California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act of 2000.

Existing law, the California Ocean Resources Stewardship Act of 2000, authorizes the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency to enter into an agreement with an existing nonprofit corporation to establish a trust to be known as the California Ocean Trust to seek and provide funding for ocean resource science projects and to encourage coordinated, multiagency, multiinstitution approaches to ocean resource science. Existing law requires the secretary to report to the Legislature on or before September 1, 2002, on the steps taken to ensure adequate coordination of ocean resource management science. This bill would rename the trust to the California Ocean Science Trust and make conforming changes. The bill would authorize the trust to administer grants and expenditures of the trust for specified purposes from private and public fund sources, including, but not limited to, direct appropriations from the annual Budget Act and block grants from other state agencies with relevant need for coordination and engagement with the trust. The bill would authorize the trust to engage with scientific experts for the purpose of gaining knowledge, solutions, and recommendations for specified topics that are relevant to state agencies and departments, as provided. The bill would repeal the provision requiring the secretary to report on the steps taken to ensure adequate coordination of ocean resource management science.