Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 37–Committee on
Elections, Procedures, and Ethics

 

May 25, 2001

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Referred to Committee on Elections, Procedures, and Ethics

 

SUMMARY—Expresses support for goals of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and contract compliance programs of Nevada Department of Transportation and urges creation of statewide task force to expand diversity in work force. (BDR R‑1556)

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Assembly Concurrent RESOLUTION—Expressing support for the goals of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and the contract compliance programs of the Nevada Department of Transportation and urging the creation of a statewide task force to expand diversity in the work force on highway construction projects.

 

   Whereas, This nation is best served by the full participation of all persons in meaningful, productive, well-compensated and challenging employment; and

   Whereas, The increased participation of minorities, disadvantaged persons and women in the skilled trades will result in a high-quality work force, reduced welfare dependency, and enhanced productivity and competitiveness of the nation and the State of Nevada; and

1-1    Whereas, The State of Nevada has a rapidly growing population and a

1-2  public policy that supports the integration of minorities, disadvantaged

1-3  persons and women into all areas of the work force and economy; and

1-4    Whereas, The skilled trades are invaluable to the continued successful

1-5  growth of the State of Nevada and its residents; and

1-6    Whereas, The Nevada Department of Transportation has made

1-7  considerable efforts to encourage the participation of minorities,

1-8  disadvantaged persons and women in all aspects of highway construction

1-9  through its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and contract

1-10  compliance programs; and

1-11    Whereas, Despite the efforts of the Nevada Department of

1-12  Transportation, the number of minorities, disadvantaged persons and

1-13  women represented in the skilled trades on Federal-Aid highway

1-14  construction projects in the State of Nevada is still very low; and

1-15    Whereas, Similar state transportation agencies, such as the California

1-16  Department of Transportation, (“CALTRANS”), have had great success in

1-17  bringing minorities, disadvantaged persons and women into the skilled

2-1  trades through cooperative efforts with labor unions, community agencies,

2-2  minority advocacy organizations and business agencies, women’s groups,

2-3  state government apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and

2-4  similar groups; and

2-5    Whereas, The Nevada Department of Transportation works in

2-6  cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration to construct Federal-

2-7  Aid highways and has statutorily consented to the provisions of the Federal

2-8  Highway Act; and

2-9    Whereas, The Federal Highway Administration has expressed its

2-10  policy to require full utilization of all available training and skill-

2-11  improvement opportunities to ensure the increased participation of

2-12  minority groups, disadvantaged persons and women in all phases of the

2-13  highway construction industry; and

2-14    Whereas, The Federal Highway Administration requires all Federal-

2-15  Aid subcontracts over $10,000 and all Federal-Aid contracts to contain the

2-16  same specific equal employment opportunity requirements that are set by

2-17  the United States Department of Labor; and

2-18    Whereas, Contractors and most subcontractors on Federal-Aid

2-19  highways are required to submit the Federal-Aid Highway Construction

2-20  Contractors Annual Equal Employment Opportunity Report in July of each

2-21  year during which work is performed so that the Nevada Department of

2-22  Transportation may submit its required summary for all active contractors

2-23  and subcontractors to the Federal Highway Administration; and

2-24    Whereas, A statewide task force, composed of representatives of all

2-25  parties who are knowledgeable about the skilled trades or who could

2-26  provide valuable referrals from and connections to the communities of

2-27  minorities, disadvantaged persons and women in the State of Nevada, to

2-28  develop and implement statewide and regional plans to carry out the stated

2-29  policy of the Federal Highway Administration and the United States

2-30  Department of Labor through the referral, recruitment, pre-apprenticeship

2-31  programs, training and hiring of minorities, disadvantaged persons and

2-32  women in the skilled trades involved in highway construction would be an

2-33  invaluable tool to bring minorities, disadvantaged persons and women into

2-34  the skilled trades; now, therefore, be it

2-35    Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

2-36  Concurring, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

2-37  Legislature do hereby commend the Nevada Department of Transportation

2-38  for its efforts to bring diversity to the work place; and be it further

2-39    Resolved, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

2-40  Legislature urge the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada

2-41  Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation to create a

2-42  statewide task force to find additional ways to increase the number of

2-43  minorities, disadvantaged persons and women in the skilled trades involved

2-44  in highway construction through statewide and regional plans for referral

2-45  recruitment, pre-apprenticeship programs, training and hiring; and be it

2-46  further

2-47    Resolved, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

2-48  Legislature urge the Nevada Department of Transportation, the Nevada

2-49  Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation and the Labor

3-1  Commissioner to work with representatives of the construction industry,

3-2  state and local governments, labor unions, minority and women’s groups,

3-3  apprenticeship programs, the State Apprenticeship Council, the skilled

3-4  trades, high school and college guidance and career counselors and other

3-5  knowledgeable persons to achieve the goal of bringing minorities,

3-6  disadvantaged persons and women into the skilled trades involved in the

3-7  highway construction industry; and be it further

3-8    Resolved, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

3-9  Legislature urge the Nevada Department of Transportation in its capacity

3-10  as the administrator of the equal employment opportunity policy of the

3-11  Federal Highway Administration for Federal-Aid highway construction in

3-12  Nevada to ensure that contractors continue to file the required employment

3-13  reports and that subcontractors with contracts over $10,000 submit annual

3-14  reports; and be it further

3-15    Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit

3-16  a copy of this resolution to the Director of the Nevada Department of

3-17  Transportation, the Labor Commissioner and the Director of the Nevada

3-18  Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation.

 

3-19  H