SACRAMENTO, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region (ANCA-WR) announced that the International Trade and Investment Office: Yerevan bill (SB 897) introduced by California State Senator Jack Scott (D-Pasadena) passed through the second of two State Assembly committees on Thursday, August 25, 2005. ANCA-WR Government Relations Director Armen Carapetian joined Sen. Scott to testify before the California State Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy earlier in the week.

“The Armenian National Committee is pleased that both the Jobs and now the Appropriations committees unanimously passed SB 897,” said Carapetian. “This is a commonsense measure aimed to allow the State of California to properly operate its trade office in Armenia.”

SB 897 aims to extend the sunset date for the creation and operation of the California International Trade and Investment Office in Yerevan, Armenia which was established by state statue in 2002. The current sunset date for the trade office is set for January 1, 2006, however, the bill would extend this deadline to 2008. SB 897 is expected to be up on the Assembly floor early next week and, if passed, will need to be taken up by the Senate for concurrence thereafter. SB 897 enjoys popular, bi-partisan support, having been introduced by Sen. Scott, with principal coauthors Senators Chuck Poochigian (R-Fresno) and Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo), Assemblymembers Juan Arambula (D-Fresno) and Dario Frommer (D-Glendale), as well as coauthors Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), and Assemblymembers Greg Aghazarian (R-Stockton) and Carol Liu (D-Pasadena).

The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a broad range of issues.