Amended in Assembly June 30, 2014

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 121

Introduced by Senators Block, Jackson, Leno, Steinberg, and Wolk

(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bloom, Fox, Levine, Lowenthal, Medina, Nazarian, and John A. Pérez)

May 19, 2014

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 121—Relative to the memorandum of understanding between Israel and California.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SCR 121, as amended, Block. Trade: Israel: memorandum of understanding.

This measure would state the Legislature’s support for the memorandum of understanding for begin insert establishing end insert strategic partnerships begin delete for joint innovation, exchanges, and cooperation end delete between California and Israel.

Fiscal committee: no.

WHEREAS, Two-way trade between Israel and California
totaled over $4 billion in 2013--one of the largest two-way trade
relationships between Israel and a United State; 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, The Governor of California and the Prime Minister
of Israel have just 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 the
current level of cooperation between Israel and California in, but
not limited to, alternative energy, environmental technology, health,
food and agriculture, and other technology-based industry sectors,
business innovation, research, and development; 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 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:

(1) Convening bilateral, interagency working groups with
international expertise to coordinate initiatives.

(2) Facilitating collaborations between Israeli and Californian
entrepreneurs and researchers through the California innovation
hub network.

(3) Supporting and encouraging further development of
interpersonal contacts and exchanges and to promote mutual
cooperation, understanding, and friendship by encouraging ad hoc
task forces, trade delegations, and professional exchanges between
Israel and California in key sectors.

(4) Creating of public-private partnerships between Californian
and Israeli entities in the areas of economic development, social
entrepreneurship, or academic research.

(5) Strengthening sister city programs.

(6) 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 begin insert establishing end insert strategic
partnerships begin delete for end delete begin insert between California and Israel that support end insert joint
begin delete innovation, end delete begin insert innovation in clean technologies, water conservation,
health, biotechnology, cybersecurity, education, agricultural
technology, research, and other informational end insert exchanges, and
begin delete cooperation between California and Israel end delete begin insert that also promote mutual
cooperation, understanding, and friendship by encouraging trade
delegations and collaboration on mutual projects and issues of
interest end insert ; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.