California Senate Bill SB964 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 964AMENDED BILL TEXT 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  California Community Colleges Chancellor's office   Employment Development Department  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   construction, operation, and maintenance of the high-speed train system  . The bill would require the authority and the  chancellor's office   department  to form  a Jobs Advisory Task Force   an advisory committee  , as specified, to advise the authority and the  chancellor's office   department  on the  establishment and operation of training and certification programs required to produce an adequate skilled workforce for this project   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  $25,000,000   $500,000  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   maintaining  , and operating  high-speed rail   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  high-speed rail   a high-speed train system  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   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  project   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  develop   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  and implementation of a high-speed  rail   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  provide   recommend actions to ensure  adequate workforce training  is available  for the construction, operation, and maintenance of a high-speed  rail   train  system in this state. (e) The Legislature finds and declares that it is  necessary   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),  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.   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  rail network   train system  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.   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 Secti   on 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  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.   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  Jobs Advisory Task Force   advisory committee  established pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include, but not be limited to, representatives from the following organizations:  (1) The High-Speed Rail Authority.   (A) The authority.   (2)   (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.  (3)   (C)  The California Workforce Investment Board.  (4) The California   (D)     The State  Department of Education.  (5)   (E)  Labor organizations with expertise in operating apprenticeship programs for the skills necessary to build, operate, and maintain a high-speed  rail   train  system.  (6) The State   (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  certification and training programs   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.   (e)   (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.  (f)   (g)  The sum of  twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000)   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.