Bill Text: CA ACR100 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relations with El Salvador.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 24-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-09-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 172, Statutes of 2014. [ACR100 Detail]
Download: California-2013-ACR100-Amended.html
Bill Title: Relations with El Salvador.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 24-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-09-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 172, Statutes of 2014. [ACR100 Detail]
Download: California-2013-ACR100-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: ACR 100 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 4, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 21, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Alejo (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Bocanegra, Campos, Cooley, Daly, Eggman, Garcia, Gonzalez, Jones-Sawyer, V. Manuel Pérez, Rendon, Rodriguez, Stone, Wieckowski, and Williams) (Coauthors: Senators Correa, Hueso, Lara, Leno, Monning, and Torres) FEBRUARY 19, 2014 Relative to relations with El Salvador. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 100, as amended, Alejo. Relations with El Salvador. This measure wouldextend an invitation to the people of El Salvador to join California and commit to the development of programs to foster social, economic, educational, scientific, and cultural programs in order to strengthen the democratization process and economic development of El Salvador and to promote economic ties and to improve international understanding and goodwill.encourage the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to work in coordination with the Legislature to develop comprehensive trade promotion and foreign investment activities that encourage stronger economic ties with El Salvador. Fiscal committee:noyes .WHEREAS, El Salvador and California are both centers for cultural and economic exchange; andWHEREAS, El Salvador and California share common cultural ties, similar early history during the period of Spanish colonization, and strong family ties among sectors of their populations; andWHEREAS, California has the largest number of foreign born residents from El Salvador in the nation, with the Cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco having the largest concentration of Salvadorans in California; andWHEREAS, California is currently the eighth largest economy in the world and depends on international trade, which can be enhanced by the economic development of foreign trade partners; and WHEREAS, More than 4.4 million jobs in California depend on international trade, with trade-related employment being one of the strongest growing and well-paying labor sectors in the state; and WHEREAS, El Salvador has an emerging global economy with close cultural and demographic ties to California, providing the state a unique opportunity to engage in binational economic development activities; and WHEREAS, Salvadoran-Americans constitute the second largest Latino community in California,numberingtotaling over one million throughout the state and 6 percent of all immigrants nationwide; andWHEREAS, In 2010, the Legislature officially established the area between Adams Boulevard and 11th Street on Vermont Avenue in the City of Los Angeles as the El Salvador Community Corridor, which is now home to more than 100 Salvadoran businesses; andWHEREAS, California's educational and academic communities, through casework and research studies carried out by prestigious research institutions, have recognized the significant cultural and economic contributions of the Salvadoran-American community in California; andWHEREAS, Salvadoran-American workers in California support our economy with indispensable labor, which in turn provides remittances to families in El Salvador, totaling 16.7 percent of El Salvador's gross domestic product in 2012, the largest percentage in any Latin American country; and WHEREAS, The United States prospered from a$692.6$731 million trade surplus with El Salvador in 2013; and WHEREAS, El Salvador and California would both benefit from increased trade, investment,and tourism, and increased cultural, educational, and scientific exchangestourism, and business partnerships ; and WHEREAS, The United States dollar is used as a medium of exchange in El Salvador, which encourages the United States to import and export goods and services; and WHEREAS, President Barack Obama initiated the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development in 2010, which identified El Salvador as one of four select countries chosen for increased foreign investment based on their track record of partnering with the United States, policy performance, and the potential for continued economic growth; andWHEREAS, The Legislature is committed to encouraging relationships and exchanges between California and other regions of the world in order to promote better economic ties, understanding, and cultural relations; andWHEREAS, Establishing a relationship between El Salvador and California would help achieve these goals, and would stimulate and facilitate additional mutually beneficial exchanges; andWHEREAS, In September 2013, El Salvador was awarded a $277 million grant by the United States to improve El Salvador's competitiveness and productivity in international markets; and WHEREAS, Currently, the World Bank lending portfolio in El Salvador comprises $290 million in commitments for projects including training services and job placement for poor people in urban areas, increasing access to the labor market, strengthening local governments, and improving public education; and WHEREAS, The California Legislature recognizes the potential for mutually beneficial gains resulting from El Salvador's economic development and is committed to encouraging exchanges with El Salvador in order to promote better economic ties through means including, but not limited to, all of the following: (a) Supporting economic development activities of the Salvadoran foreign consulate trade officials located in California to establish partnerships to serve as platforms for expanding California exports and promoting California as a destination for investment. (b) Developing a series of export-related seminars and webinars on best exporting practices, protecting intellectual property rights, and utilizing the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) support services and other related topics. (c) Hosting incoming Salvadoran delegations in order to promote Californian products and services, encourage foreign investment, and expand economic exchange. (d) Facilitating trade missions to El Salvador to promote California products and services in prioritized industries; and WHEREAS, El Salvador is also committed todeveloping a cooperative relationship with Californiapursuing mutually beneficial economic activities with California ; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California,encourageson behalf of the people of the State of California, hereby extends an invitation to the people of El Salvador to join California and commit to the development of programs to foster social, economic, educational, scientific, and cultural programs in order to strengthen the democratization process and economic development of El Salvador and to promote economic ties and improve international understanding and goodwill; and be it furtherGo-Biz, to work in coordination with the Legislature to develop and implement comprehensive trade promotion and foreign investment activities that encourage stronger economic ties with El Salvador. These activities will identify opportunities to work with El Salvador and Salvadoran businesses to support California priority exports to E l Salvador and Salvadoran investments in California; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the President of El Salvador, President Barack Obama, and the Governor of California.