BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 837
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 15, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                     AB 837 (Campos) - As Amended:  May 1, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                              JEDE Vote:9-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires annual reporting to the Governor's Office of  
          Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) from the Small  
          Business Development Center Leadership Council on its activities  
          in any year that the state contributes funds.  The bill also  
          specifies the contents of the report.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Negligible fiscal impact.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Author's Purpose  :  According to the author, AB 837 formally  
            codifies the California program, providing a state point of  
            contact and a conduit for compiling data on the impacts of  
            statewide Small Business Development Center (SBDC) activity.   
            The author also states this bill introduces accountability  
            standards and reporting requirements if and when state  
            appropriations are made to support the California Program.   
            The California Program brings $12 million in federal funding  
            to California.  The author argues this bill establishes a  
            structure whereby California can provide matching funds and  
            ensure that the maximum amount of federal dollars come to  
            California in support of our 3.5 million small businesses.  

           2)Small Business Development Center Program  :  The SBDC program  
            is sponsored by the federal SBA and functions as a cooperative  
            effort of the private sector, the educational community, and  
            federal, state, and local governments.  In California, SBDCs  
            are administered through a partnership between the California  
            State Universities at Chico, Humboldt, and Fullerton; the  








                                                                  AB 837
                                                                  Page  2

            University of California at Merced; Long Beach City College;  
            and Southwestern Community College.

            The SBDCs facilitate the creation, expansion and retention of  
            businesses.  Each SBDC provides one-on-one counseling,  
            workshops, advice, and referrals to prospective and existing  
            business owners.  The SBDCs assist small business with a host  
            of issues including financing, government contracting and  
            business planning and management. 
                
            3)There is no registered opposition to this bill.  


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Roger Dunstan / APPR. / (916) 319-2081