Establishes certain labor standards for the award of grants of federal money by a state agency for certain purposes. (BDR 18-556)
Summary
SB93 establishes labor and workforce standards that state agencies must use when awarding federal grant money for broadband development and infrastructure projects. The bill applies to grants funded by federal sources such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan Act, and it directs agencies to score applications using the criteria they publish in the request for applications. It also gives a 30 percent relative weight to applications that include a signed certification meeting the bill’s workforce and labor requirements.
To qualify for that certification, an applicant must show that the work will be performed by a trained workforce meeting specified safety, training, wage, health-benefit, and local hiring standards, or that the applicant or contractor is party to a collective bargaining agreement covering non-supervisory employees doing the grant-funded work. The bill requires the certification to be posted online, makes it binding on the grant recipient, and applies Nevada public works contractor-license provisions to covered work. It also allows agencies to adopt regulations and includes a safeguard that the requirements do not apply if they would conflict with federal law or reduce federal funding.
Impact
SB93 amends Nevada law in Chapter 232 to impose new conditions on state agencies that distribute federal broadband grant funds. It affects grant applicants, broadband providers, subcontractors, and licensed contractors by tying eligibility and scoring to training, prevailing wage, health coverage, local hiring, and collective bargaining criteria. It also incorporates public works-related contractor requirements for certain grant-funded work and authorizes agency rulemaking to implement the program.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received majority support in both chambers, passing the Senate 13-8 and the Assembly 27-15. The legislative findings frame the measure as a way to ensure federal broadband dollars create durable infrastructure, protect public safety, and provide quality jobs for Nevada workers. Overall, the sentiment reflected in the voting history is favorable, though the margins indicate meaningful opposition.
Contention
The main points of contention are the bill’s labor standards and whether they may limit competition or complicate the use of federal broadband funds. Supporters are likely to favor the prevailing wage, training, local hiring, and collective bargaining provisions as safeguards for quality work and Nevada jobs. Opponents may object to the added compliance burden, the 30 percent scoring preference, and the possibility that the requirements could narrow the pool of eligible applicants or conflict with federal grant conditions. The bill addresses that concern by exempting situations where federal law would preclude the requirements or reduce funding.