Bill Text: CA SCR25 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Trade: Israel: memorandum of understanding.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 53-27-1)
Status: (Passed) 2015-07-22 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 127, Statutes of 2015. [SCR25 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SCR25-Chaptered.html
BILL NUMBER: SCR 25 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
RESOLUTION CHAPTER 127
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE JULY 22, 2015
ADOPTED IN SENATE JULY 16, 2015
ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 13, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 13, 2015
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)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen,
Atkins, Baker, Bigelow, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke,
Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Dababneh, Dahle,
Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Gallagher, Eduardo Garcia,
Gatto, Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Harper,
Holden, Irwin, Jones, Kim, Lackey, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis,
Mayes, McCarty, Melendez, Mullin, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Olsen,
Patterson, Perea, Quirk, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Salas,
Steinorth, Mark Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams,
and Wood)
MARCH 5, 2015
Relative to the memorandum of understanding between Israel and
California.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 25, 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.
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 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 have expanded the current
level of cooperation between Israel and California in areas
including, but not limited to, alternative energy, environmental
technology, health, food, 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 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-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 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.
