AB 706: CaliforniaVolunteers.

Under existing law, by executive order, CaliforniaVolunteers is established in the office of the Governor and is charged with overseeing programs and initiatives for service and volunteerism.

This bill would authorize CaliforniaVolunteers, for so long as it is authorized to exist, to form a tax-exempt public benefit nonprofit corporation, or other tax-exempt entity, qualified under federal and state law to raise revenues and receive grants or other financial support from private or public sources, for the purposes of undertaking or funding any lawful activity authorized to be undertaken by CaliforniaVolunteers. This bill would require the nonprofit corporation or other tax-exempt entity to use the financial support it seeks to be used solely for the governmental purposes approved by CaliforniaVolunteers for activities within the scope of authority of CaliforniaVolunteers.

This bill would also establish California AmeriCorps STEM in state government, to be administered by CaliforniaVolunteers and operate under existing federal AmeriCorps program guidelines. This bill would require that California AmeriCorps STEM members be selected through an application process for eligible college graduates or students, as specified. This bill would allow a nonprofit corporation, as specified, or a public entity to apply, individually or in partnership with a corporation or individual interested in the promotion of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, to CaliforniaVolunteers, through a competitive request for proposal process, to host one or more California AmeriCorps STEM members. This bill would provide that the purpose of California AmeriCorps STEM is to increase STEM education programs to prepare the next generation for jobs in the STEM fields. This bill would authorize CaliforniaVolunteers to solicit and accept private funding to help supplement the costs of California AmeriCorps STEM.