3113-3117
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.