CITY OF HUNTINGTON BEACH
2000 MAIN STREET, HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA 92648-2702
GRACEY VAN DER MARK
MAYOR
714.536.5553
May 8, 2024
The Honorable Janet Nguyen
California State Senate
1020 O Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SB 1214 – SUPPORT
Dear Senator Nguyen,
On behalf of the City of Huntington Beach, I write to express our support for SB 1214, which will form a commission to organize the celebration of our Country’s 250th anniversary.
Huntington Beach's first Fourth of July parade was held in 1904 to mark the first electric passenger train connecting the area to Los Angeles and Long Beach. Since that time, the parade has grown to be the largest in the United States and attracts an average of 500,000 attendees every year.
We anticipate the parade for the Semiquincentennial to be spectacular and believe a commission to coordinate the celebrations happening throughout the State is much needed.
It is for these reasons we support your SB 1214 and commend your efforts on this important matter.
Sincerely,
Gracey Van Der Mark
Mayor
Cc: Huntington Beach City Council
SENATE BILL No. 1214
Introduced by Senator Nguyen
(Coauthors: Senators Allen, Dahle, Grove, Newman, Niello, Seyarto, and Wilk)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Alanis, Dixon, Gallagher, and Muratsuchi)
February 15, 2024
An act to add and repeal Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 6750) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, relating to the California Commission on the United States Semiquincentennial. legislative counsel’s digest
SB 1214, as introduced, Nguyen. California Commission on the United States Semiquincentennial.
Existing law establishes various commissions within state government.
This bill w ould, until January 1, 2029, establish the California Commission on the United States Semiquincentennial in state government to celebrate the 250th anni versary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United States of America. The bill would require the commission to plan and coordinate commemorations and observ ances of the 250th anni versary of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. The bill would require the commission to be solely supported by pri vate or federal funds made a vailable for the purpose of supporting the commission. The bill would require that these funds be deposited in the Semiquincentennial Fund, and w ould create that fund in the State Treasury. The bill would require funds in the Semiquincentennial Fund to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, as specified. The bill w ould require the records, files, and other memoranda of the commission, other than an y private possessions, to be deposited and
99 filed with the State Archives on or before June 30, 2028, and w ould require the State Archives to receive those materials. These provisions would become operative only if the Treasurer determines that sufficient private or federal funds have been made available.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
line 1 SECTION 1. The Le gislature finds and declares all of the line 2 following:
line 3 (a) The year 2026 marks the 250th anni versary of the signing line 4 of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the United line 5 States of America.
line 6 (b) The founding of the United States is one of the most line 7 significant and pro vidential events in human history and should line 8 be celebrated accordingly.
line 9 (c) The United States Semiquincentennial Commission w as line 10 established by Congress to inspire each and e very American to line 11 participate in our greatest milestone e ver, the 250th anni versary line 12 of the founding of the United States.
line 13 (d) The United States Semiquincentennial Commission will line 14 coordinate the commemoration and observ ance of the 250th line 15 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and American line 16 Revolution, and is charged with orchestrating the largest and most line 17 inclusive anniversary observance in our nation’s history. line 18 (e) The United States Semiquincentennial Commission consists line 19 of 8 members of Congress, 16 pri vate citizens, and 9 federal line 20 officials, including the Secretary of State, Librarian of Congress, line 21 and Archivist of the United States.
line 22 (f) The United States Semiquincentennial Commission has line 23 encouraged states to establish state-level commissions to help plan line 24 and coordinate activities within each state celebrating the 250th line 25 anniversary of the nation’s founding.
line 26 (g) California has a unique history through its relationship with line 27 Spain, an ally of the Americans during the American Revolution. line 28 (h) California is home to hundreds of thousands of descendants line 29 of the men and women who actively participated in the American line 30 Revolution and the founding of the United States. 99 — 2 — SB 1214
line 1 SEC. 2. Chapter 7.5 (commencing with Section 6750) is added line 2 to Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code, to read:
line 3
line 4 Chapter 7.5. California Commission on the United line 5 States Semiquincentennial
line 6
line 7 6750. (a) The California Commission on the United States line 8 Semiquincentennial is hereby established in state go vernment to line 9 plan and coordinate commemorations and observances of the 250th line 10 anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the American line 11 Revolution.
line 12 (b) The commission shall be composed of 11 members as line 13 follows:
line 14 (1) The State Archivist, who shall serve as chairperson. line 15 (2) Two members of the California State Assembly shall be line 16 appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.
line 17 (3) Two members of the California State Senate shall be line 18 appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.
line 19 (4) One member of the general public shall be appointed by the line 20 Speaker of the Assembly.
line 21 (5) One member of the general public shall be appointed by the line 22 Senate Committee on Rules.
line 23 (6) Three members of the general public shall be appointed by line 24 the Governor.
line 25 (7) One member shall be appointed by the State Archivist from line 26 a list of indi viduals with relevant historical experience proposed line 27 by the California Historical Society.
line 28 (c) Members appointed to the commission pursuant to line 29 subdivision (b) shall serv e at the pleasure of the appointing line 30 authority.
line 31 (d) (1) The commission shall be solely supported by pri vate line 32 funds or funds made available by the federal go vernment for the line 33 purpose of supporting the commission.
line 34 (2) The funds specified in paragraph (1) shall be deposited in line 35 the Semiquincentennial Fund, which is hereby created in the State line 36 Treasury. Funds in the Semiquincentennial Fund shall be available, line 37 upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the express purpose of line 38 this chapter.
line 39 (e) On or before June 30, 2028, the records, files, and other line 40 memoranda of the commission, other than any private possessions, 99 SB 1214 — 3 —
line 1 shall be deposited and filed with the State Archives, which shall line 2 receive those materials.
line 3 (f) This section shall become operati ve only if the Treasurer line 4 determines that sufficient private or federal funds, as described in line 5 paragraph (1) of subdivision (d), have been made available. line 6 6751. This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, line 7 2029, and as of that date is repealed.
O
99 — 4 — SB 1214