BILL NUMBER: SB 964 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 22, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 15, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Senator Alquist
(Principal coauthor: Senator Steinberg)
(Coauthors: Senators Ducheny and Leno)
FEBRUARY 5, 2010
An act to add Section 185039 to the Public Utilities Code,
relating to workforce training, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 964, as amended, Alquist. Workforce development program:
high-speed rail.
Existing law, the California High-Speed Train Act, creates the
High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed train
system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law,
the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st
Century, provides for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general
obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related purposes.
This bill would require the authority to contract with the
Employment Development Department to develop a labor market
assessment of the workforce and identify the education and skills
needed for construction, operation, and maintenance of the high-speed
train system. The bill would require the authority and the
department to form an advisory committee, as specified, to advise the
authority and the department on the availability of skilled labor
relative to the high-speed train project and on options for workforce
training programs in that regard. The bill would require the labor
market assessment to be submitted to the Legislature and incorporated
into the authority's biennial revised business plan.
This bill would appropriate $500,000 from the High-Speed Passenger
Train Bond Fund to the authority for these purposes , as
specified . The bill would also make related legislative
findings and declarations.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) The construction of the 800-mile high-speed train system in
California is estimated to be a 10-year construction project
providing approximately 600,000 construction jobs and 450,000
permanent jobs for the California economy.
(b) Constructing, maintaining, and operating a high-speed train
system will require a large traditional labor pool and many unique
skill sets not typical in a more conventional transportation
construction project. To fully construct a high-speed train system
using California labor, there is a need for skilled and trained
individuals in the fields of engineering and electrical power
systems, materials experts, control system and computer system
technicians, and specialized maintenance workers, among others. To
ensure the availability of these labor skills and resources needed
for construction of the high-speed train system and to maximize the
extent of California labor force participation in the completion of
the high-speed train system, it is crucial that the state immediately
begin the actions necessary to achieve these resource goals and
requirements.
(c) As a critical first step, it is important for the state to
have a full assessment of the labor needs to plan for this
transportation "mega project," and to provide the necessary training
and educational opportunities so that Californians, to the greatest
extent possible, may participate in, and benefit from, this historic
and transformative public works project.
(d) As part of its responsibilities and function to plan for the
development of a high-speed train system in California, it is
essential that the High-Speed Rail Authority work collaboratively
with the state's Employment Development Department, the University of
California, California State University, California Community
Colleges, the California Workforce Investment Board, the California
Department of Education, and labor representatives and related
organizations with expertise in trade apprenticeship programs, to
assess the labor needs and recommend actions to ensure adequate
workforce training is available for the construction, operation, and
maintenance of a high-speed train system in this state.
(e) The Legislature finds and declares that it is appropriate to
utilize funds from Proposition 1A of 2008, the Safe, Reliable,
High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century (Chapter 20
(commencing with Section 2704) of Division 3 of the Streets and
Highways Code), for the purposes set forth in Section 185039 of the
Public Utilities Code, as added by this act.
SEC. 2. Section 185039 is added to the Public Utilities Code, to
read:
185039. (a) Pursuant to its duty to plan for the development of
a high-speed train system in California, the authority shall contract
with the Employment Development Department to collaboratively
develop a labor market assessment of the workforce and identify the
education and skills needed to (1) construct the high-speed train
system authorized for bond funding under the Safe, Reliable,
High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century (Chapter 20
(commencing with Section 2704) of Division 3 of the Streets and
Highways Code) and (2) operate and maintain the high-speed train
system, as necessary to aid the authority in planning the
construction of the high-speed train system. The assessment shall
include a recommended strategy to ensure workforce training programs
are available to facilitate the availability of a skilled, in-state
workforce to participate, to the maximum extent feasible, in the
construction of the high-speed train system.
(b) To achieve the objectives described in subdivision (a), the
authority and the Employment Development Department shall establish
an advisory committee to advise both agencies on the availability and
potential availability of skilled labor, by region, necessary to (1)
construct the high-speed train system and (2) operate and maintain
the high-speed train system, as necessary to aid the authority in
planning the construction of the high-speed train system. In
addition, the advisory committee shall advise both agencies on
workforce training programs and funding options available, or
proposed to be available, to ensure a qualified skilled workforce in
California may participate in the construction of the high-speed
train system.
(c) (1) Members of the advisory committee established pursuant to
subdivision (b) shall include, but not be limited to, representatives
from the following organizations:
(A) The authority.
(B) The state's higher education institutions, including the
University of California, the California State University system, and
the California Community College Chancellor's office.
(C) The California Workforce Investment Board.
(D) The State Department of Education.
(E) Labor organizations with expertise in operating apprenticeship
programs for the skills necessary to build, operate, and maintain a
high-speed train system.
(F) The Employment Training Panel.
(2) The authority may include parties in addition to those
identified in paragraph (1) as members of the advisory committee.
(d) The assessment and recommendations developed pursuant to
subdivision (a) shall consider the short-term and long-term labor
needs for the project, including the need for specific skills in
specific regions of the state.
(e) The assessment produced pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
submitted to the fiscal committees and the policy committees of the
Legislature with jurisdiction over transportation and labor matters
by January 1, 2012. The assessment shall be submitted in compliance
with Section 9795 of the Government Code. This subdivision shall
become inoperative on January 1, 2016, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of
the Government Code.
(f) The assessment produced pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be
incorporated in the authority's biennial revised business plan and
submitted to the Legislature for its review pursuant to Section
185033.
(g) The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) is hereby
appropriated from the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund to the
authority for purposes of this section. The funds appropriated
for the purposes of this section shall be allocated from the funds
set aside in subdivision (b) of Section 2704.08 of the Streets and
Highways Code for environmental studies, planning, and preliminary
engineering activities.