SB0136 expands collective bargaining coverage under Maryland’s State Personnel and Pensions law to include certain police officers employed by the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Commission (ATCC). Specifically, the bill adds ATCC police officers who are authorized in an official capacity to make arrests to the list of State employees covered by Title 3 of the personnel law, which governs collective bargaining rights and related labor protections.
The bill also preserves an existing limitation that supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from these bargaining provisions, as defined by regulations adopted by the Secretary. In effect, the measure places eligible ATCC police officers into the same general collective bargaining framework that already applies to other covered State employees and certain other law enforcement personnel.
Impact
The bill amends Section 3-102 of the State Personnel and Pensions Article to extend collective bargaining rights to a new category of State law enforcement personnel: ATCC police officers with arrest authority. This changes the scope of employees covered by Maryland’s public-sector labor relations rules and may affect how these officers negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions through recognized bargaining units. It does not alter the exclusion for supervisory, managerial, or confidential employees, who remain outside the title’s coverage.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and moved through the legislature with strong approval. It passed the Senate unanimously, 41-0, and later passed the House by a substantial margin, 96-32, before being signed into law by the Governor. The voting pattern suggests general agreement that ATCC police officers should receive collective bargaining rights similar to those already available to other State employees and certain police forces.
Contention
No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to identify detailed arguments. The main policy issue implied by the bill is whether ATCC police officers should be treated like other State law enforcement personnel for collective bargaining purposes. Any opposition likely centered on the broader question of expanding bargaining rights within State government, while supporters favored parity and labor protections for officers with arrest powers. The bill’s explicit exclusion of supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees indicates an effort to limit the expansion to rank-and-file officers.