BILL NUMBER: SCR 25 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 30, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senators Block, Allen, Hertzberg, Jackson, Leno,
Stone, and Wolk
(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom, Levine, Linder,
Medina, Nazarian, and Thurmond)
MARCH 5, 2015
Relative to the memorandum of understanding between Israel and
California.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 25, as amended, Block. Trade: Israel: memorandum of
understanding.
This measure would state the Legislature's support for the
memorandum of understanding for strategic partnerships for joint
innovation, exchanges, and cooperation between California and Israel.
Fiscal committee: no.
WHEREAS, The California Legislature recognizes the many ties that
inexorably bind the State of California to the nation of Israel; and
WHEREAS, Two-way trade between Israel and California totaled over
$4.2 billion in 2014--one of the largest two-way trade relationships
between Israel and a state of the United States; and
WHEREAS, California and Israel share close ties and are global
leaders in the alternative energy, environmental technology, and
other technology-based industry sectors; and
WHEREAS, California is home to the largest in-state innovation
network in the United States, which offers
technology-commercialization opportunities for Israel; and
WHEREAS, March 5, 2015, marks the one year
one-year anniversary of the historic meeting at which the
Governor of California and the Prime Minister of Israel signed a
memorandum of understanding (MOU) for strategic partnerships for
joint innovation, exchanges, and cooperation between California and
Israel; and
WHEREAS, This action was the culmination of an effort started in
the California Legislature as Assembly Bill 1032 of the 2009-10
Regular Session, calling for the creation of the MOU geared toward
fostering the exchange of information and research. The MOU will
strengthen relationships with Israel and help California and Israel
grow in these areas; and
WHEREAS, The participants in this MOU seek to expand
have expanded the current level of cooperation
between Israel and California in areas including, but not limited to,
alternative energy, environmental technology, health, food
and , trade, agriculture, and other
technology-based industry sectors, business innovation, research,
development, and academia; and
WHEREAS, Two additional agreements have been signed with the
assistance of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic
Development (GO-Biz). The first agreement being an agreement between
GO-Biz and Israel to add an economic component to the bilateral
partnership and a second agreement between the California Institute
of Regenerative Medicine and Israel's Ministry of Economy to
facilitate matching grants for stem cell research and development;
and
WHEREAS, A cybersecurity strategic plan was developed between
Israel and California to explore government to government high level
security discussions on responding to targeted attacks, gaining
access to California or Israel markets and workforce development
projects; and
WHEREAS, Israeli water experts met with California elected
officials, regional and local water managers, as well as water
management experts from the Central Valley; and
WHEREAS, The unfettered collaboration between Israeli and
California universities has and will benefit multiple
disciplines and enhances the academic experience of the faculty and
students of both countries from Israel and
California ; and
WHEREAS, The Rady School of Management at the University of
California, San Diego, and the David Nazarian College of Business and
Economics at California State University, Northridge, continue to
lead California's collaboration with Israeli universities; and
WHEREAS, The MOU will also establish a formal relationship between
the two parties to foster economic cooperation and economic
development, facilitate joint industrial research and development,
and enhance business relationships and educational opportunities
between all Israeli universities and all California universities to
foster job creation and incubate global solutions from joint
California-Israel California-Israeli innovation
initiatives; and
WHEREAS, Collaboration with Israel will foster peace and democracy
in the Middle East; and
WHEREAS, To achieve these aims, the MOU envisions undertaking the
following actions: convening bilateral, interagency working groups
with international expertise to coordinate initiatives; facilitating
collaborations between Israeli and Californian
California entrepreneurs and researchers through the
California innovation hub network; supporting and encouraging further
development of interpersonal contacts and exchanges and promoting
mutual cooperation, understanding, and friendship by encouraging ad
hoc task forces, trade delegations, and professional exchanges
between Israel and California in key sectors; creating public-private
partnerships between Californian and Israeli entities in the areas
of economic development, social entrepreneurship, and academic
research; strengthening the sister city program; and facilitating
collaboration between universities in California and Israel to foster
research and development; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby supports the
memorandum of understanding for establishing strategic partnerships
between California and Israel that support joint innovation in clean
technologies, water conservation, health, biotechnology,
cybersecurity, education, agricultural technology, research, and
other informational exchanges, and that also promote mutual
cooperation, understanding, and friendship by encouraging trade
delegations and collaboration on mutual projects and issues of
interest; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.