Bill Text: NJ A3888 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes entrepreneur-in-residence pilot program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee [A3888 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A3888-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman NANCY F. MUNOZ
District 21 (Morris, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes entrepreneur-in-residence pilot program.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing an entrepreneur-in-residence pilot program and supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Entrepreneur-in-Residence Act."
2. As used in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):
"Department" means any executive branch department, agency, or authority of this State.
"Entrepreneur-in-residence" means an individual appointed to a position under the program.
"Program" means the New Jersey Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program established in the Department of State pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
"Secretary" means the Secretary of State or the secretary's designee.
3. There is hereby established in the Department of State, the New Jersey Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program. The purpose of this program is to provide for better outreach by the State to the private sector, strengthen coordination and interaction between the State and the private sector on issues relevant to entrepreneurs and small business concerns, and to make State government programs simpler, easier to access, more efficient, and more responsive to the needs of small business concerns and entrepreneurs.
4. a. The secretary shall appoint entrepreneurs-in-residence under the program to a department of the secretary's choosing during each year, provided that not more than 10 entrepreneurs-in-residence are appointed per year.
b. The secretary shall select entrepreneurs-in-residence from among individuals who:
(1) are successful in their field;
(2) have demonstrated success in working with small business concerns and entrepreneurs; or
(3) have successfully developed, invented, or created a product and brought the product to the marketplace.
c. In appointing entrepreneurs-in-residence, the secretary shall give priority to placing entrepreneurs-in-residence across State government at departments where there is an identified need for improved interaction with entrepreneurs and small business concerns; and to the extent practicable, not appoint more than two entrepreneurs-in-residence to positions in the same department during the same year.
d. An entrepreneur-in-residence shall be a full-time employee of the department to which the entrepreneur-in-residence is appointed, and may not serve as an entrepreneur-in-residence for more than a period of two years.
5. a. An entrepreneur-in-residence shall:
(1) assist the secretary and the department where placed in improving outreach to small business concerns and entrepreneurs;
(2) provide recommendations to the secretary and the commissioner of the department employing the entrepreneur-in-residence on inefficient or duplicative programs, if any, at the department;
(3) provide recommendations to the secretary and the commissioner of the department employing the entrepreneur-in-residence on methods to improve program efficiency at the department or new initiatives, if any, that may be instituted at the department;
(4) facilitate meetings and forums to educate small business concerns and entrepreneurs on programs or initiatives of the secretary and the department employing the entrepreneur-in-residence;
(5) facilitate in-service sessions with employees of the Department of State and the department employing the entrepreneur-in-residence on issues of concern to entrepreneurs and small business concerns; and
(6) provide technical assistance or mentorship to small business concerns and entrepreneurs in accessing programs at the Department of State and the department employing the entrepreneur-in-residence.
b. The rate of basic pay for an entrepreneur-in-residence shall be set by the department employing the entrepreneur-in-residence with the approval of the secretary, and shall be comparable to the rate offered to department employees with similar levels of educational attainment, years of experience, and professional responsibilities within the department.
c. An entrepreneur-in-residence shall report directly to the head of the department employing the entrepreneur-in-residence.
6. The secretary may establish an informal working group of entrepreneurs-in-residence to discuss best practices, experiences, obstacles, opportunities, and recommendations.
7. The secretary shall not appoint an entrepreneur-in-residence pursuant to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) after one year following the effective date of to P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
8. The Department of State shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), necessary to implement the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
9. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative for 120 days following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes an entrepreneur-in-residence program in the Department of State with the purpose of providing better outreach by the State to the private sector, strengthening coordination and interaction between the State and the private sector on issues relevant to entrepreneurs and small business concerns, and making State government programs simpler, easier to access, more efficient, and more responsive to the needs of small business concerns and entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneur-in-residence program places experienced and successful entrepreneurs from various fields in departments and agencies of the State related to those areas of entrepreneurship. The Secretary of State (secretary), or the secretary's designee, is responsible for selecting the entrepreneurs and selecting the departments where entrepreneurs will be placed for assignments of up to two years.
Once placed at a department, the entrepreneur-in-residence is to assist the secretary and departments in improving outreach to small business concerns and entrepreneurs, provide recommendations to the secretary and the head of the department on inefficient or duplicative programs, provide recommendations to the secretary and the head of the department on methods to improve program efficiency at the department, facilitate meetings and forums to educate small business concerns and entrepreneurs on programs or initiatives of the secretary and the department, facilitate in-service sessions with employees of the Department of State and the assigned departments on issues of concern to entrepreneurs and small business concerns, and provide technical assistance or mentorship to small business concerns and entrepreneurs in accessing programs at the Department of State and the assigned departments employing the entrepreneur-in-residence.
The entrepreneur-in-residence is to be an employee of the assigned department with a salary determined by the head of the department with the approval of the secretary, which is comparable to the rate offered to department employees with similar levels of educational attainment, years of experience, and professional responsibilities within the department.
The secretary may place up to 10 entrepreneurs per year at departments across the State, with up to two entrepreneurs per department. The secretary may also establish informal working group of entrepreneurs-in-residence to discuss best practices, experiences, obstacles, opportunities, and recommendations.
The deadline for appointing an entrepreneurs-in-residence is one year following the date of enactment.
