AB 106: Regions Rise Grant Program.
- Session Year: 2021-2022
- House: Assembly
- Latest Version Date: 2021-05-03
Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research within the Governors office to provide long-range planning and research, and to serve as the comprehensive state planning agency.
This bill would establish the Regions Rise Grant Program within the Office of Planning and Research for the purpose of supporting inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative engagement processes that lead to inclusive consensus-based strategies to address barriers and challenges confronting communities in creating economic prosperity for all. The bill would define region as a geographic area composed of one or more counties and cities that form a functional economy.
This bill would require the office office, upon appropriation by the Legislature and a specified determination by the Director of State Planning and Research, to develop and implement a process for the awarding of competitive grants to eligible applicants within the program. The bill would define an eligible applicant as a regional collective composed of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders who organize themselves around one or more community challenges or priorities impacting a region multiple adjacent geographic areas and meet certain requirements.
This bill would require the process for awarding grants to meet certain minimum conditions, including that the funds awarded be available for a period of 3 years and that the application contain specified information. The bill would require the office, upon appropriation by the Legislature, Legislature and a specified determination by the Director of State Planning and Research, to issue grants to qualified regional collectives, as specified. The bill would also require each regional collective receiving funding to submit a specified annual and final report to the office, and would require each regional collective to adopt a transparency and accountability tool to track the progress of regional economic development strategies, equity activities, and mobility outcomes.
Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research within the Governors office to provide long-range planning and research, and to serve as the comprehensive state planning agency.
This bill would establish the Regions Rise Grant Program within GO-Biz the Office of Planning and Research for the purpose of supporting inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative engagement processes that lead to inclusive strategies to address barriers and challenges confronting communities in creating economic prosperity for all. The bill would define region as a geographic area composed of one or more counties and cities that form a functional economy.
This bill would require GO-Biz the office to develop and implement a process for the awarding of competitive grants to eligible applicants within the program. The bill would define an eligible applicant as a regional collective composed of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders who organize themselves around one or more community challenges or priorities impacting a region and meet certain requirements.
This bill would require the process for awarding grants to meet certain minimum conditions, including that the funds awarded be available for a period of 3 years and that the application contain specified information. The bill would require GO-Biz, the office, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to issue grants to qualified regional collectives, as specified. The bill would also require each regional collective receiving funding to submit a specified annual and final report to GO-Biz, the office, and would require each regional collective to adopt a transparency and accountability tool to track the progress of regional economic development strategies, equity activities, and mobility outcomes.
Existing law, the Economic Revitalization Act, establishes the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as GO-Biz, in state government within the Governors office under the control of a director. The act requires GO-Biz to serve as the Governors 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 state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish the Regions Rise Grant Program in order to close the equity gap and spur economic growth.This bill would establish the Regions Rise Grant Program within GO-Biz for the purpose of supporting inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative engagement processes that lead to inclusive strategies to address barriers and challenges confronting communities in creating economic prosperity for all. The bill would define region as a geographic area composed of one or more counties and cities that form a functional economy.
This bill would require GO-Biz to develop and implement a process for the awarding of competitive grants to eligible applicants within the program. The bill would define an eligible applicant as a regional collective composed of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders who organize themselves around one or more community challenges or priorities impacting a region and meet certain requirements.
This bill would require the process for awarding grants to meet certain minimum conditions, including that the funds awarded be available for a period of 3 years and that the application contain specified information. The bill would require GO-Biz, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to issue grants to qualified regional collectives, as specified. The bill would also require each regional collective receiving funding to submit a specified annual and final report to GO-Biz, and would require each regional collective to adopt a transparency and accountability tool to track the progress of regional economic development strategies, equity activities, and mobility outcomes.
Existing law, the Economic Revitalization Act, establishes the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development, also known as GO-Biz, in state government within the Governors office under the control of a director. The act requires GO-Biz to serve as the Governors 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 state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish the Regions Rise Grant Program in order to close the equity gap and spur economic growth.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)Growing inequality, which disproportionately affects communities of color, and the erosion of upward mobility in California calls for state policy to be intensely focused on increasing economic opportunity and security for all Californians.
(b)The COVID-19 pandemic has hit certain populations harder than others and exposed more clearly the vulnerabilities in our communities. State policy and investments should address not only the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the structural inequities plagued by gender, race, ethnicity, income, and occupation.
(c)The need to address regional inequities calls for a collaborative, community-engaged process that reflects shared decisionmaking and power. process. There needs to be greater support for capacity building of historically underserved communities and disenfranchised groups to meaningfully participate in those cross-sectoral regional initiatives in every step of the process.
(d)There is also a need to create a state program that provides competitive grants for multijurisdictional collectives that involve local and regional governments, labor, community-based organizations, and private and civic organizations covering locally defined economic regions, to adopt a comprehensive shared prosperity strategy focused on the priority challenges of the respective region.
SEC. 2.Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 66310) is added to Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, to read:13.Regions Rise Grant Program66310.For purposes of this chapter:
(a)Director means the Director of State Planning and Research.
