California 2025-2026 Regular Session

California Senate Bill SR37 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 37Introduced by Senator Gonzalez(Coauthors: Senators Cabaldon, Umberg, and Wahab)April 03, 2025 Relative to 2025 Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 37, as introduced, Gonzalez. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, The Cambodian people have a long and rich cultural heritage symbolized by the capitol city temple of Angkor Wat, which existed during the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century and is considered one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, that stands as a living icon of the endurance and genius of all Cambodians throughout the world; andWHEREAS, Early connections between the United States and Cambodia began in the 1950s, when Cambodia sent bright and talented college students to universities, including California State Universities in Long Beach and Los Angeles, to study technical trades, engineering, and agriculture with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); and WHEREAS, The relationship between the United States and Cambodia had been forged through educational and professional exchange, and therefore in 1975, with the impending overthrow of the government by the totalitarian Khmer Rouge regime, the United States accepted over 4,000 Cambodian evacuees to ensure their safety; and WHEREAS, April 17, 2025, will mark the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge regime, led by Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge seized power, which led to the Cambodian Genocide; andWHEREAS, Between April 17, 1975, and January 7, 1979, the Khmer Rouge of Democratic Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, and other members of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their agents, committed acts of genocide and other crimes against humanity; and WHEREAS, The genocide and other crimes against humanity committed against the people of Cambodia, including various religious groups and ethnic minorities, during the Khmer Rouge regime led to the deaths of over 1,700,000 Cambodians, which was 21 percent of the nations population; and WHEREAS, The Khmer Rouge regime also sought to eliminate all aspects of Cambodian culture by systematically killing those with education, separating families, and destroying institutions such as Buddhist temples, schools, libraries, dance, and music; and WHEREAS, Countless victims have since come forward to tell their stories of imprisonment, starvation, slavery, rape, and systematic forced marriage; and WHEREAS, After the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, over 140,000 Cambodians came to the United States as refugees, a group of special humanitarian and foreign policy concern to the United States because of the well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion and thus in need of protection in accordance with the United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees; and WHEREAS, The State of California has the largest population of Cambodians, and the City of Long Beach is known around the world as home to the largest Cambodian community outside of Southeast Asia; and WHEREAS, The Cambodian people have drawn from their cultural history to rebuild their lives and communities through participation in American politics on the local and national levels, by establishing local and international businesses, by developing new art forms and community organizations, and by raising a new generation of Americans who promise to contribute to the future of the State of California and the nation; and WHEREAS, The Cambodian Genocide was a human tragedy and must be remembered for the scale of violence and devastation perpetrated against the people of Cambodia so that it does not happen again, there or in any other country; and WHEREAS, In 1994, the United States Congress passed the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act, committing the American government to the pursuit of justice for the victims of the genocide and affirming the policy of the United States to bring members of the Khmer Rouge to justice for their crimes against humanity; and WHEREAS, The genocide and other crimes against humanity did not succeed in destroying the Cambodian people or their culture. In fact the culture and heritage of the Cambodian people continues to this day through the accomplishments of Cambodians and their descendants; and WHEREAS, The suffering and loss of the Cambodian people and their accomplishments and perseverance in reestablishing families, communities, and enhancing the cultural and historical diversity of our state and nation should be recognized and honored; and WHEREAS, The Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week will honor the survivors and their descendants for their courage and contributions to our state and country. This week will serve as a way to remember those who lost their lives in Cambodia and in genocides around the world; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby recognizes the week of April 17 to April 23, 2025, inclusive, as Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week, and calls upon all Californians to observe the week by participating in appropriate activities and programs; and be it furtherResolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
2	2
3	3	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 37Introduced by Senator Gonzalez(Coauthors: Senators Cabaldon, Umberg, and Wahab)April 03, 2025 Relative to 2025 Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Week. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 37, as introduced, Gonzalez. Digest Key
4	4
5	5
6	6
7	7
8	8
9	9	CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20252026 REGULAR SESSION
10	10
11	11	Senate Resolution
12	12
13	13	No. 37
14	14
15	15	Introduced by Senator Gonzalez(Coauthors: Senators Cabaldon, Umberg, and Wahab)April 03, 2025
16	16
17	17	Introduced by Senator Gonzalez(Coauthors: Senators Cabaldon, Umberg, and Wahab)
18	18	April 03, 2025
19	19
20	20	Relative to 2025 Cambodian Genocide Remembrance Week.
