BILL NUMBER: SB 735	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Price

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2011

   An act to add Section 185034.4 to the Public Utilities Code,
relating to high-speed rail.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 735, as introduced, Price. High-speed rail: contracts.
   Existing law, the California High-Speed Rail Act, creates the
High-Speed Rail Authority to develop and implement a high-speed rail
system in the state, with specified powers and duties. Existing law,
pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act
for the 21st Century, approved by the voters as Proposition 1A at the
November 4, 2008, general election, provides for the issuance of
$9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail and
related purposes. Under federal law, funding is made available for
allocation nationally to high-speed rail and other related projects.
   This bill would require the authority, in awarding contracts for
the construction of the high-speed rail system, to require that 25%
of the workforce used at each worksite be from the local workforce.
The bill would require the authority to also grant an additional
contract price preference of 2.5% of the bid amount to qualified
state-certified microbusinesses that are local to a worksite. The
bill would require the Department of Housing and Community
Development to evaluate the effect of these requirements and to
submit quarterly reports to the authority in that regard. The bill
would require the authority to include the findings of the department
in its business plan.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 185034.4 is added to the Public Utilities Code,
to read:
   185034.4.  (a) (1) The authority, in awarding contracts for the
construction of the high-speed rail system, shall require that 25
percent of the workforce used at each worksite be from the local
workforce.
   (2) The authority, in awarding contracts for the construction of
the high-speed rail system, shall grant an additional price
preference of 2.5 percent of the bid amount to qualified
state-certified microbusinesses that are local to a worksite.
   (b) The Department of Housing and Community Development shall
evaluate the effect of the requirements in subdivision (a), and shall
submit quarterly reports to the authority in that regard. The
findings of the department shall be included in the authority's
business plan prepared pursuant to Section 185033.
   (c) As used in this section, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (1) "Local workforce" means residents of the local workforce
development area in which the worksite is located.
   (2)  "Local workforce development area" means one of 49 such areas
in the state with a local board designated by the Governor pursuant
to Section 14200 of the Unemployment Insurance Code.
   (3) "Microbusiness" means a microbusiness as defined in paragraph
(2) of subdivision (d) of Section 14837 of the Government Code.