Bill Text: CA ACR211 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Cricket.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-08-26 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 181, Statutes of 2024. [ACR211 Detail]

Download: California-2023-ACR211-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  August 07, 2024

Amended  IN  Assembly  June 26, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Concurrent Resolution

No. 211

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Introduced by Assembly Member Kalra

June 06, 2024

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Relative to cricket.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

ACR 211, as amended, Kalra. Cricket.

This measure would urge the California Interscholastic Federation to take steps towards officially recognizing the game of cricket in California, as provided, and recognize the historical significance of cricket and the pioneer state cricket players.

Digest Key

Fiscal Committee: NO  

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Bill Text

WHEREAS, Cricket, the second most popular global sport, is a sportsmanship game played around the world in the open air by tens of millions of people, especially young people; and

WHEREAS, Games similar to cricket were played by early English settlers in America; these games were driven into obscurity by the new American sport of baseball, but many words from cricket are used by baseball players and fans to this day, such as bat, fielder, and inning; and

WHEREAS, Cricket’s popularity never declined in the countries that make up the United Kingdom; many of the Commonwealth and other countries that play top-level cricket to this day, including Australia, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, are nations that share a political heritage that includes the game of cricket; and

WHEREAS, In the nations that play cricket, the game is celebrated as a way to demonstrate skill in both athleticism and mental poise, and where calmness and patience are as essential to the game of cricket as the ability to swing a straight bat; and

WHEREAS, The rules of cricket enable the game to be played and enjoyed by both men and women, and women’s cricket is played all over the world; and

WHEREAS, The game of cricket is overwhelmingly associated with fair play and good sportsmanship; and

WHEREAS, Many California state residents, especially youth, were born or have family origins in the countries, nations, and cultures where cricket is played as a principal sport, and they would like to play this sport in the state and receive official recognition; and

WHEREAS, Cricket, typically played at the club level, is a growing sport in American colleges and universities; and

WHEREAS, Indiana was the first state to add cricket as a physical education option to their in-class school curriculum in 2014, and in the years since, other states Other states, such as Illinois and Michigan Illinois, have passed supportive resolutions for the sport of cricket; and

WHEREAS, The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is a member-driven organization with an established process for sanctioning new sports; and

WHEREAS, In this process, a CIF member school presents a proposal to the league they are associated with and the league commissioner may then present the proposal to their local CIF Section Office for adoption; and

WHEREAS, Upon adoption by the local CIF Section Office, and review by the CIF State Office and Executive Committee, the proposal is submitted to the CIF Federated Council for vetting, first readings, and a final vote; and

WHEREAS, Cricket will be included in the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the first time the sport has featured in the Olympics since the 1900 Paris Olympic Games; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the time has come when California should add cricket to the list of sports that high school-age pupils can officially play and enjoy; therefore, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is urged to take steps towards officially recognizing the game of cricket in the state, should the game of cricket be brought forward from a CIF member school and ultimately elevated to, and approved by, the CIF Federated Council; and be it further

Resolved, That this recognition process should move towards the organization of state interschool cricket play for those secondary schools that wish to field a team; and be it further

Resolved, That the organization of state interschool cricket play should maximize the ability of state-origin cricketers to continue playing at the college-university level; and be it further

Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes the historical significance of cricket and the pioneer state cricket players who have begun to play this game on their own before the official games that will be played by future generations; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.