Economic development.

(1) Existing law, the California Trade and Investment Act, designates the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency as the state agency primarily responsible for international trade and investment activities in the state, subject to specified conditions. The act authorizes the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing to, in that capacity, carry out various powers and duties related to encouraging international trade and investment in the state, including, among others, developing an international trade and investment policy and strategy for the state, and convening or joining a statewide business partnership for international trade and investment. The act also imposes various related restrictions on the secretary's authority, including, among others, prohibiting the Controller from allocating any state funds to the secretary for international trade and investment activities if specified requirements are met. Existing law authorizes the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing to accept private donations for the purposes of promoting international trade and investment, and requires those moneys to be deposited in the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account, a continuously appropriated fund in the Special Deposit Fund in the State Treasury. Existing law authorizes the secretary to use money in that account for purposes of supporting international trade and investment offices, and for expenses incurred to promote international trade and investment that will directly benefit California businesses. This bill would repeal the authority of the Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing to carry out the powers and duties described above. The bill would instead authorize the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development serve as the state agency primarily responsible for international trade and investment activities in the state, and, in that capacity, authorize that agency to carry out specified powers and duties including, among others, establishing and terminating an international trade and investment office outside of the United States, and accepting private donations for those purposes. The bill would authorize the office to designate a nonprofit entity to operate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States. The bill would require the office to carry out various duties related to encouraging international trade and investment in the state, including, among others, developing and implementing an International Trade and Investment Program, and developing an international trade and investment strategy for the state. The bill would prohibit the Controller from allocating any state funds to the secretary for international trade and investment activities if the international trade and investment strategy is not prepared by a specified date. The bill would impose various limitations on the office in the collection and management of money donated to the office for international trade and investment purposes, including, among others, a limitation on the amount that can be donated by a single donor, and public disclosure requirements. The bill would authorize the office to use money in the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account for purposes of promoting international trade and investment events. By expanding the scope of a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would constitute an appropriation. (2) Existing law requires a business or entity to obtain various environmental permits prior to undertaking any project that may have an impact on the environment. Existing law also requires the Secretary for Environmental Protection to establish an electronic online permit assistance center for the purpose of assisting a business or other entity with complying with laws and regulations implemented by a board, department, or office within the California Environmental Protection Agency. This bill would instead require the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development to establish and maintain the electronic online permit assistance center described above. The bill would expand the scope of the electronic online permit assistance center to include any business or other entity subject to a law or regulation implemented by any agency, authority, bureau, board, commission, conservancy, council, department, state district, or office. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.