Bill > HB1108

This bill establishes collective bargaining rights for employees working in controlled-environment agricultural operations, which are farms primarily growing plants inside greenhouses or similar enclosed structures where temperature and environmental conditions are artificially regulated. It grants these employees the right to organize, join unions, and bargain collectively through an exclusive representative, which is a union certified through employee elections to represent them. The Secretary of Labor will create regulations for this process, including how to determine appropriate bargaining units, verify employee interest in unionization, conduct elections, certify representatives, and resolve impasses. The Secretary is also authorized to investigate and enforce these collective bargaining provisions, though they cannot impose monetary penalties. Additionally, the bill mandates that employers in these operations must provide employees with paid rest breaks of at least 5 minutes for every hour the heat index inside the controlled environment reaches or exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring these breaks are compensated as working time unless they overlap with an unpaid meal period.

Government Affairs

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB1108?ys=2026RS