(b)Office means the Office of Planning and Research.
(c)Program means the Regions Rise Grant Program created pursuant to Section 66301 and administered in accordance with this chapter.
(d)Region means a geographic area composed of one or more counties and cities that form a functional economy. A region may be a metropolitan statistical area, as established by the United States Office of Management and Budget, or by an area of an existing regional government, including, but not limited to, a council of governments.
(e)Eligible applicant means a regional collective composed Regional collective means a nongovernmental group of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders who organize themselves around one or more community challenges or priorities impacting a region and meet the requirements established pursuant to Section 66302. multiple adjacent geographic areas and has as one of its primary missions to address issues impacting and to amplify the voices of disadvantaged and underserved communities.
(1)The diverse set of public and private stakeholders may include cities, counties, local agencies, including joint powers agencies, elected officials, private businesses, including small business enterprises owned by people of color, educational entities, social enterprises, nonprofit, labor, community-based organizations, census coalitions, and individuals.(2)The regional collective shall have as one of its primary missions to work with and on the behalf of disadvantaged and underserved communities.66311.(a)There is hereby created, in the Office of Planning and Research, the Regions Rise Grant Program for the purpose of supporting inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative engagement processes that lead to inclusive consensus-based strategies to address barriers and challenges confronting communities in creating economic prosperity for all.
(b)Upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature to the office for the purpose of implementing this chapter and a determination by the director pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 66314, the office shall initiate the development of regulations for the implementation of the program in accordance with this chapter.
66312.(a)A regional collective shall be an eligible applicant if the regional collective meets all of the following requirements:
(1)Consists of at least one government agency, one local business, business organization, one educational or workforce entity, one economic development entity, and two nonprofit organizations working on behalf of social and racial justice.
(2)Brings together a diverse set of sectors and anchor institutions with the leadership of trusted intermediaries to establish a coalition representing all regional interests that is ready to develop and implement a set of strategies that are supported across the community.(3)The primary mission of the regional collective is the creation of a plan for equitable and sustainable economic development.(4)(2)(A)The partners of the regional collective are representatives of is able to demonstrate that is has meaningful relationships with the regions diverse demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, local economic development and planning practitioners, councils of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, labor, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
(B)Diverse demographic makeup includes, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, women, and individuals who identify as being a member of the LGBTQIA community.
(3)Brings together a diverse set of sectors and anchor institutions with the leadership of trusted intermediaries to establish a coalition representing all regional interests that is ready to develop and implement a set of consensus-based strategies that are supported across the community.
(b)A regional collective that receives funding pursuant to Section 66303 66313 shall, as a condition of receiving funds, agree to do both of the following:
(1)Establish a steering committee that is inclusive of historically underrepresented persons and representative of the membership of people, organizations, and entities within the region.
(2)Establish an inclusive public process for community residents, including underserved, disadvantaged, and rural populations, to identify, develop, prioritize, and vote on otherwise contribute to the selection of strategies and priorities.
(3)Invite all affected local government agencies to participate.
66313.(a)The office shall develop and implement a process for the awarding of competitive grants to eligible applicants meeting the requirements pursuant to this chapter. At a minimum, the process shall meet all of the following conditions:
(1)Eligible activities shall include funding to support regional collectives initiating, expanding, or sustaining regional convenings and planning activities.
(2)Funds awarded pursuant to this program shall be available to the successful applicant for a period of three years.
(3)Applications with overlapping geographic boundaries may be funded if, in the determination of the director, the regional issues and challenges being addressed in the applications are sufficiently distinct.
(4)The application shall include, at a minimum, each of the following:
(A)Identification of how the funding is to be used to facilitate the resolution or mitigations of one or more regional issues and challenges, including information on why and how an inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative process is best suited to address these challenges and result in greater economic prosperity for all.
(B)Identification of the principal agency or intermediary organization that shall be the main point of contact with the office.
(C)Identification of the members of the steering committee, required by subdivision (b) of Section 66302, 66312, with documentation of how the steering committee members represent historically underrepresented persons within the region and the regions demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, council councils of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. A commitment letter by each member of the steering committee shall accompany the application.
(D)A letter from each member of the regional collective documenting their participation in the regional collective and participation in the activities proposed in the application. If the member is also a member of the steering committee, these letters shall be combined.
(E)To the extent possible, a commitment to find provide nonstate funds to match nonstate funds. grant awards. If nonstate matching funds are not available, the applicant shall include a statement documenting the reason for the lack of matching funds.
(F)Letters of support from local government agencies, councils of governments, nonprofit organizations, private businesses, education partners, organizations representing communities of color, and philanthropic organizations that indicate a significant threshold of community support for the application.
(G)A commitment to collect and share data, as required by the office, that can help inform as to the effectiveness of the grant dollars in building strategies for regional prosperity and to hold partners accountable for progress. dollars.
(H)A plan for an inclusive, transparent community-driven process where residents who will be affected may identify, prioritize, and vote on otherwise be engaged in the selection of priorities. This includes demonstrated capacity of the regional collective to directly engage and financially assist community members in meaningfully contributing to the design of an inclusive economic development roadmap.
