BILL NUMBER: SB 964INTRODUCED BILL TEXT 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 introduced, 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 California Community Colleges Chancellor's office to develop a labor market assessment of the workforce and identify the education and skills needed for high-speed rail, and to develop a comprehensive workforce training and certification program or programs to facilitate the availability of that workforce. The bill would require the authority and the chancellor's office to form a Jobs Advisory Task Force, as specified, to advise the authority and the chancellor' s office on the establishment and operation of training and certification programs required to produce an adequate skilled workforce for this project. The bill would require the labor market assessment to be incorporated into the authority's biennial revised business plan. This bill would appropriate $25,000,000 from the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund to the authority for these purposes. 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, implementing, and operating high-speed rail will require a large traditional labor pool and many unique skill sets not typical in a more conventional transportation construction project. To fully construct high-speed rail using California labor, there is a need for skilled and trained engineers in many disciplines, construction workers, electricians, train system service and control system operators, and specialized maintenance workers, among others. To ensure the availability of these labor skills and resources and to maximize the extent of California labor force participation in the completion of the high-speed train project, 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 develop 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 and implementation of a high-speed rail system in California, it is essential that the High-Speed Rail Authority work collaboratively with the state's 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 provide adequate workforce training for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a high-speed rail system in this state. (e) The Legislature finds and declares that it is necessary 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), to properly plan for the development of the high-speed rail network, the largest public works project undertaken in this state, and to ensure the availability of a sufficient labor pool and expertise to effectively and expeditiously complete the project. 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 rail network in California, the authority shall contract with the California Community Colleges Chancellor's office to (1) develop a labor market assessment of the workforce and identify the education and skills needed to construct, operate, and maintain a high-speed rail network in California; and (2) develop a comprehensive workforce training and certification program or programs to facilitate the availability of a skilled, in-state workforce to participate, to the maximum extent feasible, in the construction, operation, and maintenance of the high-speed rail network. (b) To achieve the objectives described in subdivision (a), the authority and the California Community Colleges Chancellor's office shall form a Jobs Advisory Task Force to advise the two agencies on the availability of skilled labor, by region, necessary to perform the tasks associated with building, operating, and maintaining a high-speed rail system. In addition, the task force shall participate and advise the agencies on the establishment and operation of training and certification programs required to produce an adequate skilled workforce for this project. (c) Members of the Jobs Advisory Task Force established pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from the following organizations: (1) The High-Speed Rail Authority. (2) The state's higher education institutions, including the University of California, the California State University system, and the California Community College Chancellor's office. (3) The California Workforce Investment Board. (4) The California Department of Education. (5) Labor organizations with expertise in operating apprenticeship programs for the skills necessary to build, operate, and maintain a high-speed rail system. (6) The State Employment Training Panel. (d) The assessment and certification and training programs 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 incorporated in the authority's biennial revised business plan and submitted to the Legislature for its review pursuant to Section 185033. (f) The sum of twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Fund to the authority for purposes of this section.