(a) If online or group in-person preservice meetings or orientations are held for family child care providers by the state or a department, contractor, subcontractor, or political subdivision of the state, that entity shall provide a certified provider organization mandatory access to the entirety of those preservice meetings or orientations and the ability to make a presentation about the certified provider organization and its activities, its negotiations and memorandum of understanding, and membership at the preservice meeting or orientation trainings. The state or a department, contractor, subcontractor, or political subdivision of the state that is providing the preservice meeting or orientation shall notify the certified provider organization of its group in-person preservice meeting or orientation at least 10 days in advance of the preservice meeting or orientation, or, in the event that 10 days’ notice is not possible, as soon as the entity providing the preservice meeting or orientation has notice of the planned preservice meeting or orientation. If participation in a preservice meeting or orientation is limited to current providers, the date, time, and place of the preservice meeting or orientation shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the providers, the certified provider organization, or a vendor that is contracted to provide a service for purposes of the preservice meeting or orientation.

(b) The structure, time, and manner of certified provider organization access to preservice meetings or orientations held for providers by the state, or a department, contractor, subcontractor, or political subdivision of the state, are within the scope of representation as described in Section 10424.5. This section does not prohibit agreements between a certified provider organization and the Governor, or the Governor’s representative, that provide for preservice meetings or orientations that vary from the requirements of subdivision (a). If such an agreement is adopted as part of a memorandum of understanding pursuant to Section 10426, the requirements of this section shall not apply to the extent they are inconsistent with the agreement. In the absence of a mutual agreement regarding preservice meetings or orientations, all of the requirements of this section shall apply.

(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Group” means open to five or more providers or potential providers.

(2) “Orientation” means any presentation or meeting required for initial or continued participation in state-funded early care and education programs, any presentation or meeting where information required for participation in state-funded early care and education programs is communicated directly to providers or, if no such presentation or meeting is held in a county in a calendar month, the orientations required for license applicants as described in § 1596.845 of the Health and Safety Code.

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