SB 237: "An Act relating to the Alaska Railroad workforce development scholarship program."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 237 01 "An Act relating to the Alaska Railroad workforce development scholarship program." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 42.40.250 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 04 (32) administer the Alaska Railroad workforce development 05 scholarship program. 06 * Sec. 2. AS 42.40 is amended by adding a new section to article 8 to read: 07 Sec. 42.40.895. Workforce development scholarship program. (a) In order 08 to foster the long-term development of an educated and skilled workforce for the 09 Alaska Railroad, there is established in the corporation the Alaska Railroad workforce 10 development scholarship program. 11 (b) The corporation shall annually award scholarships to qualified residents to 12 attend in-state postsecondary technical and vocational schools and in-state colleges 13 and universities. The scholarships shall be awarded for education and training in 14 management, administration, technical, skilled, and service professions necessary to 15 maintain and operate the Alaska Railroad. The recipient of a scholarship awarded
01 under this section may use the scholarship to pay for tuition, books, supplies, housing, 02 food, transportation, and related educational expenses while enrolled in a qualified 03 education program. 04 (c) The corporation shall award at least $1,200,000 each year from the 05 corporation's net revenue as scholarships under this section. 06 (d) The board shall adopt rules as the board considers necessary to implement 07 the Alaska Railroad workforce development scholarship program. 08 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska enacted in sec. 1(b), ch. 153, SLA 1984, 09 is amended to read: 10 (b) It is the purpose of this Act to 11 (1) create a viable economic entity with the powers and duties 12 necessary to operate and manage the Alaska Railroad pending eventual transfer of the 13 railroad to the private sector for its ownership or operation or both consistent with 45 14 U.S.C. 1201 - 1214 (Alaska Railroad Transfer Act of 1982); 15 (2) provide for the level of transportation service that best satisfies the 16 needs of the people of the state consistent with the other findings and policies of this 17 section; 18 (3) create a public corporation with the powers, duties, and functions 19 needed to operate the Alaska Railroad and manage its rail, industrial, port, and other 20 properties in the best interest of the people of the state by ensuring that the corporation 21 will 22 (A) be exclusively responsible for the management of the 23 financial and legal obligations of the Alaska Railroad; 24 (B) operate the railroad as a common carrier subject to the 25 jurisdiction of the United States Interstate Commerce Commission consistent 26 with 45 U.S.C. 1207; 27 (C) have the ability to raise capital by issuing bonds upon 28 approval of the legislature exempt from federal and state taxation and applying 29 for federal money to which the state may be entitled or that may be available; 30 (D) carry out its responsibilities on a self-sustaining basis; 31 (E) provide the best possible combination of types and levels of
01 safe, efficient, and economical transportation to meet the overall needs of the 02 state, supported when necessary by state investment; 03 (F) provide for the prudent operation of the railroad according 04 to sound business management practices; and 05 (G) preserve the integrity of the railroad utility corridor for 06 transportation, communication, and transmission purposes; 07 (4) ensure that borrowing by the corporation does not directly or 08 indirectly endanger the state's own borrowing capacity; 09 (5) provide for development of an educated and skilled workforce 10 to operate, maintain, and develop the Alaska Railroad.