Maryland 2023 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB528 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb0528
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 528
8	8	P4 3lr1828
9	9	CF SB 421
10	10	By: Delegate Forbes
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 1, 2023
12	12	Assigned to: Appropriations
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	State Personnel – Teleworking Programs, Policies, and Guidelines – 2
19	19	Requirements 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of establishing certain requirements for each teleworking program, policy, 4
22	22	and guideline adopted by a certain appropriate official in State government; 5
23	23	authorizing certain State employees to initiate a certain grievance; requiring the 6
24	24	University System of Maryland to include in a consolidated memorandum of 7
25	25	understanding certain terms relating to teleworking; and generally relating to 8
26	26	telework programs in State government. 9
27	27
28	28	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
29	29	Article – State Personnel and Pensions 11
30	30	Section 2–308 and 3–602 12
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 13
32	32	(2015 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 14
33	33
34	34	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
35	35	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
36	36
37	37	Article – State Personnel and Pensions 17
38	38
39	39	2–308. 18
40	40
41	41	(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated. 19
42	42
43	43	(2) “Appropriate official” means: 20
44	44
45	45	(i) for the Executive Branch, the Secretary; 21
46	46
47	47	(ii) for the Judicial Branch, the State Court Administrator; 22
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 528
49	49
50	50
51	51	(iii) for the Legislative Branch, the President of the Senate and the 1
52	52	Speaker of the House, acting jointly; or 2
53	53
54	54	(iv) for each public institution of higher education, the President of 3
55	55	the institution. 4
56	56
57	57	(3) “Public institution of higher education” means: 5
58	58
59	59	(i) a public senior higher education institution, as defined in § 6
60	60	10–101 of the Education Article; and 7
61	61
62	62	(ii) a community college. 8
63	63
64	64	(4) “Telework” means to work at a location other than a traditional office 9
65	65	setting or an employee’s usual and customary worksite, including: 10
66	66
67	67	(i) the employee’s home; 11
68	68
69	69	(ii) a satellite office; and 12
70	70
71	71	(iii) a telework center. 13
72	72
73	73	(b) This section applies to: 14
74	74
75	75	(1) all employees in: 15
76	76
77	77	(i) the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive Branches of State 16
78	78	government; and 17
79	79
80	80	(ii) each public institution of higher education; and 18
81	81
82	82	(2) (i) all units in the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive Branches of 19
83	83	State government, including units with independent personnel systems; and 20
84	84
85	85	(ii) each public institution of higher education. 21
86	86
87	87	(c) Each appropriate official shall: 22
88	88
89	89	(1) establish a telework program applicable to the appropriate official’s 23
90	90	branch of government or public institution of higher education; and 24
91	91
92	92	(2) adopt a telework policy and telework guidelines applicable to the 25
93	93	appropriate official’s branch of government or public institution of higher education. 26
94	94
95	95	(D) (1) EACH TELEWORK PROGRAM , POLICY, AND GUIDELINE ADOPTED 27
96	96	UNDER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION SHAL L: 28
97	97	HOUSE BILL 528 3
98	98
99	99
100	100	(I) PROVIDE THAT AN EMPL OYEE IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY TO 1
101	101	TELEWORK IF: 2
102	102
103	103	1. THE EMPLOYEE ’S DUTIES CAN BE SUCC ESSFULLY 3
104	104	PERFORMED AWAY FROM THE EMPLOYEE ’S WORKPLACE ; 4
105	105
106	106	2. THE EMPLOYEE HAS A C URRENT OVE RALL 5
107	107	PERFORMANCE EVALUATI ON OF SATISFACTORY O R AN EQUIVALENT EVAL UATION 6
108	108	OR BETTER; AND 7
109	109
110	110	3. THE EMPLOYEE HAS COM PLETED AN INITIAL 8
111	111	PROBATIONARY PERIOD , IF APPLICABLE; 9
112	112
113	113	(II) PROVIDE FOR THE FOLL OWING FACTORS TO CON SIDER 10
114	114	WHEN EVALUATING A RE QUEST TO TEL EWORK: 11
115	115
116	116	1. WHETHER THE JOB POSI TION OR CLASSIFICATI ON 12
117	117	HAS HISTORICALLY BEE N SUCCESSFULLY PERFO RMED BY TELEWORK ; 13
118	118
119	119	2. WHETHER AN EMPLOYEE HAS PREVIOUSLY 14