(I)A list of key deliverables during the grant period.
(b)The office shall give priority when awarding grants to regions that are able to demonstrate all of the following:
(1)The need for cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional solutions to the demonstrated key regional challenges. challenges that impact equity and economic mobility.
(2)The readiness and capacity to support rural, disadvantaged areas, or underserved population groups.
(3)The assessment of key deliverables and the potential of the initiative to make system changes that can be operationalized based on success stories and best practices.(3)The potential of the initiative to make system changes that can be operationalized based on best practices.
66314.(a)Upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature to the office for the purpose of implementing this chapter, chapter and a determination by the director pursuant to subdivision (b), the office shall make grants to qualified regional collectives, consistent with Section 66303. this chapter.
(b)The office shall not commence implementation of the program before the director makes a determination that sufficient money has been appropriated to the office to cover the costs of implementing the program, including, but not limited to, appropriate oversight costs.
(c)Funding shall be awarded to selected regional collaborative in phases. Following an initial amount of funding to initiate the activities in the grant proposal, subsequent allocations shall be based on the regional collaborative meeting predetermined milestones.
66315.(a)Each regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this chapter shall submit an annual and a final report to the office detailing the regional issues analyzed, priorities identified, strategies developed to address regional issues, and plans to implement priority efforts. The report shall also provide information on how the regional collective engaged with community residents on a regular basis to review and guide the activities funded by this grant.
(b)To the extent that equitable and sustainable economic development plans produced by the regional collective touch on issues of transportation or land use, the report shall show how these are aligned with long-term transporation and land use plans of regional agencies, including sustainable communities strategies plans.(c)(b)In preparing the report, the regional collective shall engage community residents on a continuous and annual basis to review progress to date.
(d)(c)The regional collective should adopt a transparency and accountability tool to help track the progress of regional economic development strategies and track equity activities and mobility outcomes.
(e)(d)The regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this chapter shall submit a copy of its each annual and final report to each city and county within the area identified in their application as the geographic boundary of their work.
(e)The office shall post on its internet website the following:
(1)A copy of each annual report and final report submitted by a regional collaborative.
(2)Links to two or more free-to-access databases and platforms that regional collectives may use to as a transparency and accountability tool when selecting metrics, setting baselines and benchmarks, and tracking outcomes.
(f)The office shall provide an annual report to the Legislature, in accordance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, beginning 12 months following funding becoming available. The first report shall identify the regional collectives selected, the purpose of their grants, including meters and milestones that will be used to track the success of the engagement. The following reports shall report on the progress of each regional collective in meeting milestones.
(f)(g)The office shall create a process for issues, recommendations, and regional priorities identified through the collaborative work funded by the program to be brought forward to the Governor, the Legislature, and any other relevant agency, including the Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development. This information shall be considered in the development and recommended actions of related state functional plans, strategies, and investments.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)Growing inequality, which disproportionately affects communities of color, and the erosion of upward mobility in California calls for state policy to be intensely focused on increasing economic opportunity and security for all Californians.
(b)No group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative economic, health, or environmental consequences resulting from industrial, commercial, or governmental operations or policies.(c)(b)The COVID-19 pandemic has hit certain populations harder than others and exposed more clearly the vulnerabilities in our communities. State policy and investments should address not only the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the structural inequities plagued by gender, race, ethnicity, income, and occupation.
(d)This is an opportunity to promote and build equitable regional economies that leverage the collective capacity of the whole community during this historic time in our nation.(e)California lacks a process that leverages regional priorities and prosperity strategies to help inform state policies. A process should integrate the values of equity, resiliency and collaboration around issues of shared importance including transportation, housing, homelessness, workforce, sustainability, public health, climate, and governance.(f)A California policy to advance triple-bottom-line goals of equity, sustainable environment, and economic opportunity should motivate, create capacity for, and invest in regionally driven strategies. This approach will empower and align behind regions, leverage business and civic contributions, and ensure that funds follow strategic decisions. Coordinated efforts are particularly critical to the economic recovery of communities across the state in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.(g)The state should encourage public-private-nonprofit partnerships to better leverage limited financial resources from corporate, philanthropic, and government sources and create pathways for such partners to financially support inclusive planning and decisionmaking processes reflective of a shared vision of a California for all.(h)Increased alignment and collaboration across sectors will also create meaningful impact, coordinated funding requests, and sustainable systemic change.(i)(c)The need to address regional inequities calls for a collaborative, community-engaged process that reflects shared decisionmaking and power. There needs to be greater support for capacity building of historically underserved communities and disenfranchised groups to meaningfully participate in those cross-sectoral regional initiatives in every step of the process.
(j)(d)There is also a need to create a state program that provides competitive grants for multijurisdictional collectives that involve local and regional governments, labor, community-based organizations, and private and civic organizations covering locally defined economic regions, to adopt a comprehensive shared prosperity strategy focused on the priority challenges of the respective region.
