California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 837

Introduced by Assembly Member Campos

February 21, 2013

An act to add Section 12096.4.9 to the Government Code, relating to economic development.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 837, as introduced, Campos. Economic development programs: reporting.

The Economic Revitalization Act establishes the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as “GO-Biz,” to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth.

This bill would require an administrative lead center, under a specified federal program, to report to GO-Biz and the Legislature for any year state funds are appropriated to support that federal program, and make legislative findings and declarations in this regard. This bill would also require the director of GO-Biz to post a report required under these provisions on the office’s Internet Web site.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) The California Small Business Development Center Program,
a part of the federal Small Business Development Center Program,
plays a primary role in providing technical assistance to the state’s
small businesses and provides verified positive outcomes to the
state’s economy.

(b) Within the state, the California Small Business Development
Center Program is administered through six Regional Small
Business Development Center Networks, as follows: Northern
California, Northeastern California, Central California, Orange
County/Inland Empire, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Each regional
network is managed by an Administrative Lead Center, designated
by the federal Small Business Administration through a cooperative
agreement, and affiliated with one of the following public
institutions of higher education: California State University,
Humboldt; California State University, Chico; University of
California, Merced; Long Beach Community College District;
California State University, Fullerton; and Southwestern
Community College District. The centers are responsible for
securing required one-to-one matching funds to draw down federal
appropriations, according to a population-based formula determined
by the United States Census, and the regional networks are held
accountable for their productivity and required to submit regular
performance reports to the Office of Small Business Development
Centers, within the federal Small Business Administration.

(c) Throughout the six regional networks there are more than
30 full-time Small Business Development Centers, with multiple
additional outreach locations serving small businesses in this state.
These centers provide assistance to existing businesses in the areas
of financing, government contracting, business planning and
management, marketing, international trade, energy efficiency and
sustainability, and disaster preparedness. The centers also provide
expert advice to technology companies in the areas of business
and financial plan preparation, angel and venture capital
presentation preparation, funding strategies, product positioning,
market launch strategies, applications for federal grants, technology
transfers with research universities, intellectual property issues,
and strategic partnerships. The centers work in collaboration with
various partners to provide these services, including, but not limited
to, community colleges, grantees of the federal Minority Business
Development Agency, the federal Small Business Administration,
the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce
Development Program, local workforce investment boards, and
chambers of commerce.

(d) The California Small Business Development Center
Leadership Council is comprised of the directors of the six
Regional Small Business Development Center Networks. The
council is the statewide entity tasked with negotiating partnerships
on behalf of the California Small Business Development Center
Program, leveraging operational and technical assistance for best
practices across the six regions, and working with the state
government to maximize the economic impact of the federal Small
Business Development Center Program within the state.

SEC. 2.  

Section 12096.4.9 is added to the Government Code,
to read:

12096.4.9.  

(a) On or before August 30 following any year that
state funds are appropriated to the California Small Business
Development Center Program, the Administrative Lead Center
that oversees the Regional Small Business Development Center
Network that received that state funding shall report to the office
and the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795, on the
activities and performance goals of the California Small Business
Development Center Program in that region. An Administrative
Lead Center accepts this reporting requirement as a condition of
receiving the state funds described in this subdivision.

(b) A report prepared pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include,
but not be limited to, all of the following data:

(1) Number of businesses assisted.

(2) Number of employees employed by those businesses.

(3) Number of jobs created.

(4) Number of jobs retained.

(5) Number of state tax dollars generated from those businesses.

(6) Industry sectors of the businesses assisted.

(7) Total amount of federal funds allocated to the region during
the reporting period.

(c) The director shall post the report on the office’s Internet
Web site no later than 30 days after the report is transmitted to the
Governor and Legislature.