AN ACT Relating to requiring periodic recertification elections for bargaining representatives of partial public employees; and amending RCW 74.39A.270, 41.56.028, 41.56.029, and 41.56.510.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1.  RCW 74.39A.270 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 21 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Solely for the purposes of collective bargaining and as expressly limited under subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the governor is the public employer, as defined in chapter 41.56 RCW, of individual providers, who, solely for the purposes of collective bargaining, are public employees as defined in chapter 41.56 RCW. To accommodate the role of the state as payor for the community-based services provided under this chapter and to ensure coordination with state employee collective bargaining under chapter 41.80 RCW and the coordination necessary to implement RCW 74.39A.300, the public employer shall be represented for bargaining purposes by the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW. The governor or governor's designee shall periodically consult with the authority during the collective bargaining process to allow the authority to communicate issues relating to the long-term in-home care services received by consumers. The department shall solicit input from the developmental disabilities council, the governor's committee on disability issues and employment, the state council on aging, and other consumer advocacy organizations to obtain informed input from consumers on their interests, including impacts on consumer choice, for all issues proposed for collective bargaining under subsections (5) and (6) of this section.

(2) Chapter 41.56 RCW governs the collective bargaining relationship between the governor and individual providers, except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter and except as follows:

(a) The only unit appropriate for the purpose of collective bargaining under RCW 41.56.060 is a statewide unit of all individual providers;

(b) The showing of interest required to request an election under RCW ((41.56.060))41.56.070 is ten percent of the unit, and any intervener seeking to appear on the ballot must make the same showing of interest;

(c) Once a bargaining representative has been certified by the public employment relations commission to represent the bargaining unit of individual providers, the public employment relations commission shall, in April of every even-numbered year, conduct a secret ballot election to determine the bargaining representative of individual providers, subject to the following conditions:

(d) The mediation and interest arbitration provisions of RCW 41.56.430 through 41.56.470 and 41.56.480 apply, except that:

(i) With respect to commencement of negotiations between the governor and the bargaining representative of individual providers, negotiations shall be commenced by May 1st of any year prior to the year in which an existing collective bargaining agreement expires; and

(ii) The decision of the arbitration panel is not binding on the legislature and, if the legislature does not approve the request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and fringe benefit provisions of the arbitrated collective bargaining agreement, is not binding on the authority or the state;

(((d)))(e) Individual providers do not have the right to strike; and

(((e)))(f) Individual providers who are related to, or family members of, consumers or prospective consumers are not, for that reason, exempt from this chapter or chapter 41.56 RCW.

(3) Individual providers who are public employees solely for the purposes of collective bargaining under subsection (1) of this section are not, for that reason, employees of the state, its political subdivisions, or an area agency on aging for any purpose. Chapter 41.56 RCW applies only to the governance of the collective bargaining relationship between the employer and individual providers as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

(4) Consumers and prospective consumers retain the right to select, hire, supervise the work of, and terminate any individual provider providing services to them. Consumers may elect to receive long-term in-home care services from individual providers who are not referred to them by the authority.

(5) Except as expressly limited in this section and RCW 74.39A.300, the wages, hours, and working conditions of individual providers are determined solely through collective bargaining as provided in this chapter. No agency or department of the state may establish policies or rules governing the wages or hours of individual providers. However, this subsection does not modify:

(a) The department's authority to establish a plan of care for each consumer or its core responsibility to manage long-term in-home care services under this chapter, including determination of the level of care that each consumer is eligible to receive. However, at the request of the exclusive bargaining representative, the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW shall engage in collective bargaining, as defined in RCW 41.56.030(4), with the exclusive bargaining representative over how the department's core responsibility affects hours of work for individual providers. This subsection shall not be interpreted to require collective bargaining over an individual consumer's plan of care;

(b) The department's authority to terminate its contracts with individual providers who are not adequately meeting the needs of a particular consumer, or to deny a contract under RCW 74.39A.095(8);

(c) The consumer's right to assign hours to one or more individual providers selected by the consumer within the maximum hours determined by his or her plan of care;

(d) The consumer's right to select, hire, terminate, supervise the work of, and determine the conditions of employment for each individual provider providing services to the consumer under this chapter;

(e) The department's obligation to comply with the federal medicaid statute and regulations and the terms of any community-based waiver granted by the federal department of health and human services and to ensure federal financial participation in the provision of the services; and

(f) The legislature's right to make programmatic modifications to the delivery of state services under this title, including standards of eligibility of consumers and individual providers participating in the programs under this title, and the nature of services provided. The governor shall not enter into, extend, or renew any agreement under this chapter that does not expressly reserve the legislative rights described in this subsection (5)(f).

