Amended in Assembly March 16, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2600

Introduced by Assembly Member Lackey

(Principal begin delete coauthor: Assembly Member end delete begin insert coauthors: Assembly Members Waldron and end insert Wilk)

(Principal coauthors: Senators Fuller and Runner)

February 19, 2016

An act to add Article 7 (commencing with Section 92665) to Chapter 6 of Part 57 of Division 9 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to the University of begin delete California, and making an appropriation therefor. end delete begin insert California. end insert

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2600, as amended, Lackey. University of California: California Institute for Aerospace.

Existing law establishes the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The University of California provides instruction and performs research at the 10 campuses it operates and maintains in Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.

This bill would express legislative findings and declarations relating to the aerospace industry in this state. The bill would request the regents to establish the California Institute for Aerospace to achieve specified goals relating to the development of the aerospace industry in the state. The bill would also request the regents to locate the California Institute for Aerospace at a satellite campus within 20 miles of Edwards Air Force Base or United States Air Force Plant 42 so that it will be in close proximity to a large part of California’s current aerospace research and development. The bill would provide that it would be implemented only to the extent that the regents determine that adequate funding for its purposes has been begin delete appropriated end delete begin insert provided end insert to the University of begin delete California. The bill would appropriate $6,000,000 from the General Fund to the regents for the implementation of the bill. end delete begin insert California, as specified. end insert

Vote:  begin delete ²⁄₃ end delete begin insert majority end insert . Appropriation:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert . Fiscal committee: yes. 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) California’s aerospace industry is a world leader and a
powerful, reliable source of employment, innovation, and export
income, directly employing begin delete more than end delete several hundred thousand
California workers.

(b) The enactment of a state aerospace tax credit in 2014 has
positioned California to receive thousands of new jobs researching,
designing, begin delete and building end delete begin insert building, and testing end insert the Long Range
Strike Bomber following the awarding of the contract by the United
States Air Force in 2015.

(c) In order to maximize the state’s potential for creating new
begin delete research and design end delete begin insert research, design, and manufacturing end insert jobs begin delete both end delete
as a result of this begin delete contract end delete begin insert contract, NASA’s recently announced
New Aviation Horizons initiative for aeronautics research and
development, end insert and the numerous begin delete aerospace-related end delete
begin insert aerospace-related end insert companies already operating in the state, the
creation of the California Institute for Aerospace by the University
of California would greatly amplify the state’s role in the industry
and improve public-private partnerships for innovative research.

(d) The model provided by the Collaborative Center for
Aerospace Sciences, a joint research venture of the United States
Air Force Research Laboratory and the University of California,
Los Angeles, is an example of the partnerships the California
Institute for Aerospace could form and expand.

(e) Throughout the history of the University of California, many
industries have grown in partnership utilizing innovative research
conducted by the university.

SEC. 2.  

Article 7 (commencing with Section 92665) is added
to Chapter 6 of Part 57 of Division 9 of Title 3 of the Education
Code, to read:

 

Article 7.  California Institute for Aerospace

 

92665.  

(a) The Regents of the University of California are
requested to establish the California Institute for Aerospace in
order to achieve all of the following goals:

(1) Grow California’s economy and the aerospace industry by
creating new opportunities for jobs in aerospace research and
design.

(2) Utilize public-private partnerships to perform innovative
research in aerospace technology.

(3) Strengthen California’s position as a global leader in the
aerospace industry by increasing the amount of research,
development, and design taking place in the state.

(4) Maximize California’s role in designing and building the
Long Range Strike Bomber.

begin insert

(5) Develop California’s next generation of engineers and
technicians through expanded career technical education
opportunities within the aerospace industry.

end insert begin insert

(6) Act as an incubator for aerospace-focused small businesses
and technology companies.

end insert

(b) The regents are requested to locate the California Institute
for Aerospace at a satellite campus within 20 miles of Edwards
Air Force Base or United States Air Force Plant 42 so that it will
be in close proximity to a large part of California’s current
aerospace research and development.

92665.5.  

begin delete (a) end delete begin delete   end delete This article shall be implemented only to the
extent that the regents determine that adequate funding for its
purposes begin insert has been provided from federal, local, or private sector
sources, end insert has been appropriated to the University of California in
the annual Budget Act or in another begin delete statute. end delete begin insert statute, or has been
provided from a combination of these sources. end insert

begin delete

(b) The sum of six million dollars ($6,000,000) is hereby
appropriated, without regard to fiscal years, from the General Fund
to the Regents of the University of California for the
implementation of this article.

end delete