; and (2) reaffirm the policy of the United States to encourage the practice and procedure of collective bargaining, which safeguards the public interest and promotes the free and unobstructed flow of commerce. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Authority The term Authority means the Federal Labor Relations Authority. (2) Collective bargaining The term collective bargaining , with respect to public employees and public employers, means the performance of the mutual obligation of the representative of a public employer and the exclusive representative of public employees in an appropriate unit of the employer to meet at reasonable times and to consult and bargain in a good-faith effort to reach agreement with respect to wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment affecting such employees and to execute, if requested by either party, a written document incorporating any collective bargaining agreement reached, but the obligation referred to in this paragraph does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or to make a concession. (3) Confidential employee (A) In general Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the term confidential employee means a public employee who acts in a confidential capacity with respect to an individual who formulates or effectuates management policies in the field of labor-management relations. (B) State law If the term confidential employee , or a substantially equivalent term, has a substantially equivalent meaning under applicable State law to the meaning under subparagraph (A) on the date of the enactment of this Act, such term, or substantially equivalent term, and meaning under such applicable State law shall apply with respect to the term confidential employee under this Act for public employees and public employers in such State. (4) Emergency services employee The term emergency services employee means— (A) a public employee providing out-of-hospital emergency medical care, including an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or first responder