Amended in Assembly April 11, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 45

Introduced by Assembly Member Grove

March 11, 2015

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 45— begin delete Relative to state government. end delete begin insert Relative to the Ukrainian Famine of 1932 end insert begin insert -1933. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

ACR 45, as amended, Grove. begin delete State agency budgets: legislative review: zero-based budgeting. end delete begin insert Ukrainian Famine of 1932 end insert begin insert -1933. end insert

begin insert This measure would remember and honor the millions of victims of the man-made Ukrainian Famine of 1932 end insert begin insert -1933, known as “Holodomor,” and their descendants who are living throughout California. The measure would also designate November 26, 2016, as Holodomor Remembrance Day. end insert

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This measure would state the intent of the Legislature to conduct an in-depth review of the budgets of the 40 largest budgets of state agencies and departments over a period 5 years using a zero-based budgeting approach, as specified. The measure would also request that the the first 8 state agencies and departments selected for review provide specified information to the Assembly Committee on Budget and the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review before June 30, 2016.

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Fiscal committee:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert .

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WHEREAS, The Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as
“Holodomor,” was a man-made famine that caused the deaths of
at least five million innocent men, women, and children in Ukraine,
resulting in an annihilation of an estimated 25 percent of the rural
population of that country, one of the most productive agricultural
areas of the Soviet Union; and

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WHEREAS, This man-made famine also resulted in the deaths
of an estimated one to two million people in regions outside
Ukraine, mostly in the largely ethnic Ukrainian North Caucasus
territory; and

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WHEREAS, These millions of people were starved to death by
forced agricultural collectivization and grain seizures by the Soviet
Union; and

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WHEREAS, Western observers and scholars who accurately
reported on the existence of the famine as it was occurring were
subjected to disparagement and criticism for their reporting; and

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WHEREAS, The Soviet Union and many scholars in the West
denied the existence of the famine until the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991 when Soviet Union archives became accessible,
thereby making the documentation of the premeditated nature of
the famine and its harsh enforcement possible; and

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WHEREAS, The final report of the U.S. Commission on the
Ukraine Famine, established on December 13, 1985, concluded
that the victims were “starved to death in a man-made famine;”
and

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WHEREAS, Although the famine was one of the greatest losses
of human life in the 20th century, its occurrence remains
insufficiently known in the United States and throughout the world;
and

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WHEREAS, The official recognition of the famine by the
government of Ukraine and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
represents a significant step in the reestablishment of Ukraine’s
national identity and the advancement of efforts to establish a
democratic and free Ukraine that is fully integrated into the
Western community of nations; and

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WHEREAS, Whether Ukrainian immigrants were fleeing
political oppression or religious persecution to pursue better lives
for themselves and their families, the desire to live in peace and
enjoy liberty was so valued that it drew generations of Ukrainian
immigrants to the United States and California in an effort to
rebuild their lives; and

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WHEREAS, California is now home to the third largest
Ukrainian-American population in the United States, and
Ukrainians living in California have enriched our state through
their leadership and contributions in business, agriculture,
academia, government, and the arts; and

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WHEREAS, In August 2015, a memorial to the millions who
perished in the Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as
“Holodomor,” was erected in the United States capital, and the
dedication ceremony took place on November 7, 2015; now,
therefore, be it

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Resolved by the Assembly of the State of
California, the Senate thereof concurring, That
the millions of victims of the man-made Ukrainian Famine of
1932-1933, known as “Holodomor,” and their descendants living
throughout California should be solemnly remembered and
honored; and be it further

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Resolved, That the Legislature designates November 26,
2016, as Holodomor Remembrance Day in California and
encourages individual citizens, educators, businesses, groups,
organizations, and public institutions to observe Holodomor
Remembrance Day with appropriate activities designed to honor
the victims and educate Californians about this tragedy; and be
it further

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Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit
copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

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WHEREAS, Article IV of the California Constitution provides
that it is the responsibility of the Legislature to oversee the
operations of the executive branch and its various agencies and
departments; and

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WHEREAS, Article IV further provides that it is the
responsibility of the Legislature to develop a budget for the State
of California; and

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WHEREAS, A zero-based budgeting approach is one in which
agency and department budgets are evaluated on program-level
efficiencies, instead of only marginal changes; and

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WHEREAS, In recent years, the National Conference of State
Legislatures has reported that 17 states have used zero-based
budgeting in some form and several more have made serious efforts
to do so; and

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WHEREAS, The National Conference of State Legislatures
indicates that states such as Idaho have successfully used
zero-based budgeting as a management tool as well as a budgetary
tool; and

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WHEREAS, The State of Washington, among others,
successfully used a variant of zero-based budgeting starting in
2002 to align expenditures with desired outcomes and balanced
the budget of the State of Washington without tax increases; and

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WHEREAS, The elected representatives of the Legislature have
a duty to guard taxpayer dollars against waste, fraud, and abuse;
and

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WHEREAS, The largest 40 state agency and department budgets
account for more than one-half of the total budget for the State of
California; and

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WHEREAS, The largest 40 state agency and department budgets
include all entities expending more than $100 million in state
funds; now, therefore, be it

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Resolved by The Assembly of The State of California, The Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature intends to conduct an
in-depth review, over a period of 5 years, of the 40 largest budgets
of state agencies and departments with state positions; and be it
further

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Resolved, That the Legislature intends to use a zero-based
budgeting approach during this review; and be it further

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Resolved, That the 40 largest budgets of state agencies and
departments with state positions will be identified by the
Legislature on or before June 30, 2015, based on amounts allocated
to these agencies in the 2014-15 budget; and be it further

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Resolved, That the Legislature will choose the first eight
agencies and departments for review before the 2015 Interim Study
Recess; and be it further

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Resolved, That those eight agencies and departments are
requested, before June 30, 2016, to provide to the Assembly
Committee on Budget and the Senate Committee on Budget and
Fiscal Review a complete list of logical “decision units” within
an agency’s budget, which are programs, activities, or
organizational entities. For each of these units, the agencies and
departments are requested to provide all of the following:

(a) A proposed minimum level of funding for viability for the
2017-18 fiscal year.

(b) Current expenditures.

(c) Program goals that can be quantified, including any goals
that are required by citations of existing law.

(d) Progress toward those goals; and be it further

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Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.

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