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

 

FILE NUMBER..........

 

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

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

 public policy that supports the integration of minorities, disadvantaged

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

   Whereas, The skilled trades are invaluable to the continued successful

 growth of the State of Nevada and its residents; and

   Whereas, The Nevada Department of Transportation has made

 considerable efforts to encourage the participation of minorities,

 disadvantaged persons and women in all aspects of highway construction

 through its Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and contract

 compliance programs; and

   Whereas, Despite the efforts of the Nevada Department of

 Transportation, the number of minorities, disadvantaged persons and

 women represented in the skilled trades on Federal-Aid highway

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

   Whereas, Similar state transportation agencies, such as the California

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

 bringing minorities, disadvantaged persons and women into the skilled

 trades through cooperative efforts with labor unions, community agencies,

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

 state government apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and

 similar groups; and

   Whereas, The Nevada Department of Transportation works in

 cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration to construct

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

 the Federal Highway Act; and

   Whereas, The Federal Highway Administration has expressed its

 policy to require full utilization of all available training and skill

-improvement opportunities to ensure the increased participation of

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

 highway construction industry; and

   Whereas, The Federal Highway Administration requires all Federal

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

 same specific equal employment opportunity requirements that are set by

 the United States Department of Labor; and

   Whereas, Contractors and most subcontractors on Federal-Aid

 highways are required to submit the Federal-Aid Highway Construction

Contractors Annual Equal Employment Opportunity Report in July of each

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

 Transportation may submit its required summary for all active contractors

 and subcontractors to the Federal Highway Administration; and

   Whereas, A statewide task force, composed of representatives of all

 parties who are knowledgeable about the skilled trades or who could

 provide valuable referrals from and connections to the communities of

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

 develop and implement statewide and regional plans to carry out the stated

 policy of the Federal Highway Administration and the United States

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

 programs, training and hiring of minorities, disadvantaged persons and

 women in the skilled trades involved in highway construction would be an

 invaluable tool to bring minorities, disadvantaged persons and women into

 the skilled trades; now, therefore, be it

   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

 Concurring, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

 Legislature do hereby commend the Nevada Department of Transportation

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

   Resolved, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

 Legislature urge the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Nevada

 Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation to create a

 statewide task force to find additional ways to increase the number of

 minorities, disadvantaged persons and women in the skilled trades

 involved in highway construction through statewide and regional plans for

 referral recruitment, pre-apprenticeship programs, training and hiring; and

 be it further

   Resolved, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

 Legislature urge the Nevada Department of Transportation, the Nevada

 Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation and the Labor

 Commissioner to work with representatives of the construction industry,

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

 apprenticeship programs, the State Apprenticeship Council, the skilled

 trades, high school and college guidance and career counselors and other

 knowledgeable persons to achieve the goal of bringing minorities,

 disadvantaged persons and women into the skilled trades involved in the

 highway construction industry; and be it further

   Resolved, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

 Legislature urge the Nevada Department of Transportation in its capacity

 as the administrator of the equal employment opportunity policy of the

 Federal Highway Administration for Federal-Aid highway construction in

 Nevada to ensure that contractors continue to file the required employment

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

 reports; and be it further

   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit

 a copy of this resolution to the Director of the Nevada Department of

 Transportation, the Labor Commissioner and the Director of the Nevada

 Department of Employment Training and Rehabilitation.

 

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