In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to require contractors on public works projects to hire local labor.
 
This bill is based on a simple premise: Pennsylvanians tax dollars should be used to support local workers. The legislation specifies that at least half of workers on state and local projects exceeding $500,000 would have to be residents of Pennsylvania or a border county.
 
Further, this legislation will promote cost containment and efficiency on taxpayer-funded projects by reducing the need for out of state workers to travel to Pennsylvania and be temporarily housed near the project site.
 
A waiver process is included if a contractor is unable to secure local workers even after utilizing a local PA CareerLink  office for recruitment. If a waiver is granted, the contractor would be required to contribute to a fund to support the training of Pennsylvanians in the construction trades.
 
This proposal is modeled on existing local hire programs in West Virginia, Montana and Illinois.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to maximize tax dollars and keep Pennsylvanians working.