HB 1576 Summary

• Eliminates pre-hearing requirements in collective bargaining disputes between cities/towns and employee bargaining agents, requiring only a hearing to be called within 10 days of arbitration board chair appointment

• Removes requirement for parties to submit written arbitration statements 7 days before hearing listing resolved terms, unresolved issues, and final offers on each issue

• Requires arbitrators to issue written opinion within 10 days after hearing concludes and deliver copies to bargaining agent and corporate authorities, but adoption of majority opinion becomes discretionary rather than mandatory

• If corporate authorities do not adopt the majority arbitration opinion, they must resume the collective bargaining process as outlined in Section 51-105 instead of proceeding to voter selection between the two last best offers

• Effective date: November 1, 2011