120	120	SUCCESSFULLY PERFORM ED THE EMPLOYEE ’S DUTIES BY TELEWORK ING; 15
121	121
122	122	3. THE OPERATIONAL NEED S OF THE WORK UNIT; 16
123	123
124	124	4. THE NUMBER OF EMPLOY EES WITHIN THE WORK UNIT 17
125	125	WHO ARE TELEWORKING ; 18
126	126
127	127	5. THE POSSIBILITY OF A HYBRID TELEWORK AND 19
128	128	IN–PERSON SCHEDULE ; AND 20
129	129
130	130	6. THE FLEXIBILITY OF T HE EMPLOYEE ’S WORK 21
131	131	SCHEDULE; 22
132	132
133	133	(III) PROVIDE A PROCEDURE FOR AN EMPLOYEE TO INITIATE A 23
134	134	REQUEST TO TELEWORK , INCLUDING REQUIRING THE APPROPRIATE OFFI CIAL TO 24
135	135	RESPOND IN WRITING T O THE EMPLOYEE ’S REQUEST WITHIN 7 DAYS; 25
136	136
137	137	(IV) AUTHORIZE AN APPROPR IATE OFFICIAL TO TER MINATE THE 26
138	138	TELEWORK AGREEMENT A FTER PROVIDING WRITT EN NOTICE 14 DAYS BEFORE THE 27
139	139	DATE OF TERMINATION OF THE TELEWORK AGRE EMENT, INCLUDING A WRITTEN 28
140	140	EXPLANATION FOR TERM INATING THE TELEWORK AGREEMENT ; 29
141	141	4 HOUSE BILL 528
142	142
143	143
144	144	(V) PROHIBIT AN APPROPRI ATE OFFICIAL FROM DE NYING AN 1
145	145	APPLICATION TO TELEW ORK ON THE BASIS THA T THE EMPLOYEE IS UNABLE TO 2
146	146	PERFORM THE EMPLOYEE ’S DUTIES AWAY FROM T HE EMPLOYEE ’S WORKPLACE IF 3
147	147	ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IN THE SAME JOB POSITIO N OR CLASSIFICATION IS FOUND TO 4
148	148	BE ELIGIBLE TO TELEW ORK; 5
149	149
150	150	(VI) ESTABLISH REASONABLE GOALS AND EXPECTATIO NS FOR 6
151	151	EACH JOB POSITION FO R WORK PERFORMED WHILE TELEWORKING ; 7
152	152
153	153	(VII) PROHIBIT AN APPROPRI ATE OFFICIAL OR AGEN T OF AN 8
154	154	APPROPRIATE OFFICIAL FROM ENTERING ANY EM PLOYEE’S RESIDENCE FOR THE 9
155	155	PURPOSE OF APPLYING , ENFORCING, OR IMPLEMENTING ANY PROVISION OF THIS 10
156	156	SUBSECTION; AND 11
157	157
158	158	(VIII) REQUIRE AN APPROPRIA TE OFFICIAL TO MAKE 12
159	159	ARRANGEMENTS FOR TEL EWORKING TO BE AVAIL ABLE FOR ALL POSSIBL E 13
160	160	EMPLOYEES IN THE EVE NT OF A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE OUTBREAK . 14
161	161
162	162	(2) (I) AN EMPLOYEE MAY INITI ATE A GRIEVANCE PROC EDURE 15
163	163	FOR THE TERMINATION OF A TELEWORKIN G AGREEMENT UNDER PA RAGRAPH 16
164	164	(1)(IV) OF THIS SUBSECTION U NDER THE APPROPRIATE STATUTORY GRIEVANCE 17
165	165	PROCEDURE . 18
166	166
167	167	(II) A DECISION MAKER IN AN Y STEP OF THE GRIEVA NCE 19
168	168	PROCEDURE MAY REINST ATE THE EMPLOYEE ’S TELEWORKING AGREEM ENT. 20
169	169
170	170	[(d)] (E) (1) Each appropriate official may: 21
171	171
172	172	(i) designate the positions for which an employee would be eligible 22
173	173	to telework; and 23
174	174
175	175	(ii) beginning fiscal year 2023, negotiate criteria for designated 24
176	176	telework positions if the employees affected by telework policies are represented by an 25
177	177	exclusive representative. 26
178	178
179	179	(2) Each appropriate official shall, to the extent practicable, maximize the 27
180	180	number of eligible employees participating in the telework program established under 28
181	181	subsection (c) of this section. 29
182	182
183	183	[(e)] (F) (1) Each appropriate official shall issue guidelines to ensure the 30
184	184	adequacy of information and security protection for information and information systems 31
185	185	used while teleworking. 32
186	186	HOUSE BILL 528 5
187	187
188	188
189	189	(2) The appropriate official for each unit in the Executive Branch shall 1
190	190	develop the guidelines under paragraph (1) of this subsection in coordination with the 2
191	191	Department of Information Technology. 3
192	192
193	193	(3) Guidelines issued under this section shall, at a minimum, include 4
194	194	requirements necessary to: 5
195	195
196	196	(i) control access to and protect unit information and information 6
197	197	systems; 7
198	198
199	199	(ii) limit the introduction of vulnerabilities to unit information 8
200	200	systems; 9
201	201
202	202	(iii) protect information systems not under control of the unit that are 10
203	203	used for teleworking; 11
204	204
205	205	(iv) safeguard wireless and other communications capabilities that 12
206	206	are used for teleworking; and 13
207	207
208	208	(v) prevent inappropriate use of official time or resources in violation 14
209	209	of a unit’s policies. 15
210	210
211	211	(4) An employee determined to be eligible to participate in a telework 16
212	212	program established under subsection (c) of this section shall receive and acknowledge the 17
213	213	guidelines issued under this section before participating in the telework program. 18
