(a) This article establishes the Social Entrepreneurs for Economic Development Initiative, to be administered by the California Workforce Development Board.
(b) The SEED Initiative is aimed at economically disadvantaged groups who face significant barriers to employment, specifically individuals with limited English proficiency, or individuals who are neither United States citizens nor lawful permanent residents. While this includes individuals who have been granted DACA or TPS, the SEED Initiative is open to all individuals in the target populations, including but not limited to other immigrants, refugees and asylees, and United States citizens.
(c) The purpose of the SEED Initiative is to support burgeoning entrepreneurship of individuals in SEED target populations, which will also increase the economic diversity of the state and help spur business innovation. Efforts funded under SEED are intended to supplement and be aligned with the broader workforce and education system in California.
(d) It is the intent of the Legislature to allow persons who are not lawfully present in the United States, as members of the SEED target populations, to participate in and benefit from the SEED Initiative, and this section is therefore enacted pursuant to Section 1621(d) of Title 8 of the United States Code.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 14, Sec. 10. (AB 82) Effective June 29, 2020.)