The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) Numerous studies have indicated the significant economic contributions of immigrants to this state and the nation as a whole. Businesses launched by immigrant entrepreneurs create millions of jobs, generate billions of dollars in revenue, and help revitalize communities.
(b) California has the highest concentration of immigrant business owners in the nation. From 2007 to 2011, immigrants founded 44 percent of new businesses in the state. In 2016, undocumented immigrant entrepreneurs generated over $3 billion in business income in California.
(c) In 2017, individuals eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) earned over $23 billion in income and paid almost $1.8 billion in state and local taxes; more than 43,000 were entrepreneurs, providing jobs and supporting local economies. Individuals granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) earned over $7 billion in 2017, and paid more than $890 million in federal taxes and over $650 million in state and local taxes.
(d) Individuals who are not United States citizens or lawful permanent residents, or who are limited English proficient, face multiple impediments that may prevent them from securing and maintaining gainful employment. For example, due to actions at the federal level, DACA and TPS recipients, who are vital members of our communities and spark economic development, have been deprived of or are at risk of being denied certain federal protections, which will result in economic hardship for them and their families.
(e) It is in the best interest of the State of California to enable these individuals to continue contributing to the economic vibrancy of this state, by supporting entrepreneurial opportunities to start and grow small businesses that will open up paths to economic self-sufficiency.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 14, Sec. 10. (AB 82) Effective June 29, 2020.)