LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 1Ch. 3.3§ 8256 Asian Pacific Islander Commission

§ 8256 Asian Pacific Islander Commission

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8256 Asian Pacific Islander Commission

Key Takeaways

  • •There is a group called the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs with 13 members.
  • •The members are chosen by the Senate, the Assembly, and the Governor. They must know about the Asian and Pacific Islander American community.
  • •Members serve for 4 years, but some initial members served for only 2 years.
  • •The group picks a chairperson every year and can hire a leader who doesn’t have to follow usual government hiring rules.

Example

Imagine a group of people in your school who help make sure students from Asian and Pacific Islander families have what they need. This group has leaders picked by the principal, teachers, and student council.

The law creates a similar group for the whole state. The leaders are picked by important people in the government, and they work to help the Asian and Pacific Islander American community.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8256 Asian Pacific Islander Commission

(a) There is established in state government the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, which shall be comprised of 13 members appointed in accordance with subdivision (b) and shall conduct its business in accordance with this chapter. (b) (1) The members of the commission shall be individuals with knowledge or expertise of the APIA community, whether by experience or training, and who are representative of that community in the state, both geographically and demographically. (2) Commission members shall be appointed as follows: (A) Four members, appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. (B) Four members, appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. (C) Five members, appointed by the Governor. The Governor’s appointees shall not be subject to confirmation by the Senate. (3) The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall make one appointment each from a pool of three nominees selected for each of the respective positions by the Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. (4) Appointments shall be made during the 2003 calendar year. The terms of commission members shall commence on January 1, 2004. (5) (A) Subject to subparagraph (B), commission members shall serve for terms of four years. (B) Of the initial appointments by the Governor, four members shall serve four-year terms, and one member shall serve a two-year term. Of the initial appointments by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly, two members appointed by each appointing power shall serve four-year terms, and two members appointed by each appointing power shall serve two-year terms. (6) Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall not affect the powers of the commission and shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. (c) The chair of the commission shall be elected by a majority of the appointed members of the commission at the first official meeting of the commission, and shall serve a term of one year or until a successor is elected, whichever occurs later. (d) The commission may appoint an executive director who shall be exempt from civil service. (Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 264, Sec. 1. (AB 107) Effective September 29, 2020.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

governorcommissionpacific islander americansenate committeecommunityappointmentpacific islander legislativeaccordance

Related Statutes

  • § 8258 Apia Commission Annual Report
  • § 8412 Commission Member Appointment Requirements
  • § 8257 Apia Community Advisory Role
  • § 14998.2 Film Commission Board Structure
  • § 8010 Hate Commission Establishment

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 8256.
View Official Source