WHEREAS, This nation and state were founded on the principles of freedom and equality; and

WHEREAS, Congress enacted the landmark Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making equal employment opportunity without discrimination the law of the land; and

WHEREAS, The 1972 amendments to the Civil Rights Act extended these provisions to all governmental agencies, including those in California; and

WHEREAS, Numerous federal and state laws, regulations, and executive orders prohibit discrimination in employment against any person based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, language, marital status, or sexual orientation in the California state civil service system; and

WHEREAS, The California labor force is comprised of talented workers from all segments of the state’s richly diverse population, enabling this state’s government to lead the nation in recruiting and hiring public civil servants from the general public, professional associations, community organizations, unions, and educational, medical, and public institutions, as well as from private industry; and

WHEREAS, Diversity in state government allows California to better serve the public for which it works and was originally created; and

WHEREAS, Diversity in the state’s civil service workforce at every level allows state government to be more inclusive and responsive to the state’s growing and equally diverse population; and

WHEREAS, The Assembly of the State of California is strongly committed to ensuring that every state agency, board, commission, department, and public educational institution have a diverse workforce; now, therefore, be it