BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2443
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 5, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

               AB 2443 (V. Manuel Perez) - As Amended:  April 20, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              Jobs, Econ.  
          Development & the Economy                     Vote: 4 - 2 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the state point of contact within the  
          executive branch to provide copies within five days to the  
          Legislature of any formal positions or comments concerning  
          pending foreign trade agreements the administration provided to  
          the United States Trade Representative.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          There are no significant costs associated with this legislation.  


           COMMENTS  

           Rationale  . In California, the state point of contact serves, by  
          statute, as the official liaison between the United States Trade  
          Representative, the administration, and the Legislature.  As the  
          liaison, the state point of contact is required to share key  
          correspondence from the United States Trade Representative to  
          the relevant state agencies, departments, and legislative policy  
          committees and to work with the administration and Legislature  
          to review and comment to the United States Trade Representative  
          on the effects of proposed and enacted trade agreements.   

          The state point of contact, however, is not currently required  
          to share a copy of the administration's comments to the United  
          States Trade Representative.  This includes when the governor  
          takes a formal position and/or comments on a pending trade  
          agreement.  The author asserts that "given the importance of  
          international trade and foreign investment in the California  
          economy, the free exchange of information between the state's  








                                                                  AB 2443
                                                                  Page  2

          executive and legislative branches is imperative."

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081