Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development: Restaurant Equity and Desegregation Program.

Existing Law, the Economic Revitalization Act, establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as "GO-Biz," in state government within the Governor's office under the control of a director. The act requires GO-Biz to serve as the Governor's lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. This bill would establish within GO-Biz the Restaurant Equity and Desegregation Program for a specified purpose related to fostering workplace equity in California restaurants. The bill would require GO-Biz to annually promote a restaurant week during the month of January in order to highlight eligible restaurants, which the bill would define as restaurants whose owner enters into an agreement with GO-Biz to commit to improving workplace equity and mobility and provides Go-Biz with assessments of the level of segregation in the restaurant, and whose owner, general manager, or upper management completes a qualifying training and technical assistance course, as provided. The bill would require GO-Biz to develop the course and to publish on its internet website a current list of all eligible restaurants. The bill would require GO-Biz to adopt rules and regulations to develop a procedure for restaurants to apply to participate in the program and would require GO-Biz to provide eligible restaurants with signage identifying the eligible restaurant as an equitable employer and a participant in the program. The bill would make various related findings.