GO-Biz: Building and Reinforcing Inclusive, Diverse, Gender-Supportive Equity Project.

(1) Existing law establishes the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to serve the Governor as the lead entity for economic strategy and the marketing of California on issues relating to business development, private sector investment, and economic growth. In this regard, existing law authorizes GO-Biz to make recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature on new state policies and to provide data, information, and assistance, as specified. This bill would further authorize GO-Biz to establish the Building and Reinforcing Inclusive, Diverse, Gender-Supportive Equity Project (BRIDGE Project) to promote social equity, civil rights, and antidiscrimination through marketing and advertising campaigns. The bill would establish the BRIDGE Project Fund and would make the money available to the office upon appropriation by the Legislature for the purpose of implementing the project, and would authorize the office to receive donations into the fund. The bill would authorize the office to contract with a private, nonprofit agency, as specified, and to use the services of volunteer advertising agencies and donated media to conduct marketing activities. The bill would require the office to convene an advisory committee of no more than 10 members, as defined, to advise the office on BRIDGE Project media campaigns, as specified. The bill would authorize the office to consult with any state agency with expertise relating to the purpose of the BRIDGE Project, as specified. The bill would provide that any media campaign funded pursuant to this project may, among other things, be on a national scale and, to the extent possible, may target audiences in a state or states, or a media market that includes a state or states that have enacted a law that voids or repeals, or has the effect of voiding or repealing, an existing state or local protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, or have enacted a law that authorizes or requires discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, including any law that creates an exemption to antidiscrimination laws in order to permit discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The bill would also add a provision specifying that nothing in the provisions regarding GO-Biz shall be interpreted to require a state employee or officer to travel to a state or states that have enacted a law that would discriminate on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, or that has the effect of prohibiting conduct or activities otherwise protected under the laws of this state. (2) Existing law prohibits a state agency and the Legislature from requiring any of its employees, officers, or members to travel to, or from approving a request for state-funded or state-sponsored travel to, any state that has enacted a law that voids or repeals, or that has the effect of voiding or repealing, existing state or local protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression or that has enacted a law that authorizes or requires discrimination against same-sex couples or their families or on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, as specified. This bill would repeal those provisions prohibiting a state agency and the Legislature from requiring travel to specified states and would make a conforming change. (3) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.