California Youth Legislature.

Existing law establishes the California Senior Legislature to provide model legislation for older citizens and advocate for the needs of seniors. This law establishes in the State Treasury the California Fund for Senior Citizens to receive contributions from tax return designations to support the sessions of the California Senior Legislature. Existing law authorizes individual taxpayers to contribute amounts in excess of their tax liability for the support of specified funds or accounts. This bill would establish the California Youth Legislature, composed of students ages 14 to 18 years, inclusive, and, subject to specified considerations, to provide model legislation and advocate for the needs of youth. The California Youth Legislature would be charged with examining and discussing policy and fiscal issues affecting the interests, needs, and conditions of the youth of California and with formally advising and making recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor on specific issues affecting youth. The bill would create the California Youth Legislature Advisory Committee, the members of which would serve without salary, and which would be chaired by the chair of the Joint Committee on Rules and composed of appointed representatives of organizations with expertise on issues facing youths, which, among other duties, would appoint members of the youth legislature. The bill would require the advisory committee to enter into an interagency agreement with the Joint Committee on Rules to carry out necessary administrative functions. The advisory committee also would be charged with determining when there are sufficient funds to support the program and if it determines that there are insufficient funds to cover all costs, the activities of the California Youth Legislature would cease. The bill would provide that funds for the California Youth Legislature would be allocated from the California Youth Leadership Fund to be created by AB 2017 of the 2009–10 Regular Session, upon appropriation by the Legislature. That fund would be supported by taxpayer designations by individuals of specified amounts in excess of their tax liability. The bill also would authorize the California Youth Legislature to accept gifts and grants from any source to help perform its functions. The bill would provide that it would become operative only if it and AB 2017 are both enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2011.