(k)Such a state program should be informed by those across the state that have been engaged in building out models for regional inclusive planning and development and by those in communities that lack the tools, funding, and human resources to create intentional strategies to help prioritize sustainable policies in their region.SEC. 2.Article 8 (commencing with Section 12100.70) is added to Chapter 1.6 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:8.Regions Rise Grant Program12100.70.For purposes of this article:(a)Director means the Director of the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development.(b)Office means the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development.(c)Program means the Regions Rise Grant Program created pursuant to Section 12100.71 and administered in accordance with this article.(d)Region means a geographic area composed of one or more counties and cities that form a functional economy. A region may be a metropolitan statistical area, as established by the United States Office of Management and Budget, or by an area of an existing regional government, including, but not limited to, a council of governments.(e)Eligible applicant means a regional collective composed of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders who organize themselves around one or more community challenges or priorities impacting a region and meet the requirements established pursuant to Section 12100.72.(1)The diverse set of public and private stakeholders may include cities, counties, local agencies, including joint powers agencies, elected officials, private businesses, including minority-owned business enterprises, educational entities, social enterprises, nonprofit, labor, community-based organizations, and individuals.(2)The regional collective shall have as one of its primary missions to work with and on the behalf of disadvantaged and underserved communities.12100.71.(a)There is hereby created, in the Office of Business and Economic Development, the Regions Rise Grant Program for the purpose of supporting inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative engagement processes that lead to inclusive strategies to address barriers and challenges confronting communities in creating economic prosperity for all.(b)The goals of the program are to achieve all of the following:(1)To enable local governments, economic development entities, community-based nonprofit organizations, businesses, and other key local stakeholders to establish regional collectives tasked with identifying and developing strategies to address one or more key regional barriers to prosperity for all and build resilient, equitable, and green communities.(2)To champion community engagement and inclusive regionally driven solutions to address systematic barriers in creating equitable economies across California.(3)To ensure that economic strategies are developed in conjunction with community organizations, governmental entities, elected officials, key jurisdiction staff, and other partners across the public, private and nonprofit sectors.(4)To help maintain a deliberate focus on historically unrepresented community voices throughout the process and build capacity at the local level for inclusive collaboration and planning with the active engagement of representatives from disenfranchised communities.(5)To create interdisciplinary, cross-jurisdictional, and cross-sectoral regional strategies for addressing one or more key regional challenges.(6)To further enhance the long-term sustainability of communities in relation to the local economy, environmental factors, and social equity measures.(7)To support regions in developing recovery strategies that meet the immediate and short-term needs of the community and build towards a stronger regional economy.(8)To consider and align, as appropriate, existing regional and local planning efforts and regional collaboratives.(9)To establish pathways to implement strategies developed by the regional groups established pursuant to this article.(10)To create a mechanism for greater state and regional collaboration.12100.72.(a)A regional collective shall be an eligible applicant if the regional collective meets all of the following requirements:(1)Consists of at least one government agency, one local business, one educational or workforce entity, one economic development entity, and one nonprofit organization working on behalf of social and racial justice.(2)Brings together a diverse set of sectors and anchor institutions with the leadership of trusted intermediaries to establish a coalition representing all regional interests that is ready to develop and implement a set of strategies that are supported across the community.(3)One of its primary missions is addressing two or more common regional issues and challenges that are larger than a single community, including, but not limited to, workforce development, educational pathways, land use, climate planning, transportation, housing, homelessness, economic mobility, equity gaps, and economic development.(4)(A)The partners of the regional collective are representatives of the regions diverse demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, councils of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.(B)Diverse demographic makeup includes, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, women, and individuals who identify as being a member of the LGBTQIA community.(b)A regional collective that receives funding pursuant to Section 12100.73 shall, as a condition of receiving funds, agree to do both of the following:(1)Establish a steering committee that is inclusive of historically underrepresented persons and representative of the membership of the region.(2)Establish an inclusive public process for community residents, including underserved, disadvantaged, and rural populations, to identify, prioritize, and vote on strategies and priorities.12100.73.(a)The office shall develop and implement a process for the awarding of competitive grants to eligible applicants meeting the requirements pursuant to this article. At a minimum the process shall meet all of the following conditions:(1)Eligible activities shall include funding to support regional collectives at different collaboration stages, including, but not limited to, initiating or expanding regional convenings and planning activities, sustaining regional convenings and planning activities in process, and implementing recommended strategies resulting from those activities.(2)Funds awarded pursuant to this program shall be available to the successful applicant for a period of three years.(3)Applications with overlapping geographic boundaries may be funded if, in the determination of the director, the regional issues and challenges being addressed in the applications are sufficiently distinct.(4)The application shall include, at a minimum, each of the following:(A)Identification of how the funding is to be used to facilitate the resolution or mitigations of one or more regional issues and challenges, including information on why and how an inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative process is best suited to address these challenges and result in greater economic prosperity for all.(B)Identification of the principal agency or intermediary organization that shall be the main point of contact with the office.(C)Identification of the members of the steering committee, required by subdivision (b) of Section 12100.72, with documentation of how the steering committee members represent historically underrepresented persons within the region and the regions demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, council of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. A commitment letter by each member of the steering committee shall accompany the application.