The Resolution, in full

Assembly Joint Resolution No. ___
Relative to the Establishment of the Blue Ribbon Commission on California Sovereignty and National Separation

Legislative Counsel’s Digest

AJR ___, as introduced, [Member Name]
Blue Ribbon Commission on California Sovereignty and National Separation.

This measure would request the establishment of a legislative-executive Blue Ribbon Commission, styled the Blue Ribbon Commission on California Sovereignty and National Separation, for the purpose of studying, analyzing, and reporting on the legal, economic, political, and geopolitical implications of California’s potential withdrawal from the United States of America and the establishment of California as a sovereign and independent republic.

WHEREAS, the State of California, possessing the fourth-largest economy in the world, exercises significant political, cultural, and economic influence distinct from the remainder of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the people of California have, on repeated occasions, expressed growing discontent with decisions of the federal government that conflict with the core values, public policy goals, environmental priorities, and constitutional norms embraced by the State; and

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution reserves to the States and to the people those powers not delegated to the federal government, and California retains the sovereign dignity necessary to consider its future political status; and

WHEREAS, it is within the constitutional rights of the State Legislature to explore the implications of self-determination, federal disengagement, and potential independent governance consistent with international norms and democratic procedures; and

WHEREAS, any such exploration must be undertaken with the utmost seriousness, scholarly rigor, public transparency, and democratic accountability; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That:

1. There is hereby established a nonpartisan investigatory body to be known as the Blue Ribbon Commission on California Sovereignty and National Separation (“the Commission”).
2. The purpose of the Commission shall be to study and report upon:
   1. The legal frameworks under United States constitutional law and international law for the withdrawal or peaceful separation of California from the United States of America;
   2. The economic, financial, trade, and regulatory implications of such a withdrawal or separation, including currency, debt, taxation, and interstate commerce;
   3. National security and defense questions, including matters of military infrastructure, border control, and public safety;
   4. Diplomatic, consular, and international recognition frameworks;
   5. Political structures required to establish an independent California state governance system under principles of democratic legitimacy;
   6. Transitional arrangements necessary for legal continuity and public administration;
   7. Voter attitudes and public sentiments regarding secession, sovereignty, and the right of self-determination.
3. The Commission shall be composed of fifteen (15) members, as follows:
   1. Three (3) members appointed by the Governor of California;
   2. Three (3) members appointed by the President pro Tempore of the Senate;
   3. Three (3) members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly;
   4. Three (3) members nominated jointly by the California Secretary of State and the Attorney General;
   5. Three (3) members representing California-based institutions of higher education or public policy institutes, to be jointly selected by the above twelve members upon their convening.
4. Commission membership shall reflect expertise in constitutional law, international law, political science, economics, security studies, and public policy; and be broadly representative of the geographic and demographic diversity of California.
5. The Commission shall convene no later than sixty (60) days following the enactment of this Resolution and shall elect a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members at its first public meeting.
6. The Commission shall conduct its proceedings openly, consistent with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Government Code §§ 11120 et seq.) and shall invite public comment and stakeholder testimony from residents, experts, and civic organizations across California.
7. The Commission shall issue a comprehensive report of findings and policy recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor not later than twelve (12) months after its first meeting. The report shall include both majority and any minority findings and shall be published and disseminated in full to the public.
8. The Legislature may, upon receipt of the report, consider such further actions, including the drafting of legislation or ballot initiatives, as may be deemed appropriate to give effect to the Commission’s recommendations and findings.

Resolved further, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly shall transmit copies of this resolution to the Governor of California, the President pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General.

Drafted for consideration in the 2025–2026 legislative session.
Submitted by: [Member Name], Member of the California State Assembly.