High-speed rail: business plan: contracts: small business participation.

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. Existing law requires the authority to prepare, publish, adopt, and submit to the Legislature a business plan containing specified elements beginning January 1, 2012, and every 2 years thereafter. This bill would require the authority, in awarding contracts for the construction of the high-speed rail system with state or federal funds, to develop a strategy in conjunction with the Employment Development Department to ensure that at least 25% of the project workforce used at each authority worksite is from the local workforce, and to report on that strategy in the business plan to be submitted on January 1, 2012, or as an addendum to that plan to be submitted on March 1, 2012. This bill would also require the authority to include in that business plan or addendum a strategy for ensuring the participation of California-certified small businesses in contracts awarded by the authority with state or federal funds during all phases of the project.