(D)A letter from each member of the regional collective documenting their participation in the regional collective and participation in the activities proposed in the application. If the member is also a member of the steering committee, these letters shall be combined.(E)To the extent possible, a commitment to find funds to match nonstate funds. If matching funds are not available, the applicant shall include a statement documenting the reason for the lack of matching funds.(F)Letters of support from local government agencies, council of governments nonprofit organizations, private businesses, education partners, ethnic communities, and philanthropic organizations that indicate a significant threshold of community support for the application.(G)A commitment to collect and share data, as required by the office, that can help inform as to the effectiveness of the grant dollars in building strategies for regional prosperity and to hold partners accountable for progress.(H)A plan for an inclusive, transparent community-driven process where residents who will be affected may identify, prioritize, and vote on priorities. This includes demonstrated capacity of the regional collective to directly engage and financially assist community members in meaningfully contributing to the design of an inclusive economic development roadmap.(I)A list of key deliverables during the grant period.(b)The office shall give priority when awarding grants to regions that are able to demonstrate all of the following:(1)The need for cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional solutions to the demonstrated key regional challenges.(2)The readiness and capacity to support rural, disadvantaged areas, or underserved population groups.(3)The assessment of key deliverables and the potential of the initiative to make system changes that can be operationalized based on success stories and best practices.12100.74.Upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature to the office for the purpose of implementing this article, the office shall make grants to qualified regional collectives, consistent with Section 12100.73.12100.75.(a)Each regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this article shall submit an annual and a final report to the office detailing the regional issues analyzed, priorities identified, strategies developed to address regional issues, and plans to implement priority efforts. The report shall also provide information on how the regional collective engaged with community residents on a regular basis to review and guide the activities funded by this grant.(b)In preparing the report, the regional collective shall engage community residents on a continuous and annual basis to review progress to date.(c)The regional collective should adopt a transparency and accountability tool, such as the California Dream Index, to help track the progress of regional economic development strategies and track equity activities and mobility outcomes.(d)The regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this article shall submit a copy of its annual and final report to each city and county within the area identified in their application as the geographic boundary of their work.(e)The office shall create a process for issues, recommendations, and regional priorities identified through the collaborative work funded by the program to be brought forward to the Governor, the Legislature, and any other relevant agency, including the Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development. This information shall be considered in the development and recommended actions of related state functional plans, strategies, and investments.SEC. 2.Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 66310) is added to Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, to read:13.Regions Rise Grant Program66310.For purposes of this chapter:
(a)Director means the Director of State Planning and Research.
(b)Office means the Office of Planning and Research.
(c)Program means the Regions Rise Grant Program created pursuant to Section 66301 and administered in accordance with this chapter.
(d)Region means a geographic area composed of one or more counties and cities that form a functional economy. A region may be a metropolitan statistical area, as established by the United States Office of Management and Budget, or by an area of an existing regional government, including, but not limited to, a council of governments.
(e)Eligible applicant means a regional collective composed of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders who organize themselves around one or more community challenges or priorities impacting a region and meet the requirements established pursuant to Section 66302.
(1)The diverse set of public and private stakeholders may include cities, counties, local agencies, including joint powers agencies, elected officials, private businesses, including small business enterprises owned by people of color, educational entities, social enterprises, nonprofit, labor, community-based organizations, census coalitions, and individuals.
(2)The regional collective shall have as one of its primary missions to work with and on the behalf of disadvantaged and underserved communities.
66311.There is hereby created, in the Office of Planning and Research, the Regions Rise Grant Program for the purpose of supporting inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative engagement processes that lead to inclusive strategies to address barriers and challenges confronting communities in creating economic prosperity for all.
66312.(a)A regional collective shall be an eligible applicant if the regional collective meets all of the following requirements:
(1)Consists of at least one government agency, one local business, one educational or workforce entity, one economic development entity, and two nonprofit organizations working on behalf of social and racial justice.
(2)Brings together a diverse set of sectors and anchor institutions with the leadership of trusted intermediaries to establish a coalition representing all regional interests that is ready to develop and implement a set of strategies that are supported across the community.
(3)The primary mission of the regional collective is the creation of a plan for equitable and sustainable economic development.
(4)(A)The partners of the regional collective are representatives of the regions diverse demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, local economic development and planning practitioners, councils of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, labor, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
(B)Diverse demographic makeup includes, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, women, and individuals who identify as being a member of the LGBTQIA community.
(b)A regional collective that receives funding pursuant to Section 66303 shall, as a condition of receiving funds, agree to do both of the following:
(1)Establish a steering committee that is inclusive of historically underrepresented persons and representative of the membership of the region.
(2)Establish an inclusive public process for community residents, including underserved, disadvantaged, and rural populations, to identify, prioritize, and vote on strategies and priorities.
66313.(a)The office shall develop and implement a process for the awarding of competitive grants to eligible applicants meeting the requirements pursuant to this chapter. At a minimum, the process shall meet all of the following conditions:
(1)Eligible activities shall include funding to support regional collectives initiating, expanding, or sustaining regional convenings and planning activities.