(6) At the request of the exclusive bargaining representative, the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW shall engage in collective bargaining, as defined in RCW 41.56.030(4), with the exclusive bargaining representative over employer contributions to the training partnership for the costs of: (a) Meeting all training and peer mentoring required under this chapter; and (b) other training intended to promote the career development of individual providers.

(7) The state, the department, the area agencies on aging, or their contractors under this chapter may not be held vicariously or jointly liable for the action or inaction of any individual provider or prospective individual provider, whether or not that individual provider or prospective individual provider was included on the referral registry or referred to a consumer or prospective consumer. The existence of a collective bargaining agreement, the placement of an individual provider on the referral registry, or the development or approval of a plan of care for a consumer who chooses to use the services of an individual provider and the provision of case management services to that consumer, by the department or an area agency on aging, does not constitute a special relationship with the consumer.

(8) Nothing in this section affects the state's responsibility with respect to unemployment insurance for individual providers. However, individual providers are not to be considered, as a result of the state assuming this responsibility, employees of the state.

Sec. 2.  RCW 41.56.028 and 2007 c 278 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In addition to the entities listed in RCW 41.56.020, this chapter applies to the governor with respect to family child care providers. Solely for the purposes of collective bargaining and as expressly limited under subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the governor is the public employer of family child care providers who, solely for the purposes of collective bargaining, are public employees. The public employer shall be represented for bargaining purposes by the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW.

(2) This chapter governs the collective bargaining relationship between the governor and family child care providers, except as follows:

(a) A statewide unit of all family child care providers is the only unit appropriate for purposes of collective bargaining under RCW 41.56.060.

(b) The exclusive bargaining representative of family child care providers in the unit specified in (a) of this subsection shall be the representative chosen in an election conducted pursuant to RCW 41.56.070, except that in the initial election conducted under chapter 54, Laws of 2006, if more than one labor organization is on the ballot and none of the choices receives a majority of the votes cast, a run-off election shall be held.

(c) Once a bargaining representative has been certified by the commission to represent the bargaining unit of family child care providers, the commission shall, in April of every even-numbered year, conduct a secret ballot election to determine the bargaining representative of family child care providers, subject to the following conditions:

(d) Notwithstanding the definition of "collective bargaining" in RCW 41.56.030(4), the scope of collective bargaining for child care providers under this section shall be limited solely to: (i) Economic compensation, such as manner and rate of subsidy and reimbursement, including tiered reimbursements; (ii) health and welfare benefits; (iii) professional development and training; (iv) labor-management committees; (v) grievance procedures; and (vi) other economic matters. Retirement benefits shall not be subject to collective bargaining. By such obligation neither party shall be compelled to agree to a proposal or be required to make a concession unless otherwise provided in this chapter.

(((d)))(e) The mediation and interest arbitration provisions of RCW 41.56.430 through 41.56.470 and 41.56.480 apply, except that:

(i) With respect to commencement of negotiations between the governor and the exclusive bargaining representative of family child care providers, negotiations shall be commenced initially upon certification of an exclusive bargaining representative under (a) of this subsection and, thereafter, by February 1st of any even-numbered year; and

(ii) The decision of the arbitration panel is not binding on the legislature and, if the legislature does not approve the request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of the arbitrated collective bargaining agreement, is not binding on the state.

(((e)))(f) Family child care providers do not have the right to strike.

