The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(a) Museums do important work that helps the state meet its obligations to residents in the field of education. Museums contribute to formal and informal learning at every stage of life, from the education of children in preschool to the continuing education of adults.
(b) Museums are a significant resource for in-service training of California teachers. A great potential for a relationship between museums and educational facilities exists.
(c) Museums are an important means of making art, science, history, and culture available to California residents.
(d) Museums provide an economic boost to their communities by attracting tourists and local visitors, all of whom create a demand for services.
(e) Museums often help define the public identity of a community, and serve as a foundation of its cultural identity. A museum has the legacy of its community as the heart of its mission.
(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 1126, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)