Economic development: international trade and investment.

(1) Existing law creates the California Agricultural Export Promotion Account, a special account, in the Department of Food and Agriculture Fund, and continuously appropriates moneys in the account to the Secretary of Food and Agriculture to support export promotional and public relations activities conducted generally and pursuant to specified provisions relating to foreign marketing. Existing law requires the account to consist exclusively of funds received for that purpose from private industry sources, marketing order advisory boards, and agricultural councils and agricultural commissions. Existing law requires funds expended from the account to be used exclusively for activities that directly benefit the industry sources from which the moneys are derived. This bill would authorize the secretary to enter into goods and services contracts using funds from the account for the above-described activities and using federal funds authorized for international activities, as necessary, and would exempt those contracts from contracting requirements applicable only to state contracts. The bill would authorize funds expended from the account to be used for representational allowance expenditures for the purpose of providing proper representation of California to foreign government officials and federal officials of the United States, including business-related meals that include the participation of foreign government officials or federal officials of the United States and the California agricultural industry, as prescribed, and representational gifts, not to exceed $100 dollars. By expanding the purposes for which money in a continuously appropriated special account may be used, the bill would make an appropriation. (2) Existing law requires the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to develop and implement an International Trade and Investment Program that serves specified purposes. Existing law authorizes the Director of GO-Biz to establish and terminate international trade and investment offices outside of the United States if certain conditions are met. Existing law authorizes GO-Biz to accept nonstate moneys for the purposes of operating an international trade and investment office and to accept private moneys for purposes of promoting international trade and investment events, as specified. Existing law requires private sector moneys for these purposes to be deposited into the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account, a special account, which is continuously appropriated to the Director of GO-Biz for these purposes. This bill would instead authorize GO-Biz to accept moneys, including, but not limited to, state, federal, and private sector funds, for purposes of operating an international trade and investment office or international trade show or activities related to promoting international trade and investment events, as specified. The bill would also authorize the director to expend funds in the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account, and any other state, federal, or private funds authorized for these purposes, by entering into goods and services contracts as necessary to support international market development activities, and would exempt those contracts from contracting requirements applicable only to state contracts. The bill would authorize moneys in the Economic Development and Trade Promotion Account to be used for representational allowance expenditures for the purpose of providing proper representation of California to foreign government officials and federal officials of the United States, as prescribed, including representational gifts, not to exceed $100 dollars. By expanding the purposes for which money in a continuously appropriated special account may be used, this bill would make an appropriation.