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*sb0084*
SENATE BILL 84
P4, F5 6lr1152
SB 166/25 – FIN (PRE–FILED) CF HB 141
By: Senators Kramer and Lam
Requested: October 10, 2025
Introduced and read first time: January 14, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
State Personnel – Collective Bargaining – Graduate Assistants 2
FOR the purpose of providing collective bargaining rights to certain graduate assistants at 3
certain public institutions of higher education; establishing a separate collective 4
bargaining unit for the graduate assistants; and generally relating to collective 5
bargaining for graduate assistants at public institutions of higher education. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 8
Section 3–101 and 3–102(b)(9) and (d)(2) 9
Annotated Code of Maryland 10
(2024 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 11
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13
Article – State Personnel and Pensions 14
3–101. 15
(a) In this title the following words have the meanings indicated. 16
(b) “Board” means the Public Employee Relations Board. 17
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(c) “Chancellor” has the meaning stated in § 12–101 of the Education Article. 1
(d) “Collective bargaining” means: 2
(1) good faith negotiations by authorized representatives of employees and 3
their employer with the intention of: 4
(i) 1. reaching an agreement about wages, hours, and other 5
terms and conditions of employment; and 6
2. incorporating the terms of the agreement in a written 7
memorandum of understanding or other written understanding; or 8
(ii) clarifying terms and conditions of employment; 9
(2) administration of terms and conditions of employment; or 10
(3) the voluntary adjustment of a dispute or disagreement between 11
authorized representatives of employees and their employer that ari ses under a 12
memorandum of understanding or other written understanding. 13
(e) “Employee organization” has the meaning stated in § 22 –101 of the State 14
Government Article. 15
(f) “Exclusive representative” has the meaning stated in § 22 –101 of the State 16
Government Article. 17
(g) (1) “Faculty at the Maryland School for the Deaf” means employees who 18
have been granted the following status by the Board of Trustees of the Maryland School for 19
the Deaf: 20
(i) after–school program counselors; 21
(ii) American Sign Language specialists; 22
(iii) athletic trainers; 23
(iv) behavior specialists; 24
(v) clerical aides; 25
(vi) dorm counselors; 26
(vii) employment specialists; 27
(viii) instructional technology resource specialists; 28
SENATE BILL 84 3
(ix) librarians; 1
(x) literacy and reading specialists; 2
(xi) occupational therapists; 3
(xii) orientation and mobility specialists; 4
(xiii) physical therapists; 5
(xiv) school counselors; 6
(xv) school IEP coordinators; 7
(xvi) school nurses; 8
(xvii) school social workers; 9
(xviii) speech–language pathologists; 10
(xix) student support specialists; 11
(xx) teachers; 12
(xxi) teacher aides; 13
(xxii) transition coordinators; and 14
(xxiii) work–to–learn specialists. 15
(2) “Faculty at the Maryland School for the Deaf” does not include officers 16
or supervisory employees at the Maryland School for the Deaf. 17
(H) “GRADUATE ASSISTANT” MEANS A GRADUATE STU DENT AT A SYSTEM 18
INSTITUTION, MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY, OR ST. MARY’S COLLEGE OF 19
MARYLAND THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, COLLEGE PARK OR THE UNIVERSITY 20
OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE COUNTY WHO IS A TEACHING , ADMINISTRATIVE, OR 21
RESEARCH ASSISTANT O R IN A COMPARABLE PO SITION, A FELLOW , OR A 22
POSTDOCTORAL INTERN. 23
[(h)] (I) “President” means: 24
(1) with regard to a const ituent institution, as defined in § 12 –101 of the 25
Education Article, the president of the constituent institution; 26
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(2) with regard to a center or institute, as those terms are defined in § 1
12–101 of the Education Article, the president of the center or institute; 2
(3) with regard to the University System of Maryland Office, the 3
Chancellor of the University System of Maryland; and 4
(4) with regard to Morgan State University, St. Mary’s College of 5
Maryland, and Baltimore City Community College, the president of the institution. 6
[(i)] (J) “System institution” means: 7
(1) a constituent institution, as defined in § 12 –101 of the Education 8
Article; 9
(2) a center or institute, as those terms are defined in § 12 –101 of the 10
Education Article; and 11
(3) the University System of Maryland Office. 12
3–102. 13
(b) This title does not apply to: 14
(9) an employee of the University System of Maryland, Morgan State 15
University, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, or Baltimore City Community College who is: 16
(i) a chief administrator or in a comparable position; 17
(ii) a deputy, associate, or assistant administrator or in a 18
comparable position; 19
(iii) a member of the faculty, including a faculty librarian; 20
(iv) [a] AN UNDERGRADUATE student employee [, including a 21
teaching assistant or a comparable position, fellow, or post–doctoral intern], EXCEPT FOR 22
A GRADUATE ASSISTANT; 23
(v) a contingent, contractual, temporary, or emergency employee , 24
EXCEPT FOR A GRADUATE ASSISTANT; 25
(vi) a contingent, contractual, or temporary employee whose position 26
is funded through a research or service grant or contract, or through clinical revenues , 27
EXCEPT FOR A GRADUATE ASSISTANT; or 28
(vii) an employee whose regular place of employment is outside the 29
State of Maryland; 30
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(d) (2) (i) Each system institution, Morgan State University, St. Mary’s 1
College of Maryland, and Baltimore City Community College shall have separate 2
bargaining units. 3
(ii) Appropriate bargaining units shall consist of: 4
1. all eligible none xempt employees, as described in the 5
federal Fair Labor Standards Act, except eligible sworn police officers; 6
2. all eligible exempt employees, as described in the federal 7
Fair Labor Standards Act; [and] 8
3. all eligible sworn police officers; AND 9
4. ALL ELIGIBLE GRADUATE ASSISTANTS. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 11
1, 2026 2028. 12
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.