WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                          S.B. 758

Preamble

WHEREAS,—Public safety officers provide services that are essential to the health
and safety of the people of Maryland;

WHEREAS,—It is important that those essential services not be interrupted duo to
a dispute regarding the terms and conditions of employment of public safety officers;

WHEREAS,—It is important that a mechanism be established for resolving
disputes regarding the terms and conditions of employment of public safety officers; and

WHEREAS,—It is important that any mechanism established for resolving disputes
regarding the terms and conditions of employment of public safety officers provide equal
and fair consideration to the interest of each party involved; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Labor and Employment

SUBTITLE 5. EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS

4-501.

(A)     IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS
INDICATED.

(B)     "EMPLOYEE" MEANS A FIRE, EMS, AND PARAMEDIC, OR RESCUE
EMPLOYEE HIRED AND COMPENSATED BY THE EMPLOYER.

(C)     "EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION" MEANS ANY ORGANIZATION OF
EMPLOYEES THAT, AS ONE OF ITS PRIMARY PURPOSES, REPRESENTS FIRE, EMS, AND
PARAMEDIC, OR RESCUE PERSONNEL.

(D)     "EMPLOYER" MEANS A GOVERNMENTAL UNIT THAT EMPLOYS AT LEAST
THIRTY FIVE FULL TIME FIRE, EMS, AND RESCUE EMPLOYEES A CHARTER COUNTY
OR A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION.

(E)     "EMS" MEANS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.

(F)      "EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE" MEANS AN EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION
THAT HAS BEEN CERTIFIED THROUGH AN ELECTION OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES TO
REPRESENT THOSE EMPLOYEES AND BARGAIN FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES OVER ANY
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT.

(G) (1) "FIRE, EMS, AND RESCUE EMPLOYEE" MEANS A PAID FIRE FIGHTER,
PAID FIRE OFFICER, OR PAID FIRE SERVICE PARAMEDIC WHO IS RECOGNIZED BY
AN EMPLOYER AS A MEMBER OF A BARGAINING UNIT.

(2) "FIRE, EMS, AND RESCUE EMPLOYEE" DOES NOT INCLUDE A
VOLUNTEER FIRE FIGHTER, VOLUNTEER FIRE OFFICER, OR VOLUNTEER FIRE
SERVICE EMPLOYEE.

4-502.

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