Amended in Senate August 31, 2015

Amended in Senate June 11, 2015

Amended in Assembly April 6, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 706

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Baker, Dodd, Eduardo Garcia, Rodriguez, and Salas)

February 25, 2015

An act to add Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 8400) to Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to begin delete California Volunteers. end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 706, as amended, Bonilla. begin delete California Volunteers. end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers. end insert

Under existing law, by executive order, begin delete California Volunteers end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert is established in the office of the Governor and is charged with overseeing programs and initiatives for service and volunteerism.

This bill would authorize begin delete California Volunteers, end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers, end insert for so long as it is authorized to exist, to form a tax-exempt public benefit nonprofit corporation, or other tax-exempt entity, qualified under federal and state law to raise revenues and receive grants or other financial support from private or public sources, for the purposes of undertaking or funding any lawful activity authorized to be undertaken by begin delete California Volunteers. end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers. end insert This bill would require the nonprofit corporation or other tax-exempt entity to use the financial support it seeks to be used solely for the governmental purposes approved by begin delete California Volunteers end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert for activities within the scope of authority of begin delete California Volunteers. end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers. end insert

This bill would also establish California AmeriCorps - STEM in state government, to be administered by begin delete California Volunteers end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert and operate under existing federal AmeriCorps program guidelines. This bill would require that California AmeriCorps - STEM members be begin delete determined end delete begin insert selected end insert through an application process for eligible college graduates or students, as specified. This bill would allow a nonprofit corporation, as specified, or a public entity to apply, individually or in partnership with a corporation or individual interested in the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, to begin delete California Volunteers, end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers, end insert through a competitive request for proposal process, to host one or more California AmeriCorps - STEM members. This bill would provide that the purpose of California AmeriCorps - STEM is to increase STEM education programs to prepare the next generation for jobs in the STEM fields. This bill would authorize begin delete California Volunteers end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert to solicit and accept private funding to help supplement the costs of California AmeriCorps - STEM.

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.  

Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 8400) is
added to Division 1 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:

 

Chapter  5.6. begin delete California Volunteers end delete
begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert

 

8400.  

(a)  begin delete California Volunteers, end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers, end insert as
established by Executive Order S-24-06, is authorized to form a
tax-exempt public benefit nonprofit corporation, or other
tax-exempt entity, qualified under federal and state law to raise
revenues and receive grants or other financial support from private
or public sources, for the purposes of undertaking or funding any
lawful activity authorized to be undertaken by begin delete California
Volunteers. end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers. end insert Financial support sought by the
nonprofit corporation or other tax-exempt entity shall be used
solely for the governmental purposes approved by begin delete California
Volunteers end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert for activities within the scope of
authority of begin delete California Volunteers. end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers. The
mission of the nonprofit corporation or other tax-exempt entity is
as follows: end insert

begin insert

(1) To support the funding of California AmeriCorps - STEM
programming and administrative costs.

end insert begin insert

(2) To support any priorities set forth by the Governor or the
CaliforniaVolunteers board of commissioners.

end insert

(b) The authority granted in subdivision (a) shall expire if the
governor rescinds Executive Order S-24-06 or otherwise rescinds
the establishment of begin delete California Volunteers. end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers. end insert

8405.  

(a) California AmeriCorps - STEM is hereby established
to be administered by begin delete California Volunteers, end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers, end insert
as established by Executive Order S-24-06. California AmeriCorps
- STEM shall operate under the existing federal AmeriCorps
program guidelines.

(b)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert California AmeriCorps - STEM members shall be
selected through an application process. Eligibility shall be based
on the qualifications required for the federal AmeriCorps members,
as of January 1, 2015, and all of the following:

begin delete

(1)

end delete

begin insert (A) end insert  The applicant shall have an associate or a baccalaureate
degree or be enrolled in a two-year or four-year postsecondary
institution.

begin delete

(2)

end delete

begin insert (B) end insert  The applicant shall be 18 years of age or older.

begin delete

(3)

end delete

begin insert (C) end insert  The applicant shall provide proof that he or she lives in
California.

begin insert

(2) For the first three years in which California AmeriCorps -
STEM members are selected, no more than 40 members shall be
selected per year. For the fourth year, and each year thereafter,
the amount of members selected may increase or decrease in size
depending on the amount of available funds collected by the
foundation established by this chapter.

end insert

(c) A nonprofit corporation that is exempt from federal income
taxation as an organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code or a public entity may apply, individually
or in partnership with a corporation or individual interested in the
promotion of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
education, to begin delete California Volunteers, end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert through
a competitive request for proposal process, to host one or more
California AmeriCorps - STEM members. The purpose of
California AmeriCorps - STEM is to bring more STEM education
programs into California schools, expanded learning programs,
after school programs, and neighborhood and regional centers for
children in order to prepare the next generation for jobs in the
STEM fields.

(d)  begin delete California Volunteers end delete begin insert CaliforniaVolunteers end insert is authorized to
solicit and accept private funding to help supplement the costs of
California AmeriCorps - STEM. These private funding sources
may include, but are not limited to, foundations, corporate funding,
crowdfunding, donation drives, or any other sources of private
investment that may be available. begin insert No more than one hundred
thousand dollars ($100,000) in moneys received from the state per
year shall, upon appropriation by the Legislature, be spent for
administrative costs of the foundation established by this chapter. end insert

begin insert

(e) General Fund moneys shall not be used for California
AmeriCorps - STEM programs.

end insert