(3) Family child care providers who are public employees solely for the purposes of collective bargaining under subsection (1) of this section are not, for that reason, employees of the state for any purpose. This section applies only to the governance of the collective bargaining relationship between the employer and family child care providers as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

(4) This section does not create or modify:

(a) The parents' or legal guardians' right to choose and terminate the services of any family child care provider that provides care for their child or children;

(b) The secretary of the department of social and health services' right to adopt requirements under RCW 74.15.030, except for requirements related to grievance procedures and collective negotiations on personnel matters as specified in subsection (2)(((c)))(d) of this section;

(c) Chapter 26.44 RCW, RCW 43.43.832, 43.20A.205, and 74.15.130; and

(d) The legislature's right to make programmatic modifications to the delivery of state services through child care subsidy programs, including standards of eligibility of parents, legal guardians, and family child care providers participating in child care subsidy programs, and the nature of services provided. The governor shall not enter into, extend, or renew any agreement under this section that does not expressly reserve the legislative rights described in this subsection (4)(d).

(5) Upon meeting the requirements of subsection (6) of this section, the governor must submit, as a part of the proposed biennial or supplemental operating budget submitted to the legislature under RCW 43.88.030, a request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section or for legislation necessary to implement such agreement.

(6) A request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section shall not be submitted by the governor to the legislature unless such request has been:

(a) Submitted to the director of financial management by October 1st before the legislative session at which the request is to be considered, except that, for initial negotiations under this section, the request must be submitted by November 15, 2006; and

(b) Certified by the director of financial management as being feasible financially for the state or reflects the binding decision of an arbitration panel reached under this section.

(7) The legislature must approve or reject the submission of the request for funds as a whole. If the legislature rejects or fails to act on the submission, any such agreement will be reopened solely for the purpose of renegotiating the funds necessary to implement the agreement.

(8) The governor shall periodically consult with the joint committee on employment relations established by RCW 41.80.010 regarding appropriations necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of any collective bargaining agreement and, upon completion of negotiations, advise the committee on the elements of the agreement and on any legislation necessary to implement such agreement.

(9) After the expiration date of any collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section, all of the terms and conditions specified in any such agreement remain in effect until the effective date of a subsequent agreement, not to exceed one year from the expiration date stated in the agreement, except as provided in subsection (4)(d) of this section.

(10) If, after the compensation and benefit provisions of an agreement are approved by the legislature, a significant revenue shortfall occurs resulting in reduced appropriations, as declared by proclamation of the governor or by resolution of the legislature, both parties shall immediately enter into collective bargaining for a mutually agreed upon modification of the agreement.

(11) In enacting this section, the legislature intends to provide state action immunity under federal and state antitrust laws for the joint activities of family child care providers and their exclusive bargaining representative to the extent such activities are authorized by this chapter.

Sec. 3.  RCW 41.56.029 and 2007 c 184 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In addition to the entities listed in RCW 41.56.020, this chapter applies to the governor with respect to adult family home providers. Solely for the purposes of collective bargaining and as expressly limited under subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the governor is the public employer of adult family home providers who, solely for the purposes of collective bargaining, are public employees. The public employer shall be represented for bargaining purposes by the governor or the governor's designee.

(2) There shall be collective bargaining, as defined in RCW 41.56.030, between the governor and adult family home providers, except as follows:

(a) A statewide unit of all adult family home providers is the only unit appropriate for purposes of collective bargaining under RCW 41.56.060.

(b) The exclusive bargaining representative of adult family home providers in the unit specified in (a) of this subsection shall be the representative chosen in an election conducted pursuant to RCW 41.56.070.

Bargaining authorization cards furnished as the showing of interest in support of any representation petition or motion for intervention filed under this section shall be exempt from disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW.

(c) Once a bargaining representative has been certified by the commission to represent the bargaining unit of adult family home providers, the commission shall, in April of every even-numbered year, conduct a secret ballot election to determine the bargaining representative of adult family home providers, subject to the following conditions:

(d) Notwithstanding the definition of "collective bargaining" in RCW 41.56.030(4), the scope of collective bargaining for adult family home providers under this section shall be limited solely to: (i) Economic compensation, such as manner and rate of subsidy and reimbursement, including tiered reimbursements; (ii) health and welfare benefits; (iii) professional development and training; (iv) labor-management committees; (v) grievance procedures; and (vi) other economic matters. Retirement benefits shall not be subject to collective bargaining. By such obligation neither party shall be compelled to agree to a proposal or be required to make a concession unless otherwise provided in this chapter.

