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AB-61 Rural Development Export Act of 1999.(1999-2000)

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Assembly Bill No. 61
CHAPTER 598

An act to add Section 15365.11 to the Government Code, relating to international trade, and making an appropriation therefor.

[ Filed with Secretary of State  October 10, 1999. Approved by Governor  October 05, 1999. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 61, Cardoza. Rural Development Export Act of 1999.
Existing law establishes the California Office of Export Development within the California State World Trade Commission, and sets forth the duties of the office in strengthening the state’s activities in marketing its agricultural, manufacturing, and service industries overseas.
Existing law also establishes the California Export Finance Office within the California State World Trade Commission, and sets forth the duties of the office in expanding employment and income opportunities for Californians through increased exposure of California goods, services, and agricultural commodities, by providing actual and potential California exporters with information and technical assistance on export opportunities and exporting techniques, and financial assistance in support of export transactions.
This bill would enact the Rural Development Export Act of 1999. It would require the California Office of Export Development to develop a program to be known as the Rural Export Strategy, to include specified outreach activities. It would require that the strategy be developed in collaboration with, and use available resources of, relevant agencies, organizations, and businesses that serve or are located within rural California, or both, and include a cost-effective mechanism to educate the staff in California’s overseas trade offices about products and services available from the state’s rural communities.
This bill would require the Rural Export Strategy to include provisions describing how the California Export Finance Office can be more accessible and more utilized by rural businesses. It would also require the strategy to be submitted to the California State World Trade Commission.
This bill would appropriate the sum of $50,000 from the General Fund to the Office of Export Development for the purposes of the bill.
Appropriation: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Rural Development Export Act of 1999.

SEC. 2.

 (a) The Legislature finds that while the California Office of Export Development has worked hard on assisting manufacturers and service industries to market their products overseas, rural communities have also benefited from the office’s activities related to nonagricultural products.
(b) The Legislature further finds that California’s rural communities experience unemployment rates that often exceed those of urban and suburban communities, and that enabling these rural communities to more fully integrate into the global economy will lead to higher employment in rural California.
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this act to support rural communities in their development as full participants in the global economy.

SEC. 3.

 Section 15365.11 is added to the Government Code, to read:

15365.11.
 (a) The California Office of Export Development shall develop a rural manufacturing and service export program to be known as the Rural Export Strategy.
(b) Rural Export Strategy program outreach activities shall include, but need not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) Identifying and recruiting delegations of potential foreign buyers of products manufactured or produced in rural areas.
(2) Providing information and technical assistance to rural businesses interested in exporting products and services.
(3) Organizing and conducting trade missions for rural businesses through the development of public-private partnerships with local trade organizations.
(4) Conducting market research.
(5) Increasing awareness in rural communities of export services offered by the International Trade and Investment Division of the Trade and Commerce Agency.
(c) The Rural Export Strategy shall provide a means by which current programs and resources provided by or available through state government can be made available to rural manufacturers and service providers so that all regions in California are served.
(d) The Rural Export Strategy shall be developed in collaboration with relevant agencies, organizations, and businesses that serve or are located within rural California, or both, including, but not limited to, economic development councils, private industry councils, rural conservation and development councils, local, state, and federal agencies, Centers for International Trade Development, the California Community Colleges Economic Development Program, and chambers of commerce. The strategy shall use the resources available through these agencies, organizations, businesses, and others that the office determines are appropriate to improve outreach and the availability of state export development programs and resources.
(e) The Rural Export Strategy shall include a cost-effective mechanism to educate the staff in California’s overseas trade offices about products and services available from the state’s rural communities.
(f) In addition to other state business and export development resources, the Rural Export Strategy shall include provisions describing how the California Export Finance Office can be more accessible and more utilized by rural businesses.
(g) The Rural Export Strategy shall be submitted to the California State World Trade Commission for consideration and implementation, where appropriate.

SEC. 4.

 The sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the California Office of Export Development for the purposes of this act.