The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Workplace shootings, especially in high-stress industries such as transit agencies, have resulted in numerous deaths across California.

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(b) On May 26, 2021, a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) employee entered the Guadalupe rail yard and began a shooting rampage that killed nine of his coworkers before taking his own life. This shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the San Francisco Bay area. The shooting occurred in locations integral to the operation of the light rail service, particularly adjacent to the Operational Control Center room and the entry to the entire second floor of the administration center, resulting in a 13-week shut down of rail services.

(c) In response, the Legislature appropriated $20,000,000 to help the VTA and workers recover from the tragedy. The VTA was required by the state to create a joint labor management committee to provide recommendations for the use of those funds, including establishing a worker wellness center where workers and their families could receive onsite support and assistance, including peer-to-peer and trauma counseling and other mental health services.

(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 305, Sec. 1. (SB 1294) Effective January 1, 2023. See conditional termination clause in Section 14007.)