BILL NUMBER: AJR 23AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JANUARY 23, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members John A. Prez and Conway (Principal coauthors: Senators Huff and Steinberg) ( Coauthors: Assembly Members Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Chesbro, Cook, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Furutani, Beth Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto, Gordon, Hagman, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hernndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Lara, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mansoor, Mitchell, Monning, Nestande, Nielsen, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel Prez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, and Yamada ) ( Coauthors: Senators Alquist, Anderson, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Calderon, Cannella, Corbett, De Len, DeSaulnier, Dutton, Emmerson, Fuller, Gaines, Hancock, Harman, Kehoe, La Malfa, Leno, Lieu, Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price, Rubio, Runner, Simitian, Strickland, Vargas, Walters, Wolk, Wright, Wyland, and Yee ) JANUARY 23, 2012 Relative to economic development. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AJR 23, as amended, John A. Prez. Economic development. This bill would urge the United States Patent and Trademark Office to place a satellite office in California. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, California is at the forefront of the innovation economy; and WHEREAS, Northern California is the birthplace of biotechnology, inventors and leaders in high technology, and the burgeoning field of green technology; and WHEREAS, Central California is home to much of our nation's food supply; and WHEREAS, Southern California is home to pioneers and leaders of the entertainment industry, biomedical devices, and the aerospace industry; and WHEREAS, California entrepreneurs and companies continue to innovate and expand; and WHEREAS, In 2010, California received 30,080 patents, representing 25 percent of all patents granted in the United Sates and more than four times the number of any other state; and WHEREAS, California has many of the top-ranked universities in the country for engineering, science, and the law that produce the educated workforce necessary to staff a satellite office of the United States Patent and Trademark Office; and WHEREAS, Many of the highest ranking law firms in intellectual property and patent law all have offices in California; and WHEREAS, The landscape of California is incredibly diverse; and WHEREAS, California is the transportation hub of the west coast with 11 ports, 29 commercial airports, 170 commuter trains, 38 intercity trains, and 16,662.16 miles of state highway; and WHEREAS, Most of the foreign patent filings come from countries in Asia, and California's proximity to Asia is a key reason our major cities have well-established business networks within Asia; and, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature of California stands committed to fostering the economic and business environment necessary to continue promoting the innovation economy in our state and urges the United States Patent and Trademark Office to place a satellite office in California; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and to the author for appropriate distribution.