21	21
22	22	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
23	23
24	24	## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
25	25
26	26	SR 37, as introduced, Gonzalez.
27	27
28	28
29	29
30	30	## Digest Key
31	31
32	32	## Bill Text
33	33
34	34	WHEREAS, The Cambodian people have a long and rich cultural heritage symbolized by the capitol city temple of Angkor Wat, which existed during the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century and is considered one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, that stands as a living icon of the endurance and genius of all Cambodians throughout the world; and
35	35
36	36	WHEREAS, Early connections between the United States and Cambodia began in the 1950s, when Cambodia sent bright and talented college students to universities, including California State Universities in Long Beach and Los Angeles, to study technical trades, engineering, and agriculture with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); and
37	37
38	38	WHEREAS, The relationship between the United States and Cambodia had been forged through educational and professional exchange, and therefore in 1975, with the impending overthrow of the government by the totalitarian Khmer Rouge regime, the United States accepted over 4,000 Cambodian evacuees to ensure their safety; and
39	39
40	40	WHEREAS, April 17, 2025, will mark the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge regime, led by Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouge seized power, which led to the Cambodian Genocide; and
41	41
42	42	WHEREAS, Between April 17, 1975, and January 7, 1979, the Khmer Rouge of Democratic Kampuchea, led by Pol Pot, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, and other members of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kampuchea and their agents, committed acts of genocide and other crimes against humanity; and
43	43
44	44	WHEREAS, The genocide and other crimes against humanity committed against the people of Cambodia, including various religious groups and ethnic minorities, during the Khmer Rouge regime led to the deaths of over 1,700,000 Cambodians, which was 21 percent of the nations population; and
45	45
46	46	WHEREAS, The Khmer Rouge regime also sought to eliminate all aspects of Cambodian culture by systematically killing those with education, separating families, and destroying institutions such as Buddhist temples, schools, libraries, dance, and music; and
47	47
48	48	WHEREAS, Countless victims have since come forward to tell their stories of imprisonment, starvation, slavery, rape, and systematic forced marriage; and
49	49
50	50	WHEREAS, After the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, over 140,000 Cambodians came to the United States as refugees, a group of special humanitarian and foreign policy concern to the United States because of the well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion and thus in need of protection in accordance with the United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees; and
51	51
52	52	WHEREAS, The State of California has the largest population of Cambodians, and the City of Long Beach is known around the world as home to the largest Cambodian community outside of Southeast Asia; and
53	53
54	54	WHEREAS, The Cambodian people have drawn from their cultural history to rebuild their lives and communities through participation in American politics on the local and national levels, by establishing local and international businesses, by developing new art forms and community organizations, and by raising a new generation of Americans who promise to contribute to the future of the State of California and the nation; and
55	55
56	56	WHEREAS, The Cambodian Genocide was a human tragedy and must be remembered for the scale of violence and devastation perpetrated against the people of Cambodia so that it does not happen again, there or in any other country; and
57	57
58	58	WHEREAS, In 1994, the United States Congress passed the Cambodian Genocide Justice Act, committing the American government to the pursuit of justice for the victims of the genocide and affirming the policy of the United States to bring members of the Khmer Rouge to justice for their crimes against humanity; and
59	59
60	60	WHEREAS, The genocide and other crimes against humanity did not succeed in destroying the Cambodian people or their culture. In fact the culture and heritage of the Cambodian people continues to this day through the accomplishments of Cambodians and their descendants; and
61	61
62	62	WHEREAS, The suffering and loss of the Cambodian people and their accomplishments and perseverance in reestablishing families, communities, and enhancing the cultural and historical diversity of our state and nation should be recognized and honored; and
63	63
64	64	WHEREAS, The Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week will honor the survivors and their descendants for their courage and contributions to our state and country. This week will serve as a way to remember those who lost their lives in Cambodia and in genocides around the world; now, therefore, be it
65	65
66	66	Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate hereby recognizes the week of April 17 to April 23, 2025, inclusive, as Cambodian Genocide Memorial Week, and calls upon all Californians to observe the week by participating in appropriate activities and programs; and be it further
67	67
68	68	Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.