grievance procedures;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>Training;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>Member dues deductions; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>Other terms and conditions of participation by family child care providers in the Maryland Child Care Subsidy Program.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, collective bargaining may include negotiations relating to the right of a provider organization that is the exclusive representative to receive service fees from nonmembers.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The representatives of the State may not reach an agreement containing a service fee provision unless the representatives of the State conclude that the agreement as a whole will not adversely impact nonmember providers.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A family child care provider whose religious beliefs are opposed to joining or financially supporting any collective bargaining organization is:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Not required to pay a service fee; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Required to pay an amount of money as determined in collective bargaining negotiations, not to exceed any service fee negotiated under paragraph (1) of this subsection, to any charitable organization exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and to furnish to the Department and the exclusive representative written proof of the payment.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Collective bargaining shall include negotiations that result in the establishment of a fund for the purpose of protecting family child care providers against extreme hardship or loss of livelihood resulting from late State payments.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The exclusive representative shall pay for a portion of the fund.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The fund:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>May not be a State fund; but</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Shall be established and administered in consultation with the State.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>All revenues, money, and assets of the fund belong solely to the fund and are held by the fund in trust for family child care providers.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The State may not borrow, appropriate, or direct payments from the revenues, money, or assets of the fund for any purpose.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>The fund shall include funds sufficient to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of the family child care providers.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>Notwithstanding subsection (d) of this section, the representatives of the State:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>May not be required to negotiate any matter that is inconsistent with applicable law; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>May negotiate and reach agreement with regard to any such matter only if it is understood that the agreement with respect to such matter cannot become effective unless the applicable law is amended by the General Assembly.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <text>The parties shall reduce their agreement to a Memorandum of Understanding that complies with the provisions of § 3–601 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article.</text>
  </level>
</section>
