BILL ANALYSIS Ó ACR 45 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 1, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES Richard S. Gordon, Chair ACR 45 (Grove) - As Amended June 14, 2016 SUBJECT: Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933 SUMMARY: Designates November 26, 2016, as Holodomor Remembrance Day and honors the millions of victims of the man-made Ukrainian Famine of 1932-1933, known as "Holodomor," and their descendants who are living throughout California. Specifically, this resolution makes the following legislative findings: 1)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. 2)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. 3)These millions of people were starved to death by forced agricultural collectivization and grain seizures by the Soviet Union. ACR 45 Page 2 4)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. 5)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. 6)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 agriculture, business, academia, government, and the arts. 7)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 capitol, and the dedication ceremony took place on November 7, 2015. FISCAL EFFECT: None REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION: Support None on file ACR 45 Page 3 Opposition None on file Analysis Prepared by:Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800