Amended in Senate April 1, 2013

Senate Bill No. 23

Introduced by Senator Lara

December 3, 2012

An act begin delete relating to the Office of New Americans end delete begin insert to add Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 12092) to Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to state government end insert .

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 23, as amended, Lara. begin delete Office of New Americans. end delete begin insert Task Force on Immigrant Integration. end insert

Existing law establishes the Naturalization Services Program, administered within the Department of Community Services and Development, to fund community-based organizations in assisting legal permanent residents in obtaining citizenship.

This bill would begin delete declare the intent of the Legislature to establish the Office of New Americans to coordinate efforts and facilitate programs and services that result in the successful integration of California’s new American immigrants end delete begin insert establish the Task Force on Immigrant Integration within the office of the Governor to provide, among other things, recommendations on protocols and collaboration among governmental agencies to streamline resources to assist immigrant integration end insert .

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of
the following:

(a) Immigrants are a vibrant force in California’s changing
demographics. In 2010, the foreign born represented 13 percent
of the United States population and 27 percent called California
home.

(b) In 2009, 31.4 percent of foreign-born individuals were legal
permanent residents and 44 percent were naturalized citizens.

(c) Of the foreign-born immigrants who are over 16 years of
age, 68 percent participate in the labor force.

(d) According to the federal Small Business Administration, 18
percent of all small business owners in the United States are
immigrants. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, small
businesses owned by immigrants employed an estimated 4.7
million people in 2007, and according to the latest estimates, these
small businesses generated more than $776 billion annually.
According to the United States Census Bureau, despite making up
only 16 percent of the resident population holding a bachelor’s
degree or higher, immigrants represent 33 percent of engineers,
27 percent of mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists,
and 24 percent of physical scientists. In 2011, foreign-born
inventors were credited with contributing to more than 75 percent
of patents issued to the top 10 patent-producing universities,
according to the Partnership for a New American Economy.

(e) Additionally, the purchasing power of Latinos and Asians,
many of whom are immigrants, alone will reach $1.5 trillion and
$775 billion, respectively, by 2015. And, according to the White
House, increased immigration to the United States has increased
the earnings of Americans with more than a high school degree.
Between 1990 and 2004, increased immigration was correlated
with increasing earnings of Americans by 0.7 percent and is
expected to contribute to an increase of 1.8 percent over the long
term.

(f) During the 20th century, the nation launched a movement,
involving federal, state, and local governments, businesses, labor
unions, schools, and social organizations, to help integrate
immigrants into society. Today, however, few programs exist at
the federal or state level to accomplish similar objectives. If they
exist, they are often uncoordinated amongst themselves.

(g) Citizenship and civic participation on the part of all
California residents is vital to the economic and societal well-being
of the state.

(h) It is in the best interest of the state and its residents to
establish an Office of New Americans in state government to
advocate for, and promote cooperation and understanding between,
government agencies and immigrant residents, and to assist
immigrants toward naturalization.

(i) It is in the best interest of the state to support the ability of
all its residents, including immigrants, to be economically
self-sufficient, participate in our nation’s and state’s political
process, and develop a sense of responsibility for their community.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Article 8.5 (commencing with Section 12092) is added
to Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the end insert begin insert Government
Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

 

Article begin insert 8.5. end insert   Immigrant Integration

 

begin insert 12092. end insert   

(a) There is in the Governor’s office the Task Force
on Immigrant Integration to provide both of the following:

(1) On or before January 1, 2015, recommendations on
protocols and collaboration among governmental agencies to
streamline resources to assist immigrant integration and policy
recommendations to the Legislature on integrating immigrants in
the state, including a recommendation on the establishment of an
Office of New Americans.

(2) No later than six months after the date when changes in
federal immigration law occur to authorize undocumented
immigrants to change their legal status, initial recommendations
to the Legislature to ensure the state is ready to assist new
Americans eligible to change their legal status pursuant to federal
law.

(b) (1) The task force shall be comprised of 15 members
appointed by the Governor on or before April 1, 2014. In order to
be eligible for appointment to the task force, an individual shall
have experience and expertise in immigrant integration.

(2) Members of the task force shall serve at the pleasure of the
Governor. Upon the occurrence of a vacancy, the Governor shall
appoint a replacement within 20 days of the vacancy.

(c) Members of the task force shall not be compensated, but
shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses to attend meetings.

(d) The Governor shall select the chair of the task force from
the members appointed, pursuant to subdivision (b).

(e) Meetings of the task force shall be subject to the open
meeting requirements of the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act
(Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part
1).

(f) The task force shall meet at least four times during the
calendar year and meet at least once within the Counties of Fresno,
Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.

end insert

begin delete

SEC. 2.  

It is the intent of the Legislature to establish an Office
of New Americans to coordinate efforts and facilitate programs
and services that result in the successful integration of California’s
new American immigrant.

end delete