State government: international relations.

(1) Existing law, the California International Trade and Investment Act, identifies the Governor as the primary state officer representing this state's interests in international affairs, as specified, and additionally identifies the respective roles of other specified points of contact within the executive branch. The act imposes various responsibilities on the state point of contact, including, among others, serving as the liaison between the state and the Office of the United States Trade Representative on trade-related matters. This bill would additionally require the state point of contact to provide to specified legislative committees, within 5 business days, copies of any official position or comments that any entity within the executive branch of state government provided to the United States Trade Representative regarding a pending trade agreement. (2) The California International Trade and Investment Act also requires the Office of Planning and Research to maintain and update a full and comprehensive list of all state agreements made with foreign governments, as specified. This bill would authorize the Legislature or the Governor to initiate a Sister State relationship, as defined, with a foreign nation or jurisdiction within a foreign nation. This bill would make it the policy of the state to certify and officially recognize Sister State relationships that satisfy prescribed criteria. The bill would make the office responsible for certifying Sister State relationships that satisfy these criteria, and maintaining a list of these Sister State relationships, as specified.