Plain English Breakdown
Checked against official source text during the last sync.
California Civic Media Program
This law creates a program and fund managed by GO-Biz to support California news organizations with $10 million in state money.
What This Bill Does
- Creates the California Civic Media Program under the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
- Sets up the California Civic Media Fund as a continuously appropriated fund for this program.
- Moves $10,000,000 from the General Fund into the new media fund.
- Requires GO-Biz to decide how public money in the fund is spent.
- Creates a 9-person advisory board to recommend how private donations are used.
- Limits yearly spending of state money so it does not exceed total spending from private sources.
Who It Names or Affects
- The Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
- California news organizations and the press corps.
- Private donors who contribute to the California Civic Media Fund.
- State taxpayers through the use of General Fund money.
Terms To Know
- Continuously appropriated fund
- A pool of money that stays available for spending year after year without needing new approval each time.
- General Fund
- The main account where the state keeps most of its tax revenue to pay for government services.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law does not list specific rules on which news groups can receive money.
- The text does not explain how private donations must be collected or verified before spending begins.