HOUSE  .   .   .   .   .   .   .  No. 4979

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, August 1, 2024.                         

The committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Bill authorizing project labor agreements (House, No. 3012), reports recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting therefor the accompanying bill (House, No. 4979).

For the committee,

AARON MICHLEWITZ.

        FILED ON: 8/1/2024

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4979

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act authorizing project labor agreements.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

(a) Notwithstanding section 39M of chapter 30 of the General Laws, chapter 149 of the General Laws and chapter 149A of the General Laws, a public agency or municipality may require a project labor agreement on contracts for public works construction and may require the project labor agreement to be incorporated into the contract specifications; provided, that prior to including a project labor agreement requirement, the public agency or municipality shall make a determination prior to issuing a request for proposals or bids that the project labor agreement on a specific project is in the best interest of the commonwealth, public agency or municipality.

(b) In making a determination of the best interest of the commonwealth, public agency or municipality pursuant to subsection (a), the agency or municipality shall consider the effects a project labor agreement may have on: (i) construction efficiency, cost and direct and indirect economic benefits to the public agency or municipality; (ii) the availability of a sufficient supply of skilled, qualified workers to complete the project; (iii) the timing of, and the prevention of delays or disruptions to, the construction process; (iv) the safety and quality of the public construction project; (v) the expansion of apprenticeship programs and workforce development in the construction industry; and (vi) the promotion of employment and training opportunities for women, minority workers and veterans.

(c) The department of labor standards shall promulgate regulations to increase diversity of contractors in project labor agreements, including, but not limited to: (i) incentivizing a certain percentage of contracts with minority-owned businesses; and (ii) demographics of the workforce reflecting the demographics, to the extent possible, where a project is located.