CHAPTER _______

An act to amend Section 13996.55 of the Government Code, relating to economic development.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 337, Allen. Economic development: international trade and investment strategy.

Existing law requires the Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to provide to the Legislature, no later than February 1, 2014, a strategy for international trade and investment that includes, among other things, policy goals, objectives, and recommendations for a comprehensive international trade and investment program for the state, and an identified organizational structure for the state administration of international trade and investment policies, programs, and services, as specified.

This bill would change that date to February 1, 2019, and additionally require the strategy to be based on current and emerging market conditions and the needs of investors, businesses, and workers to be competitive in global markets and to include a framework that enables the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to evaluate the current needs of small and large firms, as specified. This bill would authorize the strategy, to the extent relevant and feasible, to be based on existing studies and reports.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 13996.55 of the Government Code is amended to read:

13996.55.  

(a) The Director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development shall provide to the Legislature, not later than February 1, 2019, a strategy for international trade and investment that, at a minimum, includes all of the following:

(1) Policy goals, objectives, and recommendations necessary to implement a comprehensive international trade and investment program for the state. This information shall be provided in a fashion that clearly indicates priority within the overall strategy.

(2) Measurable outcomes and timelines for the goals, objectives, and actions for the international trade and investment program.

(3) Identification of impediments for achieving goals and objectives.

(4) Identification of key stakeholder partnerships that will be used in implementing the strategy.

(5) Identification of options for funding recommended actions.

(6) Identification of an international trade and investment organizational structure for the state administration of international trade and investment policies, programs, and services.

(b) (1) The strategy shall be based on current and emerging market conditions and the needs of investors, businesses, and workers to be competitive in global markets. In addition to the policy goals, objectives, and recommendations required pursuant to subdivision (a), the strategy shall include a framework that enables the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to evaluate on an ongoing basis, as appropriate, current workforce, infrastructure, research and development, and other needs of small and large firms, including, but not limited to, highways, airports, and rail that link businesses with the state’s ports of entry and foreign and domestic markets.

(2) The strategy may, to the extent relevant and feasible, be based on existing studies and reports, including, but not limited to, the Goods Movement Action Plan, the California Strategic Workforce Development Plan, the California Export of Recycled Materials Report, the California Five-Year Infrastructure Plan, and the Environmental Goals and Policy Report.

(c) The strategy shall be submitted to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly and the Secretary of the Senate. A copy of the strategy shall be provided to the Speaker of the Assembly, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, and the chairs of the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy and the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development, or the successor committees with jurisdiction over international trade and economic development programs.

(d) The strategy shall be updated pursuant to the procedures of this section at least once every five years.

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