Sacramento – July 5, 2023 – The State Legislature today passed Senate Bill 150 that requires equitable hiring for billions of dollars of federal infrastructure projects headed to California in the coming years. Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles), who co-authored SB 150, led the effort to include equity language in the package of infrastructure bills to create quality job opportunities for California’s workers from underserved communities.
“With SB 150, we have an opportunity to create equitable job programs for California’s working families – especially for low-income communities of color, like those in my district,” said Senator Smallwood-Cuevas. “SB 150 is the next step in our long journey toward economic justice for Californians. By requiring projects over $35 million in value to focus on helping communities where they are located, we can help historically marginalized communities realize the full benefits of these projects.”
SB 150, authored by Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), will enhance California’s training pipeline, community benefits and good jobs standards for upcoming federal projects that will improve California’s infrastructure and decrease the state’s reliance on fossil fuels. Two other co-authors of the bill are Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach) and Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose).
The bill’s requirements for community benefits in Project Labor Agreements on larger projects will bring local hiring provisions and construction career programs into infrastructure project contract negotiations as well as practices like the hiring of veterans, youth, women and the formerly incarcerated.
Senator Lola Smallwood Cuevas represents the 28th Senate District, which includes the communities of South Los Angeles, Culver City, West Los Angeles, Century City and Downtown Los Angeles. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas spent more than two decades serving as a labor organizer, civil rights activist and community advocate before her election to the State Senate. She resides in the View Park community of Los Angeles with her family.