SB0978 • 2026

Community Colleges - Collective Bargaining - Definition of Supervisory Employee

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Senator A. Washington
Last action: 2026-02-14
Official status: In the Senate - First Reading Senate Rules
Effective date: 2026-07-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Community Colleges - Collective Bargaining - Definition of Supervisory Employee

Defining, for purposes of collective bargaining in community colleges, the term "supervisory employee" to mean an employee who is authorized to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline employees, direct employees for 50% of the employee's working hours, and address employee complaints; and excluding from the definition a department head or an employee in a comparable position or any faculty member below the level of assistant dean.

What This Bill Does

Defining, for purposes of collective bargaining in community colleges, the term "supervisory employee" to mean an employee who is authorized to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline employees, direct employees for 50% of the employee's working hours, and address employee complaints; and excluding from the definition a department head or an employee in a comparable position or any faculty member below the level of assistant dean.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-02-14 Senate
First Reading Senate Rules
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Community Colleges - Collective Bargaining - Definition of Supervisory Employee

Official Summary Text

Defining, for purposes of collective bargaining in community colleges, the term "supervisory employee" to mean an employee who is authorized to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline employees, direct employees for 50% of the employee's working hours, and address employee complaints; and excluding from the definition a department head or an employee in a comparable position or any faculty member below the level of assistant dean.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0978*

SENATE BILL 978
F2 6lr3686
CF HB 1433
By: Senator A. Washington
Introduced and read first time: February 14, 2026
Assigned to: Rules

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Community Colleges – Collective Bargaining – Definition of Supervisory 2
Employee 3

FOR the purpose of defining the term “supervisory employee” for purposes of collective 4
bargaining in community colleges; and generally relating to collective bargaining. 5

BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6
Article – Education 7
Section 16–701(a), (j), and (o) 8
Annotated Code of Maryland 9
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 10

BY adding to 11
Article – Education 12
Section 16–701(q) 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2022 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 15

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17

Article – Education 18

16–701. 19

(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 20

(j) (1) “Faculty” means employees whose assignments involve academic 21
responsibilities, including teachers and department heads. 22

2 SENATE BILL 978

(2) “Faculty” does not include officers, supervisory employees, confidential 1
employees, part–time faculty, or student assistants. 2

(o) (1) “Public employee” means an employee employed by a public employer. 3

(2) “Public employee” includes faculty and part –time faculty at the 4
Baltimore City Community College. 5

(3) “Public employee” does not include: 6

(i) Officers; 7

(ii) Supervisory or confidential employees; or 8

(iii) Student assistants. 9

(Q) (1) “SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEE ” MEANS AN EMPLOYEE WH O HAS 10
AUTHORITY TO: 11

(I) HIRE, TRANSFER, SUSPEND, LAY OFF, RECALL, PROMOTE, 12
DISCHARGE, ASSIGN, REWARD, OR DISCIPLINE EMPLOYEES; 13

(II) RESPONSIBLY DIRECT EM PLOYEES FOR MORE THA N 50% 14
OF THE EMPLOYEE’S WORKING HOURS; AND 15

(III) ADDRESS AND RESOLVE EMPLOYEE COMPLAINTS. 16

(2) “SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEE” DOES NOT INCLUDE A D EPARTMENT 17
HEAD OR AN EMPLO YEE IN A COMPARABLE POSITION OR ANY FACU LTY MEMBER 18
BELOW THE LEVEL OF ASSISTANT DEAN. 19

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 20
1, 2026. 21