(2)Funds awarded pursuant to this program shall be available to the successful applicant for a period of three years.
(3)Applications with overlapping geographic boundaries may be funded if, in the determination of the director, the regional issues and challenges being addressed in the applications are sufficiently distinct.
(4)The application shall include, at a minimum, each of the following:
(A)Identification of how the funding is to be used to facilitate the resolution or mitigations of one or more regional issues and challenges, including information on why and how an inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative process is best suited to address these challenges and result in greater economic prosperity for all.
(B)Identification of the principal agency or intermediary organization that shall be the main point of contact with the office.
(C)Identification of the members of the steering committee, required by subdivision (b) of Section 66302, with documentation of how the steering committee members represent historically underrepresented persons within the region and the regions demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, council of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. A commitment letter by each member of the steering committee shall accompany the application.
(D)A letter from each member of the regional collective documenting their participation in the regional collective and participation in the activities proposed in the application. If the member is also a member of the steering committee, these letters shall be combined.
(E)To the extent possible, a commitment to find funds to match nonstate funds. If matching funds are not available, the applicant shall include a statement documenting the reason for the lack of matching funds.
(F)Letters of support from local government agencies, councils of governments, nonprofit organizations, private businesses, education partners, organizations representing communities of color, and philanthropic organizations that indicate a significant threshold of community support for the application.
(G)A commitment to collect and share data, as required by the office, that can help inform as to the effectiveness of the grant dollars in building strategies for regional prosperity and to hold partners accountable for progress.
(H)A plan for an inclusive, transparent community-driven process where residents who will be affected may identify, prioritize, and vote on priorities. This includes demonstrated capacity of the regional collective to directly engage and financially assist community members in meaningfully contributing to the design of an inclusive economic development roadmap.
(I)A list of key deliverables during the grant period.
(b)The office shall give priority when awarding grants to regions that are able to demonstrate all of the following:
(1)The need for cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional solutions to the demonstrated key regional challenges.
(2)The readiness and capacity to support rural, disadvantaged areas, or underserved population groups.
(3)The assessment of key deliverables and the potential of the initiative to make system changes that can be operationalized based on success stories and best practices.
66314.Upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature to the office for the purpose of implementing this chapter, the office shall make grants to qualified regional collectives, consistent with Section 66303.
66315.(a)Each regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this chapter shall submit an annual and a final report to the office detailing the regional issues analyzed, priorities identified, strategies developed to address regional issues, and plans to implement priority efforts. The report shall also provide information on how the regional collective engaged with community residents on a regular basis to review and guide the activities funded by this grant.
(b)To the extent that equitable and sustainable economic development plans produced by the regional collective touch on issues of transportation or land use, the report shall show how these are aligned with long-term transporation and land use plans of regional agencies, including sustainable communities strategies plans.
(c)In preparing the report, the regional collective shall engage community residents on a continuous and annual basis to review progress to date.
(d)The regional collective should adopt a transparency and accountability tool to help track the progress of regional economic development strategies and track equity activities and mobility outcomes.
(e)The regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this chapter shall submit a copy of its annual and final report to each city and county within the area identified in their application as the geographic boundary of their work.
(f)The office shall create a process for issues, recommendations, and regional priorities identified through the collaborative work funded by the program to be brought forward to the Governor, the Legislature, and any other relevant agency, including the Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development. This information shall be considered in the development and recommended actions of related state functional plans, strategies, and investments.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)Growing inequality, which disproportionately affects communities of color, and the erosion of upward mobility in California calls for state policy to be intensely focused on increasing economic opportunity and security for all Californians.
(b)No group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative economic, health, or environmental consequences resulting from industrial, commercial, or governmental operations or policies.
(c)The COVID-19 pandemic has hit certain populations harder than others and exposed more clearly the vulnerabilities in our communities. State policy should address not only the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the structural inequities plagued by gender, race, ethnicity, income, and occupation.
(d)This is an opportunity to promote and build equitable regional economies that leverage the collective capacity of the whole community during this historic time in our nation.
(e)California lacks a process that leverages regional priorities and prosperity strategies to help inform state policies. A process should integrate the values of equity, resiliency and collaboration around issues of shared importance including transportation, housing, homelessness, workforce, sustainability, public health, climate, and governance.
(f)A California policy to advance triple-bottom-line goals of equity, sustainable environment, and economic opportunity should motivate, create capacity for, and invest in regionally driven strategies. This approach will empower and align behind regions, leverage business and civic contributions, and ensure that funds follow strategic decisions. Coordinated efforts are particularly critical to the economic recovery of communities across the state in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.
(g)The state should encourage public-private-nonprofit partnerships to better leverage limited financial resources from corporate, philanthropic, and government sources and create pathways for such partners to financially support inclusive planning and decisionmaking processes reflective of a shared vision of a California for all.
(h)Increased alignment and collaboration across sectors will also create meaningful impact, coordinated funding requests, and sustainable systemic change.