(((d)))(e) In addition to the entities listed in the mediation and interest arbitration provisions of RCW 41.56.430 through 41.56.470 and 41.56.480, the provisions apply to the governor or the governor's designee and the exclusive bargaining representative of adult family home providers, except that:

(i) In addition to the factors to be taken into consideration by an interest arbitration panel under RCW 41.56.465, the panel shall consider the financial ability of the state to pay for the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement.

(ii) The decision of the arbitration panel is not binding on the legislature and, if the legislature does not approve the request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of the arbitrated collective bargaining agreement, the decision is not binding on the state.

(((e)))(f) Adult family home providers do not have the right to strike.

(3) Adult family home providers who are public employees solely for the purposes of collective bargaining under subsection (1) of this section are not, for that reason, employees of the state for any other purpose. This section applies only to the governance of the collective bargaining relationship between the employer and adult family home providers as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

(4) This section does not create or modify:

(a) The department's authority to establish a plan of care for each consumer or its core responsibility to manage long-term care services under chapter 70.128 RCW, including determination of the level of care that each consumer is eligible to receive. However, at the request of the exclusive bargaining representative, the governor or the governor's designee appointed under chapter 41.80 RCW shall engage in collective bargaining, as defined in RCW 41.56.030(4), with the exclusive bargaining representative over how the department's core responsibility affects hours of work for adult family home providers. This subsection shall not be interpreted to require collective bargaining over an individual consumer's plan of care;

(b) The department's obligation to comply with the federal medicaid statute and regulations and the terms of any community-based waiver granted by the federal department of health and human services and to ensure federal financial participation in the provision of the services;

(c) The legislature's right to make programmatic modifications to the delivery of state services under chapter 70.128 RCW, including standards of eligibility of consumers and adult family home providers participating in the programs under chapter 70.128 RCW, and the nature of services provided. The governor shall not enter into, extend, or renew any agreement under this chapter that does not expressly reserve the legislative rights described in this subsection (4)(c);

(d) The residents', parents', or legal guardians' right to choose and terminate the services of any licensed adult family home provider; and

(e) RCW 43.43.832, 43.20A.205, or 74.15.130.

(5) Upon meeting the requirements of subsection (6) of this section, the governor must submit, as a part of the proposed biennial or supplemental operating budget submitted to the legislature under RCW 43.88.030, a request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section or for legislation necessary to implement the agreement.

(6) A request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section shall not be submitted by the governor to the legislature unless the request has been:

(a) Submitted to the director of financial management by October 1st prior to the legislative session at which the requests are to be considered; and

(b) Certified by the director of financial management as financially feasible for the state or reflective of a binding decision of an arbitration panel reached under subsection (2)(((d)))(e) of this section.

(7) The legislature must approve or reject the submission of the request for funds as a whole. If the legislature rejects or fails to act on the submission, any collective bargaining agreement must be reopened for the sole purpose of renegotiating the funds necessary to implement the agreement.

(8) If, after the compensation and benefit provisions of an agreement are approved by the legislature, a significant revenue shortfall occurs resulting in reduced appropriations, as declared by proclamation of the governor or by resolution of the legislature, both parties shall immediately enter into collective bargaining for a mutually agreed upon modification of the agreement.

(9) After the expiration date of any collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section, all of the terms and conditions specified in the agreement remain in effect until the effective date of a subsequent agreement, not to exceed one year from the expiration date stated in the agreement.

(10) In enacting this section, the legislature intends to provide state action immunity under federal and state antitrust laws for the joint activities of adult family home providers and their exclusive bargaining representative to the extent the activities are authorized by this chapter.

Sec. 4.  RCW 41.56.510 and 2010 c 296 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) In addition to the entities listed in RCW 41.56.020, this chapter applies to the governor with respect to language access providers. Solely for the purposes of collective bargaining and as expressly limited under subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the governor is the public employer of language access providers who, solely for the purposes of collective bargaining, are public employees. The governor or the governor's designee shall represent the public employer for bargaining purposes.

(2) There shall be collective bargaining, as defined in RCW 41.56.030, between the governor and language access providers, except as follows:

(a) A statewide unit of all language access providers is the only unit appropriate for purposes of collective bargaining under RCW 41.56.060;

(b) The exclusive bargaining representative of language access providers in the unit specified in (a) of this subsection shall be the representative chosen in an election conducted pursuant to RCW 41.56.070.

