Bill Text: CA SB964 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Workforce development program: high-speed rail.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2010-09-30 - In Senate. To unfinished business. (Veto) [SB964 Detail]

Download: California-2009-SB964-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 964	INTRODUCED
	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.