(a) An appropriate unit of family child care providers, as described in subdivision (h), may designate, in accordance with this chapter, the provider organization, if any, that shall be its representative for purposes of this chapter. The board shall, pursuant to the procedures in this section, certify a provider organization designated by an appropriate unit of family child care providers as the representative of those providers for purposes of this chapter. There shall be no more than one certified representative for purposes of this chapter at any time.

(b) Requests for elections, challenges, requests for intervention, and requests for decertification shall be filed with, received by, and acted upon by the board, in accordance with its rules and regulations, to the extent those regulations are not inconsistent with this chapter, provided that a valid petition for a certification or decertification election shall be resolved by a secret ballot election among family child care providers. This section does not prevent the board from entering into agreements with one or more third-party services to conduct those elections.

(c) (1) A provider organization petitioning for an election to be certified by the board as the representative for an appropriate unit of providers shall include in its petition proof of a 10-percent showing of interest designating the provider organization to act as the statewide representative of the providers. For purposes of the showing of interest, “family child care provider” shall include any “family child care provider” within the meaning of subdivision (b) of Section 10421 who received a subsidy payment in any of the last three full calendar months before the petition was submitted for which the information is available pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 10422. Proof of support may consist of, but does not require, any one of the following:

(A) Proof of dues payments.

(B) Dues deduction authorization forms.

(C) Membership applications.

(D) Authorization cards signed by providers.

(E) Petitions signed by providers, provided the purpose of the petition is clearly stated on each page.

(2) (A) The board, or a neutral third party designated by the board to act on a request for an election, shall consider evidence of a family child care provider’s support, or lack of support, for a provider organization valid if it was signed by the family child care provider within two years of the date it is submitted to the board. For purposes of showing proof of support by a provider for a provider organization, as described in paragraph (1), the board shall accept any electronic signature that satisfies either of the following:

(i) Contains the signer’s name and contact information including one or more of the following: telephone number, email address, or home address. The party collecting the signatures shall send the signer a confirmation transmission to the telephone number, email address, or home address provided, which includes the information provided, the date signed, and the language to which the signer has agreed; and the party collecting the signatures shall maintain for inspection any responses to the confirmation transmission received by the time of submission. The party collecting signatures shall submit to the board any response from a signer indicating the signer did not authorize the electronic signature.

(ii) Meets the requirements of the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (Title 2.5 (commencing with Section 1633.1) of Part 2 of Division 3 of the Civil Code).

(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if the board enacts regulations authorizing the acceptance of electronic signatures, those regulations shall govern as to any signatures signed after the date those regulations become effective.

(3) Documents submitted to the board as proof of provider support shall remain confidential and not be disclosed by the board to any party other than the petitioner, except to indicate whether the proof of support is sufficient.

(4) A party that contends that proof of provider support was obtained by fraud or coercion, or that the signatures on such support documents are not genuine, shall file with the board evidence in the form of declarations under penalty of perjury supporting such contention within 20 days after the filing of the petition that the proof of support accompanied. The board shall refuse to consider any evidence not timely submitted, absent a showing of good cause for late submission. When prima facie evidence is submitted to the board supporting a claim that proof of support was tainted by misconduct, the board shall conduct an investigation. If, as a result of the investigation, the board determines that the showing of support is inadequate because of misconduct, the petition shall be dismissed.

(d) (1) Upon submission of an election request, and at the direction of the board, the Department of Human Resources shall, with the assistance of the department, any state department or agency or its contractor or subcontractor, and any political subdivision of the state, provide the board and the party seeking certification a list of all family child care providers, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 10421, who received a subsidy payment in any of the last three full calendar months before the date the petition was submitted for which provider information is available pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 10422. The list shall be provided at a date established by the board, but in no case earlier than April 1, 2020. This list shall include, for each provider, the following information: the provider’s name; home address; mailing address; county; home, if known, work, and cellular telephone numbers; email address, if known; the agency, contractor, subcontractor, or political subdivision of the state administering the state-funded early care and education program in which the provider participates; the unique provider identification number, if applicable; and the state facility license number, if known. The list shall be produced in manipulable electronic format and shall be alphabetized. The board may designate a neutral third party to act on any of the requests filed with the board pursuant to this subdivision.

(2) Unless otherwise directed by the board, to be eligible to vote in a representation, amendment, or decertification election, a provider must have received a subsidy payment in any of the last three full calendar months before the date the petition was submitted for which information is available pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 10422.

(e) (1) Upon submission of an election request, the board shall direct the Department of Human Resources, with the assistance of the department, any other agency or department, any political subdivisions of the state that are involved in the administration of the state-funded early care and education program, and the relevant contractors or subcontractors of those departments and agencies, to provide notice of the request for recognition to providers as soon as possible, but in no event later than 10 days following receipt of the request.

(2) A notice of a request for recognition shall consist of a copy of the request for recognition and any form written by the board for this purpose. The notice shall be provided to providers through email, through the agencies’ and contractors’ respective internet websites, or through other means reasonably calculated to provide notice to the greatest number of providers; and, where the means of notice allows, shall remain posted for at least 20 days.

(3) Within 20 days following posting or distribution of the request for recognition, an entity determined to be a provider organization pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 10422 may file an intervention to appear on the ballot. A provider organization petitioning as an intervenor in an election shall demonstrate a 10-percent showing of interest in the same manner as described in subdivision (c).

(f) If the board makes an initial determination that the showing is insufficient, the board may allow an additional 10 days for a petitioner to perfect its proof of support. If the board determines that a petition is valid and an election is required, the board shall direct the Department of Human Resources, with the assistance of the department, any other agency or department, any political subdivisions of the state that are involved in the administration of the state-funded early care and education program, and the relevant contractors or subcontractors of those departments and agencies, to mail notice of the election to providers.

(g) If a petition is determined to be valid, the election shall be conducted by mail ballot no later than 90 days from the date the petition is filed or June 1, 2020, whichever is later.

(h) The only appropriate bargaining unit of providers is a statewide unit of all family child care providers described in subdivision (b) of Section 10421.

(i) A certified provider organization shall represent each provider in the represented unit fairly with respect to matters within the scope of the certified provider organization’s role as representative of the bargaining unit for purposes of this chapter, without discrimination and without regard to whether the provider is a member of the certified provider organization.

(j) Provider organizations shall have the right to represent their members with respect to matters within the scope of the provider organization’s role as representative of the bargaining unit for purposes of this chapter, except that once a provider organization is certified as the exclusive representative of the unit, the certified provider organization is the only organization that may represent that unit in relations with the state. Provider organizations may establish reasonable restrictions regarding who may join and may make reasonable provisions for the dismissal of individuals from membership. This section does not prohibit a provider from appearing on their own behalf in their relations with the state.

(k) The Governor, or the Governor’s representative, shall grant exclusive recognition to the certified provider organization, subject to the right of a provider to represent themselves.

(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 116, Sec. 260. (AB 131) Effective July 23, 2021.)