Bargaining authorization cards furnished as the showing of interest in support of any representation petition or motion for intervention filed under this section are exempt from disclosure under chapter 42.56 RCW;

(c) Once a bargaining representative has been certified by the commission to represent the bargaining unit of language access providers, the commission shall, in April of every even-numbered year, conduct a secret ballot election to determine the bargaining representative of language access providers, subject to the following conditions:

(d) Notwithstanding the definition of "collective bargaining" in RCW 41.56.030(4), the scope of collective bargaining for language access providers under this section is limited solely to: (i) Economic compensation, such as the manner and rate of payments; (ii) professional development and training; (iii) labor-management committees; and (iv) grievance procedures. Retirement benefits are not subject to collective bargaining. By such obligation neither party may be compelled to agree to a proposal or be required to make a concession unless otherwise provided in this chapter;

(((d)))(e) In addition to the entities listed in the mediation and interest arbitration provisions of RCW 41.56.430 through 41.56.470 and 41.56.480, the provisions apply to the governor or the governor's designee and the exclusive bargaining representative of language access providers, except that:

(i) In addition to the factors to be taken into consideration by an interest arbitration panel under RCW 41.56.465, the panel shall consider the financial ability of the state to pay for the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement;

(ii) The decision of the arbitration panel is not binding on the legislature and, if the legislature does not approve the request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of the arbitrated collective bargaining agreement, the decision is not binding on the state;

(((e)))(f) Language access providers do not have the right to strike.

(3) Language access providers who are public employees solely for the purposes of collective bargaining under subsection (1) of this section are not, for that reason, employees of the state for any other purpose. This section applies only to the governance of the collective bargaining relationship between the employer and language access providers as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section.

(4) Each party with whom the department of social and health services contracts for language access services and each of their subcontractors shall provide to the department an accurate list of language access providers, as defined in RCW 41.56.030, including their names, addresses, and other contact information, annually by January 30th, except that initially the lists must be provided within thirty days of June 10, 2010. The department shall, upon request, provide a list of all language access providers, including their names, addresses, and other contact information, to a labor union seeking to represent language access providers.

(5) This section does not create or modify:

(a) The department's obligation to comply with the federal statute and regulations; and

(b) The legislature's right to make programmatic modifications to the delivery of state services under chapter 74.04 RCW. The governor may not enter into, extend, or renew any agreement under this chapter that does not expressly reserve the legislative rights described in this subsection.

(6) Upon meeting the requirements of subsection (7) of this section, the governor must submit, as a part of the proposed biennial or supplemental operating budget submitted to the legislature under RCW 43.88.030, a request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section or for legislation necessary to implement the agreement.

(7) A request for funds necessary to implement the compensation and benefit provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section may not be submitted by the governor to the legislature unless the request has been:

(a) Submitted to the director of financial management by October 1st prior to the legislative session at which the requests are to be considered, except that, for initial negotiations under this section, the request may not be submitted before July 1, 2011; and

(b) Certified by the director of financial management as financially feasible for the state or reflective of a binding decision of an arbitration panel reached under subsection (2)(((d)))(e) of this section.

(8) The legislature must approve or reject the submission of the request for funds as a whole. If the legislature rejects or fails to act on the submission, any collective bargaining agreement must be reopened for the sole purpose of renegotiating the funds necessary to implement the agreement.

(9) If, after the compensation and benefit provisions of an agreement are approved by the legislature, a significant revenue shortfall occurs resulting in reduced appropriations, as declared by proclamation of the governor or by resolution of the legislature, both parties shall immediately enter into collective bargaining for a mutually agreed upon modification of the agreement.

(10) After the expiration date of any collective bargaining agreement entered into under this section, all of the terms and conditions specified in the agreement remain in effect until the effective date of a subsequent agreement, not to exceed one year from the expiration date stated in the agreement.

(11) In enacting this section, the legislature intends to provide state action immunity under federal and state antitrust laws for the joint activities of language access providers and their exclusive bargaining representative to the extent the activities are authorized by this chapter.

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