Bill Text: NJ S1319 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires NJ Commission on Science and Technology to establish a science and technology business assistance service.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-08 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Economic Growth Committee [S1319 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-S1319-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator BILL BARONI
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Requires NJ Commission on Science and Technology to establish a science and technology business assistance service.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act requiring the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology to establish a science and technology business assistance service, and amending P.L.1985, c.102 and P.L.1995, c.277.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 9 of P.L. 1985, c.102 (C.52:9X-9) is amended to read as follows:
9. The commission shall:
a. Be responsible for the development and oversight of policies and programs in science and technology for New Jersey;
b. Ensure that the programs in science and technology are adequately funded to achieve their stated goals;
c. Stimulate academic-industrial collaboration through such mechanisms as advanced technology centers, innovation partnership grants, business incubation facilities, and technology extension services;
d. Plan and assist in the establishment of new advanced technology centers, business incubation facilities, and technology extension services and adopt rules and regulations regarding the operation of these activities;
e. Coordinate activities of the advanced technology centers, business incubation facilities and technology extension services in conjunction with designated public and private institutions of higher education;
f. Recommend funding levels, determine eligible fields and supervise the process of making awards for innovation partnership grants;
g. Continue to identify and to support research opportunities at New Jersey academic institutions and other institutions that can advance economic development and employment;
h. Encourage and coordinate activities to help entrepreneurs and inventors, through programs that shall include, but not be limited to, a direct and immediate business assistance service to New Jersey-based science and technology companies as provided in section 3 of P.L.1995, c.277 (C.52:9X-9.3);
i. Stimulate technology transfer between higher education institutions and industry, including transfer of information available from various federal agencies;
j. Appoint a peer review committee, where warranted, for each of the fields of technology, drawn from the academic, scientific and industrial communities to review all situations involving either competitive applications for agency support or judgments on complex scientific or technological matters with the stipulation that neither reviewers nor their affiliated institutions shall be eligible as applicants;
k. Monitor changes in national and international economic conditions which might justify a reorientation of the State's technology program;
l. Identify future fields of science and technology that offer potential for application in New Jersey and help to find funding sources;
m. Adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to effectuate the provisions of this act, consistent with the rules and regulations of the Commission on Higher Education;
n. Adopt, amend and repeal bylaws for the regulation of its affairs and the conduct of its business;
o. Adopt and have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;
p. Have authority to sue and be sued;
q. Have authority to conduct meetings and public hearings in connection with the purposes of this act;
r. Have authority to enter into contracts, public and private, with a person upon those terms and conditions as the commission determines to be reasonable and to effectuate the purposes of this act;
s. Employ consultants and specialists in science and technology and any other employees as may be required in the judgment of the commission to effectuate the purposes of this act, and to fix and pay their compensation from funds available therefor, all without regard to the provisions of Title 11 of the Revised Statutes;
t. Receive and disburse funds from non-State sources including but not limited to federal funds;
u. Have authority to receive a percentage of royalty payments from any intangible property, as that term is defined in section 5 of P.L.2002, c.40 (C.54:10A-4.4), awarded to any science and technology company that received assistance from the commission and which assistance led to the awarding of the intangible property, as appropriate, except that three-fourths of the amount of any royalty payments received by the commission shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for deposit in the General Fund pursuant to an agreement with the State Treasurer; and
v. Have authority to do any and all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes and exercise the powers granted in this act.
(cf: P.L.2005, c.272, s.1)
2. Section 3 of P.L.1995, c.277 (C.52:9X-9.3) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology, in consultation with the [Department of Commerce and Economic Development] New Jersey Economic Development Authority, shall establish a program to promote biotechnology and other high technology industries in the State and to attract biotechnology and other high technology companies to the State.
b. The program shall:
(1) include research and information on commercial opportunities in biotechnology and high technology;
(2) provide technical and financial assistance to biotechnology and high technology companies considering locating in New Jersey;
(3) regularly represent or assist in representing the interests of New Jersey based firms in the national and international markets for biotechnology and high technology through conferences and seminars;
(4) provide New Jersey based firms with customized technical, financial and other assistance, and, within the limits of funding as may be available, facilitate the provision of such assistance through programs that shall include, but not be limited to, either:
(a) a direct and immediate business assistance service to any New Jersey based science and technology company, under which service a Statewide toll-free telephone number would be established for use by such companies that may wish to receive business development and technology information, and personalized counseling; or
(b) referrals of any New Jersey based science and technology company to other State, federal, or private business resource organizations, such as the State's Small Business Development Centers, which provide specialized business development assistance, technology information, consulting management and customized one-to-one counseling concerning their business plan and other technical assistance with significant business topics and issues.
The commission shall annually receive, subject to appropriation by the Legislature, monies in the amount necessary to fund the activities required pursuant to this section;
(5) authorize receiving a percentage of royalty payments from any intangible property, as that term is defined in section 5 of P.L.2002, c.40 (C.54:10A-4.4), awarded to those biotechnology and high technology companies that received assistance from the commission and which assistance led to the awarding of the intangible property, as appropriate, except that three-fourths of the amount of any royalty payments received by the commission shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for deposit in the General Fund pursuant to an agreement with the State Treasurer; and
(6) recruit capital investment in New Jersey to be applied to the high technology and biotechnology industries.
(cf: P.L.2005, c.272, s.2)
3. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after the date of enactment, but the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology ("commission") to establish a science and technology business assistance service providing "one-stop" access to any New Jersey based science and technology company, under which service either: (1) a Statewide toll-free telephone number would be established for use by such companies that may wish to receive business development and technology information, personalized counseling, or (2) referrals to other State, federal or private business resource organizations, such as the State's Small Business Development Centers, which provide specialized business development assistance, technology information, consulting management and customized one-to-one counseling concerning their business plan and other technical assistance with significant business topics and issues. The bill provides for annual funding by the Legislature of the activities required pursuant to the bill.
This service is currently offered by the commission predominantly to those science and technology companies that are housed within, or otherwise participate in, the commission's technology incubator program; however, one-to-one consulting management and counseling should also be facilitated for such firms that are located outside of this incubator network by such organizations like the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers ("NJSBDC") through its re-initiated technology commercialization program.
This bill implements one of the recommendations put forth by the NJSBDC in its August 2006 report entitled, "A Strategic Blueprint for Small Business Growth: Strengthening Business Opportunities in New Jersey."