214	214
215	215	[(f)] (G) On or before December 1 each year, each unit of State government, or 19
216	216	the principal department in which the unit is located, shall report to the Senate Budget 20
217	217	and Taxation Committee and the House Appropriations Committee, in accordance with § 21
218	218	2–1257 of the State Government Article, on the number of eligible and participating 22
219	219	employees in the applicable telework program established under subsection (c) of this 23
220	220	section. 24
221	221
222	222	3–602. 25
223	223
224	224	(a) Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, with regard to the University 26
225	225	System of Maryland, if an exclusive representative represents more than one bargaining 27
226	226	unit of employees and requests to bargain a consolidated memorandum of understanding, 28
227	227	the Chancellor and the exclusive representative shall negotiate the terms of one 29
228	228	consolidated memorandum of understanding to apply to all bargaining units for employees 30
229	229	of all system institutions represented by the exclusive representative. 31
230	230
231	231	(b) (1) A consolidated memorandum of understanding shall include terms 32
232	232	relating to: 33
233	233
234	234	(i) contracting out or supplementing bargaining unit work; 34
235	235	6 HOUSE BILL 528
236	236
237	237
238	238	(ii) duration of the consolidated memorandum of understanding; 1
239	239
240	240	(iii) employee rights; 2
241	241
242	242	(iv) grievance and appeals of discipline; 3
243	243
244	244	(v) health, safety, and welfare, including personal protective 4
245	245	equipment; 5
246	246
247	247	(vi) insurance related to health and other benefits; 6
248	248
249	249	(vii) union stewards; 7
250	250
251	251	(viii) labor management committees; 8
252	252
253	253	(ix) layoffs and recall; 9
254	254
255	255	(x) leave; 10
256	256
257	257	(xi) maintenance of membership; 11
258	258
259	259	(xii) management rights; 12
260	260
261	261	(xiii) nondiscrimination; 13
262	262
263	263	(xiv) performance evaluations; 14
264	264
265	265	(xv) personnel files; 15
266	266
267	267	(xvi) probationary periods; 16
268	268
269	269	(xvii) recognition and scope; 17
270	270
271	271	(xviii) retirement benefits; 18
272	272
273	273	(XIX) TELEWORKING ; 19
274	274
275	275	[(xix)] (XX) tuition remission; 20
276	276
277	277	[(xx)] (XXI) rights and responsibilities of essential workers; 21
278	278
279	279	[(xxi)] (XXII) union rights; and 22
280	280
281	281	[(xxii)] (XXIII) wages and salaries. 23
282	282	HOUSE BILL 528 7
283	283
284	284
285	285	(2) (i) A president of a system institution, or the president’s designee, 1
286	286	and the exclusive representative shall negotiate and enter into a separate agreement 2
287	287	regarding the following matters: 3
288	288
289	289	1. designation of essential employees; 4
290	290
291	291	2. student breaks and holidays; 5
292	292
293	293	3. hours of work; 6
294	294
295	295	4. other compensation that does not directly impact wages or 7
296	296	salary; 8
297	297
298	298	5. shift differentials; AND 9
299	299
300	300	6. [teleworking; and 10
301	301
302	302	7.] uniforms and equipment. 11
303	303
304	304	(ii) A consolidated memorandum of understanding may not include 12
305	305	terms relating to the matters listed in subparagraph (i) of this paragraph. 13
306	306
307	307	(3) For a matter particular to a system institution that is not listed in 14
308	308	paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection, the matter shall be negotiated: 15
309	309
310	310	(i) on mutual agreement and in writing, by the exclusive 16
311	311	representative and the president of the system institution or the president’s designee; or 17
312	312
313	313	(ii) if the parties in item (i) of this paragraph cannot mutually agree, 18
314	314	as part of the consolidated memorandum of understanding. 19
315	315
316	316	(c) On conclusion of negotiations under this section, all matters of agreement 20
317	317	regarding matters listed in subsection (b)(1) and (b)(3) of this section shall be included in 21
318	318	the consolidated memorandum of understanding. 22
319	319
320	320	(d) Subject to § 3–603 of this subtitle, the effective date of a consolidated 23
321	321	memorandum of understanding under this section shall be July 1 to align with the fiscal 24
322	322	year of the University System of Maryland and shall continue in effect until a subsequent 25
323	323	June 30. 26
324	324
325	325	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
326	326	October 1, 2023. 28
327	327