SECTIONS 3113-3117 - California Statutes

GOVERNMENT CODE

SECTION 3113-3117

3113. There is in the Office of the Governor an Office for Citizen
Initiative and Voluntary Action, hereinafter referred to as "office",
to advocate and encourage citizen initiative and volunteer action.

3114. The office shall be administered by a director who shall be
appointed by and report to, the Governor.

3115. In addition to funds otherwise provided, the office shall be
supported by federal funds. Initial state funding for the office for
fiscal year 1978-79 shall be allocated from the Governor's
Contingency Fund.

3116. In order to maximize the involvement of volunteers in state
government, the office is, hereby, authorized in order to develop
effective citizen involvement to assist state departments and
agencies to recruit, train, and accept the services of volunteers,
including direct service volunteers or administrative volunteers, to
supplement the programs administered by each state department.
Specific authorization is, hereby, granted to the office to:
(a) Take such actions as are necessary and appropriate to promote
the active participation of volunteers to enhance and enrich state
programs;
(b) Take such actions as are necessary and appropriate to ensure a
receptive and open climate for citizen volunteers within state
government and develop meaningful opportunities for volunteers
involved in state programs; and
(c) Take such actions as are necessary to ensure that volunteers
and paid staff understand their respective duties and
responsibilities, their relationship to each other, and their
respective roles in fulfilling the objectives of state government,
including clearly established policies which specify that volunteers
are not intended to supplant or replace regular public employees but
are to augment regular staff functions and programs.

3117. The goals of the office shall be as follows:
(a) To foster the spirit of citizen initiative and voluntary
action among businesses, industries and individual citizens in the
community;
(b) To enable adequate communication and collaboration whereby
individuals and agencies may converse with each other to initiate new
programs or improve existing programs for citizen initiative and
voluntary action at the local level;
(c) To identify untapped human, technical and material resources
that can be mobilized for the public good through citizen initiative
and voluntary action;
(d) To open up the process of government and social institutions
and to provide a common ground for two fundamental concepts, i.e.,
volunteerism and citizen initiative, to be brought together in
mutually supportive relationships as a basis for better service; and
(e) To achieve an effective and permanent expansion of citizen
initiative and voluntary action in community problem solving and
citizen participation in the delivery of government services.