Bill Text: CA SB1392 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Office of New American Integration.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-10 - From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on RLS. [SB1392 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SB1392-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 1392	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 10, 2014

INTRODUCED BY    Senators   Torres 
   and Lara   Senator 
 Lara 

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2014

    An act to amend Section 12080.1 of the Government Code,
relating to state government.   An act to add Article
8.5 (commencing with Section 12092) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of
Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to state
government. 



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1392, as amended,  Torres  Lara. 
State government.   Office of New American Integration.
 
   Existing law establishes the Naturalization Services Program,
administered within the Department of Community Services and
Development, to fund community-based organizations in assisting legal
permanent residents in obtaining citizenship.  
   This bill would establish the Office of New American Integration
in the Governor's office for the purpose of formulating a
comprehensive state strategy to support the integration of immigrants
in the state, including the improvement of the current social and
economic mobility and self-sufficiency of documented immigrants. The
bill would require the Governor to appoint a director to administer
the office.  
   The bill would also require the director to, on or before January
1, 2016, provide the Governor and the Legislature with specified
information, including a short- and long-term state strategy on
integrating immigrants into the state. The bill would require the
director to create an Internet Web site to disseminate information on
support for the integration of immigrants in the state. The bill
would authorize the director to establish a task force to accomplish
the requirements of these provisions.  
   Existing law authorizes the Governor, from time to time, to
examine the organization of all agencies and to determine what
changes are necessary to accomplish specified government goals,
including, but not limited to, promotion of more effective management
of the executive and administrative branch of the state government.
 
   This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to these
provisions. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   SECTION 1.    The Legislature hereby finds and
declares all of the following:  
   (a) Immigrants are a vibrant force in California's changing
demographics. Our state is home to more than 10 million
immigrants-more than any other state.  
   (b) In 2011, the foreign born represented 13 percent of the United
States population and 27 percent of the California population. 

   (c) According to the Public Policy Institute of California's 2013
study entitled, "Immigrants in California," most immigrants in
California are documented residents. "Almost half (47%) of California'
s immigrants are naturalized U.S. citizens, and another 26% have some
other legal status (including green cards and visas)."  
   (d) Additionally, the study found that most immigrants are working
age adults and are more likely than United States born residents to
be employed, but make less money. Of the immigrants between 18 and 64
years of age, 64 percent participate in the labor force. Yet despite
low wages, immigrant communities contribute to both our state and
local economies. At the state level, immigrants pay roughly $5.2
billion in state income taxes and $4.6 billion in sales taxes each
year.  
   (e) According to the federal Small Business Administration, 18
percent of all small business owners in the United States are
immigrants. According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, small
businesses owned by immigrants employed an estimated 4.7 million
people in 2007, and according to the latest estimates, these small
businesses generated more than $776 billion annually. According to
the United States Census Bureau, despite making up only 16 percent of
the resident population holding a bachelor's degree or higher,
immigrants represent 33 percent of engineers, 27 percent of
mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists, and 24
percent of physical scientists. In 2011, foreign-born inventors were
credited with contributing to more than 75 percent of patents issued
to the top 10 patent-producing universities, according to the
Partnership for a New American Economy.  
   (f) Additionally, the purchasing power of Latinos and Asians, many
of whom are immigrants, alone will reach $1.5 trillion and $775
billion, respectively, by 2015. According to the White House, the
increased immigration to the United States has increased the earnings
of Americans with more than a high school degree. Between 1990 and
2004, increased immigration was correlated with increasing earnings
of Americans by 0.7 percent and is expected to contribute to an
increase of 1.8 percent over the long term.  
   (g) During the 20th century, the nation launched a movement,
involving federal, state, and local governments, businesses, labor
unions, schools, and social organizations, to help integrate
immigrants into society. Today, however, few programs exist at the
federal or state level to accomplish similar objectives. If they
exist, they are often uncoordinated amongst themselves.  
   (h) Citizenship and civic participation on the part of all
California residents are vital to the economic and societal
well-being of the state.  
   (i) It is in the best interest of the state and its residents to
establish an Office of New Americans in state government to advocate
for, and promote cooperation and understanding between, governmental
agencies and immigrant residents, and to assist immigrants toward
naturalization.  
   (j) It is in the best social and economic interest of the state to
enable all its residents, including immigrants, to be economically
self-sufficient, participate in our nation's and state's political
process, and develop a sense of responsibility for their community.

   SEC. 2.    Article 8.5 (commencing with Section
12092) is added to Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of
the   Government Code   , to read:  

      Article 8.5.  New American Integration


   12092.  (a) The Office of New American Integration is hereby
established in the Governor's office for the purpose of formulating a
comprehensive state strategy to support the integration of
immigrants in the state, including the improvement of the current
social and economic mobility and self-sufficiency of documented
immigrants. The Governor shall appoint a director to administer the
office.
   (b) The director shall, on or before January 1, 2016, provide all
of the following to the Governor and the Legislature:
   (1) An identification of all programs and services currently
managed by a state agency, department, local governmental agency,
including the local offices of immigrant affairs established by the
County of Los Angeles and the County of Santa Clara, and a nonprofit
organization to support immigrant integration, including
naturalization services and other immigrant assistance programs. This
identification shall include the annual funding source and level of
each program and service.
   (2) Recommendations on protocols and collaboration efforts among
governmental agencies to streamline resources to assist immigrant
integration, that includes a recommendation based upon a feasibility
analysis of consolidating programs into the office.
   (3) A short-term and long-term state strategy, with policy
recommendations and best practices, on integrating immigrants in the
state, including solutions for improving social and economic mobility
and self-sufficiency for immigrants.
   (4) Strategies and policy recommendations for how to integrate
people who establish that they are Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals
pursuant to federal requirements and support their social,
educational and economic mobility and self-sufficiency. Specifically,
the director shall identify barriers and opportunities for accessing
advanced degrees, educational residency programs, professional
licensing exams, and professional licenses.
   (c) The director shall create an Internet Web site to disseminate
appropriate information, including applications for programs,
services, resources, and opportunities to further the purposes of
this section.
   (d) No later than six months after the date when federal
immigration legislation is enacted to authorize undocumented
immigrants to change their legal status, the director shall provide
initial recommendations to the Legislature to ensure the state is
ready to assist immigrants eligible to change their legal status
pursuant to federal law.
   (e) The director may establish a task force to accomplish the
requirements established in this section. In order to be eligible for
appointment to the task force, an individual shall have experience
and expertise in immigrant integration.  
  SECTION 1.    Section 12080.1 of the Government
Code is amended to read:
   12080.1.  The Governor, from time to time, shall examine the
organization of all agencies and shall determine what changes are
necessary to accomplish one or more of the following purposes:
   (a) To promote the better execution of the laws, more effective
management of the executive and administrative branch of the state
government and of its agencies and functions, and expeditious
administration of the public business;
   (b) To reduce expenditures and promote economy to the fullest
extent practicable consistent with efficient operation of the state
government;
   (c) To increase the efficiency of the operation of the state
government to the fullest extent practicable;
   (d) To group, consolidate, and coordinate agencies and functions
thereof as nearly as possible according to major purposes;
   (e) To reduce the number of agencies by consolidating those having
similar functions under a single head, and to abolish those agencies
or functions thereof as may not be necessary for the efficient
operation of the state government;
   (f) To eliminate overlapping and duplicative effort.
   The Legislature declares that the public interest requires that
the purposes set forth in this section be carried out, and that they
may be accomplished more speedily and effectively under this article,
than by the enactment of specific legislation.