California-Mexico Border Relations Council.

Assemblymember Alvarez's legislation expands the California-Mexico Border Relations Council by adding legislative representatives from districts along the Mexican border as nonvoting members. The bill authorizes the Assembly Speaker to appoint an Assembly member and the Senate President pro Tempore to appoint a Senator from border districts to serve as ex officio council participants.

The council, which coordinates cross-border programs and initiatives between California and Mexico, currently consists of eight voting members including the heads of key state agencies such as the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, Natural Resources Agency, and Environmental Protection Agency. Under the new provisions, appointed legislators would join the Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 as nonvoting members. The Secretary for Environmental Protection continues to chair the council.

The appointed legislators must represent districts that share a border with Mexico and serve at the pleasure of their appointing authority. Their participation is limited to activities compatible with their legislative roles. This change maintains the council's existing voting structure while incorporating direct input from elected officials representing border communities.