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AB-1157 International trade: California State University, Sacramento: Trade Fellowship Pilot Program.(2001-2002)

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 23, 2001
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 30, 2001

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2001–2002 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 1157

Introduced  by  Assembly Member Liu
 (Coauthor(s): Assembly Member Chan, Cogdill, Cohn, Diaz, Oropeza, Reyes, Wyman)

February 23, 2001

An act to add and repeal Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 89225) of Chapter 2 of Part 55 of the Education Code, and to amend Section 15365.40 of the Government Code, relating to international trade.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 1157, as amended, Liu. International trade: California State University, Sacramento: Trade Fellowship Pilot Program.
Existing law establishes the California State University and its various campuses under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University. Existing law authorizes the university to administer numerous educational activities and programs.
This bill would establish the Trade Fellowship Pilot Program as a 2-year program under the administration of the Center for California Studies at the California State University, Sacramento. The bill would require funding for the pilot program to come from private sponsors.
The bill would require an applicant for participation in the program to be a student in good standing, enrolled at, or to be employed as a faculty member employed at, a campus of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California, who is enrolled in, or teaches, a course or courses related to business, business administration, economics, international relations, or international trade, and is able to demonstrate fluency in a language other than English, as prescribed. The bill would require the center to develop procedures and criteria for the submission and evaluation of applications for participation in the program.
The bill would provide that fellowships under the program would last between 6 months and one year. The bill would permit the center to enter into an agreement with the Trade and Commerce Agency so that the fellows may receive hands-on experience that utilizes their linguistic proficiency and enhances their practical understanding of the state’s trade programs and operations and of international trade generally.
The bill would require the center to monitor the progress of each fellow, and, after the completion of the pilot program, to compile a report describing all the projects completed by the fellows. The bill would require that copies of this report be submitted, in a timely manner, to the Legislature, the Secretary of Trade and Commerce, and to the private businesses that participate in the pilot program.
The bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2005.
The bill would make a conforming reference to the university in an expression of legislative intent contained in an existing statute relating to public-private trade development organizations.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 89225) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 55 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  3.5. Trade Fellowship Pilot Program

89225.
 The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:
(a) The California economy is the sixth largest economy in the world.
(b) One out of every five jobs in California is linked to California’s exports to foreign markets.
(c) Many of California’s colleges and universities provide courses and degrees in international trade, economics, business, and administration that are important to creating a state workforce that helps California create jobs through exports.
(d) Trade fellowship opportunities for California’s students in the areas of business, business administration, economics, international relations, or international trade better prepare graduates to find employment opportunities, to participate and contribute to the state’s international economy, and to learn the most current technology, including e-commerce and techniques relating to international trade in a constantly changing global economy.

89225.5.
 (a) The Trade Fellowship Pilot Program established pursuant to this article shall be a two-year program. The pilot program shall be administered by the Center for California Studies of the California State University, Sacramento. The pilot program shall be funded by private sponsors.
(b) An applicant for participation in the program shall be a student in good standing, enrolled at, or employed as a faculty member a faculty member employed at, a campus of the California Community Colleges, the California State University, or the University of California, who is enrolled in, or teaches, a course or courses related to business, business administration, economics, international relations, or international trade. An applicant shall demonstrate fluency in a language other than English and that is the primary language used in the country where the fellow will be placed. The center shall develop procedures and criteria for the submission and evaluation of applications for participation in the program.
(c) The length of an a fellowship granted under this article may vary from six months to one year. In arranging fellowships under this article, the Center for California Studies may enter into an agreement with the Trade and Commerce Agency in order to achieve the best possible placement of fellows in overseas trade offices that are actively engaged in promoting exports and able to provide fellows with hands-on experience that utilizes their linguistic proficiency and enhances their practical understanding of the state’s trade programs and operations and of international trade generally.
(d) The Center for California Studies shall require each fellow to complete a project related to California trade or business overseas. A fellow may be placed in a state overseas trade office, or in a private business in an area where the state has established a trade office or where the state and the foreign nation have entered into a memorandum of understanding. The Center for California Studies shall monitor the progress of each fellow, and, after the completion of the pilot program, shall compile a report describing all the projects completed by the fellows. Copies of this report shall be submitted, in a timely manner, to the Legislature, the Secretary of Trade and Commerce, and to the private businesses that participate in the pilot program.

89225.9.
 This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2005, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2005, deletes or extends that date.

SEC. 2.

 Section 15365.40 of the Government Code is amended to read:

15365.40.
 The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(a) Aggressive efforts to broaden the exportation of California-based goods and services are a key to sustaining the state’s economy in the face of aggressive competition from government-funded programs of other states and countries.
(b) Public-private trade development organizations such as the CalTrade Coalition, Centers for International Trade Development, Regional Technology Alliances, and the Export Managers’ Association of California, are effective at expanding California exports with support of the federal government, local governments, and the private sector. It is in the state’s interest to use these organizations as cost-effective local delivery mechanisms of California trade services, especially to small- and medium-size businesses.
(c) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature to accomplish the following goals by developing and using a statewide alliance of public-private trade development organizations, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 15365.41:
(1) Leverage available federal, local, public, and private investments in the organizations.
(2) Provide better local outreach and more “one-stop” delivery of export services to California businesses from entities, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(A) State agencies, including, but not necessarily limited to, California overseas trade offices and other Trade and Commerce Agency programs, the Department of Food and Agriculture, California Community College EDNet Centers for International Trade Development, the California State University, and the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission.
(B) The private sector, including for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations, such as regional alliances, partnerships, and economic development corporations.
(C) Federal government programs, including the United States Department of Commerce Commercial Service, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service, and other pertinent agencies.
(D) Local government, including, but not necessarily limited to, ports and airports.
(E) Other local community-based organizations committed to international trade development, such as chambers of commerce, as well as city, county, and regional economic development organizations, including members of the California Association of Local Economic Development, and any other appropriate organizations.
(3) Leverage investments in electronic resources that provide an information clearinghouse with tutorials and a data base of federal, state, and local international trade information.
(4) Support the Trade and Commerce Agency’s development of an international trade strategy that addresses public-private partnerships, a federal-state-local division of labor, and local delivery of trade services.