Existing law establishes the Office of Small Business Advocate within the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, and prescribes the duties and functions of the Small Business Advocate, who is also the Director of the Office of Small Business Advocate. Existing law requires the Small Business Advocate to, among other things, serve as the principal advocate on behalf of small businesses and to represent the views and interests of small businesses, among other duties. Existing law establishes the California Small Business Technical Assistance Program within the Office of the Small Business Advocate, under the direct authority of the Small Business Advocate, for the purpose of assisting small businesses through free or low-cost one-on-one consulting and low-cost training by entering into grant agreements with one or more small business technical assistance centers.

This bill would establish the Small Business Retail Theft Solutions Grant Program, within the Office of the Small Business Advocate, for the purpose of assisting small businesses prevent and recover from retail theft. The bill would require the office, in implementing the program, to consult with local, regional, federal, and other state public and private entities that share a mission to support the needs of small businesses in California. Upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature for implementing these provisions, the bill would require the office to make grants to small businesses to expand the capacity of small business to prevent and recover from retail theft.