(i)The need to address regional inequities calls for a collaborative, community-engaged process that reflects shared decisionmaking and power. There needs to be greater support for capacity building of historically underserved communities and disenfranchised groups to meaningfully participate in those cross-sectoral regional initiatives in every step of the process.
(j)There is also a need to create a state program that provides competitive grants for multijurisdictional collectives that involve local and regional governments, labor, community-based organizations, and private and civic organizations covering locally defined economic regions, to adopt a comprehensive shared prosperity strategy focused on the priority challenges of the respective region.
(k)Such a state program should be informed by those across the state that have been engaged in building out models for regional inclusive planning and development and by those in communities that lack the tools, funding, and human resources to create intentional strategies to help prioritize sustainable policies in their region.
SEC. 2.Article 8 (commencing with Section 12100.70) is added to Chapter 1.6 of Part 2 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, to read:8.Regions Rise Grant Program12100.70.For purposes of this article:
(a)Director means the Director of the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development.
(b)Office means the Governors Office of Business and Economic Development.
(c)Program means the Regions Rise Grant Program created pursuant to Section 12100.71 and administered in accordance with this article.
(d)Region means a geographic area composed of one or more counties and cities that form a functional economy. A region may be a metropolitan statistical area, as established by the United States Office of Management and Budget, or by an area of an existing regional government, including, but not limited to, a council of governments.
(e)Eligible applicant means a regional collective composed of a diverse set of public and private stakeholders who organize themselves around one or more community challenges or priorities impacting a region and meet the requirements established pursuant to Section 12100.72.
(1)The diverse set of public and private stakeholders may include cities, counties, local agencies, including joint powers agencies, elected officials, private businesses, including minority-owned business enterprises, educational entities, social enterprises, nonprofit, labor, community-based organizations, and individuals.
(2)The regional collective shall have as one of its primary missions to work with and on the behalf of disadvantaged and underserved communities.
12100.71.(a)There is hereby created, in the Office of Business and Economic Development, the Regions Rise Grant Program for the purpose of supporting inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative engagement processes that lead to inclusive strategies to address barriers and challenges confronting communities in creating economic prosperity for all.
(b)The goals of the program are to achieve all of the following:
(1)To enable local governments, economic development entities, community-based nonprofit organizations, businesses, and other key local stakeholders to establish regional collectives tasked with identifying and developing strategies to address one or more key regional barriers to prosperity for all and build resilient, equitable, and green communities.
(2)To champion community engagement and inclusive regionally driven solutions to address systematic barriers in creating equitable economies across California.
(3)To ensure that economic strategies are developed in conjunction with community organizations, governmental entities, elected officials, key jurisdiction staff, and other partners across the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
(4)To help maintain a deliberate focus on historically unrepresented community voices throughout the process and build capacity at the local level for inclusive collaboration and planning with the active engagement of representatives from disenfranchised communities.
(5)To create interdisciplinary, cross-jurisdictional, and cross-sectoral regional strategies for addressing one or more key regional challenges.
(6)To further enhance the long-term sustainability of communities in relation to the local economy, environmental factors, and social equity measures.
(7)To support regions in developing recovery strategies that meet the immediate and short-term needs of the community and build towards a stronger regional economy.
(8)To consider and align, as appropriate, existing regional and local planning efforts and regional collaboratives.
(9)To establish pathways to implement strategies developed by the regional groups established pursuant to this article.
(10)To create a mechanism for greater state and regional collaboration.
12100.72.(a)A regional collective shall be an eligible applicant if the regional collective meets all of the following requirements:
(1)Consists of at least one government agency, one local business, one educational or workforce entity, one economic development entity, and one nonprofit organization working on behalf of social and racial justice.
(2)Brings together a diverse set of sectors and anchor institutions with the leadership of trusted intermediaries to establish a coalition representing all regional interests that is ready to develop and implement a set of strategies that are supported across the community.
(3)One of its primary missions is addressing two or more common regional issues and challenges that are larger than a single community, including, but not limited to, workforce development, educational pathways, land use, climate planning, transportation, housing, homelessness, economic mobility, equity gaps, and economic development.
(4)(A)The partners of the regional collective are representatives of the regions diverse demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, councils of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
(B)Diverse demographic makeup includes, but is not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, women, and individuals who identify as being a member of the LGBTQIA community.
(b)A regional collective that receives funding pursuant to Section 12100.73 shall, as a condition of receiving funds, agree to do both of the following:
(1)Establish a steering committee that is inclusive of historically underrepresented persons and representative of the membership of the region.
(2)Establish an inclusive public process for community residents, including underserved, disadvantaged, and rural populations, to identify, prioritize, and vote on strategies and priorities.
12100.73.(a)The office shall develop and implement a process for the awarding of competitive grants to eligible applicants meeting the requirements pursuant to this article. At a minimum the process shall meet all of the following conditions:
(1)Eligible activities shall include funding to support regional collectives at different collaboration stages, including, but not limited to, initiating or expanding regional convenings and planning activities, sustaining regional convenings and planning activities in process, and implementing recommended strategies resulting from those activities.
