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. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) California's economic development organizations and
corporations are an integral component of the state job creation
effort because they are a critical link between state economic
development activities and the statewide business community,
providing an excellent opportunity to leverage state resources.
(2) Economic development corporations and organizations provide
broad public benefits to the residents of this state by alleviating
unemployment, encouraging private investment, and diversifying local
economies.
(3) Economic development corporations engage in a wide range of
programs and strategies to attract, retain, and expand businesses,
including marketing the community, small business lending, and other
financial services, a wide range of technical assistance to small
business, preparation of economic data, and business advocacy.
(4) By using public sector resources and powers to reduce the
risks and costs that could prohibit investment, the public sector
often sets the stage for employment-generating investment by the
private sector.
(b) For purposes of this chapter, all of the following definitions
apply:
(1) "Local economic development organization" means a public or
public-private job creation activity recognized by cities and
counties as the lead agency within that city or county for planning
and implementation of job creation involving business expansion,
business retention, and new business development.
(2) "Regional economic development organization" means an
organization comprised of any of the following:
(A) A single county.
(B) More than one county.
(C) A subregion within a county established by the cities and
county within that subregion.
(D) An economic development corporation.
(3) "Economic development corporation" means a local or regional
nonprofit public-private economic development organization recognized
in a defined region by the public and private sector as the lead
agency for the planning and implementation of job creation involving
business retention and new business development.
(4) "Regional economic development corporation" means a
corporation comprised of any of the following:
(A) A single county.
(B) More than one county.
(C) A subregion within a single county established by a group of
cities and counties.
(5) "Economic development" means any activity that enhances the
factors of productive capacity, such as land, labor, capital, and
technology, of a national, state, or local economy. "Economic
development" includes policies and programs expressly directed at
improving the business climate in business finance, marketing,
neighborhood development, small business development, business
retention and expansion, technology transfer, and real estate
redevelopment. "Economic development" is an investment program
designed to leverage private sector capital in such a way as to
induce actions that have a positive effect on the level of business
activity, employment, income distribution, and fiscal solvency of the
community.
(6) "Local economic development" is a process of deliberate
intervention in the normal economic process of a particular locality
to stimulate economic growth of the locality by making it more
attractive, resulting in more jobs, wealth, better quality of life,
and fiscal solvency. Prime examples of economic development include
business attraction, business expansion and retention, and business
creation.
(7) "Emerging domestic market" means people, places, or business
enterprises with growth potential that face capital constraints due
to systemic undervaluations as a result of imperfect market
information. These markets include, but are not limited to,
ethnic-owned and women-owned firms, urban and rural communities,
companies that serve low-income or moderate-income populations, and
other small- and medium-sized businesses.
(8) "Financial intermediary" means an institution, firm,
organization, or individual who performs intermediation between two
or more parties in a financial context, such as connecting sources of
funds with users of funds. A financial intermediary is typically an
entity that facilitates the channeling of funds between lenders,
investors, foundations, or other entities that have money and are
interested in connecting with businesses or communities where their
money can be deployed. Financial intermediaries include, but are not
limited to, banks, financial development corporations, economic
developers, microbusiness lenders, and community development
organizations.
(9) "Community development intermediary" means an institution,
firm, organization, or individual that performs intermediation
between two or more parties in a community development context, such
as connecting people and organizations that have a stake in the
future well-being of communities and individuals who may not easily
have access to these stakeholders. A community development
intermediary is typically an entity that channels financial and
nonfinancial resources between government and foundations and other
nonprofit organizations that have resources and are interested in
connecting with small- and medium-size businesses and low- and
moderate-income households and communities. Community development
intermediaries include, but are not limited to, community development
corporations, microbusiness lenders, and community development
financial institutions.
(10) "Triple bottom line" means the economic, environmental, and
social benefits arising from a project, investment, or community and
economic development activity.
(11) "Small businesses" means a business with less than 100
employees and with a gross revenue of less than five million dollars
($5,000,000), or a business that is otherwise targeted by or
participating in a federal or state program engaged in programs or
services for small businesses. Application of this definition may
only be used pursuant to a direct reference.
(12) "Community development" means a process designed to create
conditions of economic and social prosperity for the whole community,
or a targeted subset of the whole community, with the fullest
possible reliance on the community's initiative and active
participation.
(13) "Financial institution capital" means resources of a
financial institution, including, but not limited to, a bank or
credit union, that are legally available to be used to generate
wealth for the financial institution.
(14) "California Council on Science and Technology" means the
council established by California academic research institutions,
including the University of California, the University of Southern
California, the California Institute of Technology, Stanford
University, and the California State University, in support of
Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 162 (Res. Ch. 148, Stats. 1988).
(15) "Microbusiness lender" means a nonprofit or nonbank lender
that serves very small businesses in low- and moderate-income
communities that experience barriers in accessing capital. These
businesses are often owned by minorities, immigrants, women, and
persons with disabilities. Microbusiness lenders generally provide
loans under fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and offer business
technical assistance, both preloan and postloan, to improve an
applicant's ability to qualify and successfully repay a loan.