Existing law establishes the Office of Science, Innovation and Technology in the Office of the Governor and requires: (1) the Director of the Office to establish and administer a program of infrastructure grants for the development or improvement of broadband services for persons with low income and persons in rural areas of this State; and (2) the Office to establish and administer a program to encourage the deployment of broadband infrastructure in underserved communities in this State. (NRS 223.600, 223.610, 223.670) Section 2 of this bill sets forth a legislative declaration regarding the importance of using a well-trained workforce and providing jobs to residents of this State in expending federal money to increase the development of broadband services and infrastructure in this State. Section 3 of this bill requires each state agency that awards grants of federal money for the development of broadband services and infrastructure to: (1) evaluate and assign a score to each grant application received by the state agency based on the factors and relative weights assigned to each factor that the state agency specified in the request for grant applications; and (2) assign a relative weight of 30 percent to a grant application if the applicant submits a signed certification with his or her application. Section 3 provides that the applicant must certify that if the applicant or the provider of broadband services will perform some or all of the work or will subcontract some or all of the work to a licensed contractor, the applicant, provider or contractor: (1) meets certain safety and training requirements and provides job opportunities with high-quality wages for residents of this State and members of underrepresented communities; or (2) is a signatory to a collective bargaining agreement that covers all non-supervisory employees directly employed by the applicant who will perform any work financed in whole or in part by the grant money. Section 3 also provides that if an applicant or provider is a signatory to a collective bargaining agreement, certain provisions of law requiring the payment of prevailing wages on public works do not apply. Section 4 of this bill makes a conforming change to provide an exception to the requirements to pay prevailing wages on public works. Section 3 further requires each state agency to include as a condition of any grant award that: (1) the certification provided by the applicant is binding upon the applicant that is awarded the grant money; and (2) if a licensed contractor performs any work, certain provisions of law governing public works apply to the work performed by the subcontractor. Lastly, section 3 authorizes the Director of the Office to adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of section 3.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 338.080
BDR: 338.080