(2)Funds awarded pursuant to this program shall be available to the successful applicant for a period of three years.
(3)Applications with overlapping geographic boundaries may be funded if, in the determination of the director, the regional issues and challenges being addressed in the applications are sufficiently distinct.
(4)The application shall include, at a minimum, each of the following:
(A)Identification of how the funding is to be used to facilitate the resolution or mitigations of one or more regional issues and challenges, including information on why and how an inclusive, cross-jurisdictional, and innovative process is best suited to address these challenges and result in greater economic prosperity for all.
(B)Identification of the principal agency or intermediary organization that shall be the main point of contact with the office.
(C)Identification of the members of the steering committee, required by subdivision (b) of Section 12100.72, with documentation of how the steering committee members represent historically underrepresented persons within the region and the regions demographic makeup, key industries, city and county governments, council of governments, private businesses, educational and workforce partners, and nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. A commitment letter by each member of the steering committee shall accompany the application.
(D)A letter from each member of the regional collective documenting their participation in the regional collective and participation in the activities proposed in the application. If the member is also a member of the steering committee, these letters shall be combined.
(E)To the extent possible, a commitment to find funds to match nonstate funds. If matching funds are not available, the applicant shall include a statement documenting the reason for the lack of matching funds.
(F)Letters of support from local government agencies, council of governments nonprofit organizations, private businesses, education partners, ethnic communities, and philanthropic organizations that indicate a significant threshold of community support for the application.
(G)A commitment to collect and share data, as required by the office, that can help inform as to the effectiveness of the grant dollars in building strategies for regional prosperity and to hold partners accountable for progress.
(H)A plan for an inclusive, transparent community-driven process where residents who will be affected may identify, prioritize, and vote on priorities. This includes demonstrated capacity of the regional collective to directly engage and financially assist community members in meaningfully contributing to the design of an inclusive economic development roadmap.
(I)A list of key deliverables during the grant period.
(b)The office shall give priority when awarding grants to regions that are able to demonstrate all of the following:
(1)The need for cross-sectoral and cross-jurisdictional solutions to the demonstrated key regional challenges.
(2)The readiness and capacity to support rural, disadvantaged areas, or underserved population groups.
(3)The assessment of key deliverables and the potential of the initiative to make system changes that can be operationalized based on success stories and best practices.
12100.74.Upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature to the office for the purpose of implementing this article, the office shall make grants to qualified regional collectives, consistent with Section 12100.73.
12100.75.(a)Each regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this article shall submit an annual and a final report to the office detailing the regional issues analyzed, priorities identified, strategies developed to address regional issues, and plans to implement priority efforts. The report shall also provide information on how the regional collective engaged with community residents on a regular basis to review and guide the activities funded by this grant.
(b)In preparing the report, the regional collective shall engage community residents on a continuous and annual basis to review progress to date.
(c)The regional collective should adopt a transparency and accountability tool, such as the California Dream Index, to help track the progress of regional economic development strategies and track equity activities and mobility outcomes.
(d)The regional collective receiving funding pursuant to this article shall submit a copy of its annual and final report to each city and county within the area identified in their application as the geographic boundary of their work.
(e)The office shall create a process for issues, recommendations, and regional priorities identified through the collaborative work funded by the program to be brought forward to the Governor, the Legislature, and any other relevant agency, including the Office of Planning and Research and the Department of Housing and Community Development. This information shall be considered in the development and recommended actions of related state functional plans, strategies, and investments.
SECTION 1.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish the Regions Rise Grant Program in order to close the equity gap and spur economic growth.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would establish the Regions Rise Grant Program in order to close the equity gap and spur economic growth.
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Date
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Status
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| Jul 6, 2021 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. |
| Jun 9, 2021 | Referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D. |
| May 28, 2021 | In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. |
| May 27, 2021 | Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 1594.) |
| May 24, 2021 | Read second time. Ordered to third reading. |
| May 20, 2021 | From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (May 20). |
| May 12, 2021 | In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file. |
| May 4, 2021 | Re-referred to Com. on APPR. |
| May 3, 2021 | Read second time and amended. |
| Apr 29, 2021 | From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (April 27). |
| Apr 21, 2021 | Re-referred to Com. on J.,E.D., & E. |
| Apr 20, 2021 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on J.,E.D., & E. Read second time and amended. |
| Mar 2, 2021 | Re-referred to Com. on J.,E.D., & E. |
| Mar 1, 2021 | From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on J.,E.D., & E. Read second time and amended. |
| Feb 25, 2021 | Referred to Com. on J.,E.D., & E. |
| Jan 11, 2021 | Read first time. |
| Dec 17, 2020 | From printer. May be heard in committee January 16. |
| Dec 16, 2020 | Introduced. To print. |
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Date
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Description
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Location
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Votes
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| May 27, 2021 | AB 106 Salas Assembly Third Reading | Assembly Floor |
Passed |
This list shows positions taken on this bill by organizations on the date displayed, which is linked to the original source.
Positions by individuals are not included.
Bill Author
Bill Co-Author(s):