Establishes a biomedical research grants and working capital loan program within the urban development corporation; sets application criteria for loans and grants; requires scientific peer review and a biomedical research advisory board.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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6282
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 25, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. GABRYSZAK -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Economic Development
AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
relation to establishing a biomedical research grants and working
capital loan program to promote the state's biomedical research indus-
try and ancillary businesses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of 1968, constituting
2 the New York state urban development corporation act, is amended by
3 adding a new section 16-v to read as follows:
4 § 16-v. Biomedical research grants and working capital loan program.
5 1. Definitions. For the purposes of this section:
6 (a) "Research institution" or "institution" shall mean a public,
7 quasi-public or private biomedical research facility or institution of
8 higher education located within the state.
9 (b) "Biomedical research" shall mean and include applied scientific
10 research in the area of biomedicine including, but not limited to, phar-
11 maceutical research applications, surgical instruments, fixed diagnostic
12 equipment used to identify, isolate or treat physical or mental illness,
13 and biochemistry; or other relevant biomedical research.
14 2. Program established. The corporation shall establish the biomedi-
15 cal research grants and working capital loan program for the purpose of
16 establishing an economic development grants and working capital revolv-
17 ing loan fund to be administered by the corporation. Such fund shall be
18 used to provide financial assistance in the form of working capital
19 loans for biomedical research projects, new equipment at biomedical
20 research institutions, and for, under limited circumstances, grants for
21 salaries of biomedical researchers, staff support and non-personal
22 service at such research institutions.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08043-01-3
A. 6282 2
1 3. Application criteria. In addition to other criteria as the corpo-
2 ration may adopt for the consideration of approving applications for
3 grants and loans provided for in subdivision two of this section, the
4 corporation shall:
5 (a) determine that the research institution is unable to readily
6 obtain sufficient funding on reasonable terms from other public or
7 private sources to permit the planned project to proceed;
8 (b) give priority to those applications for assistance that secure a
9 high portion of private support for biomedical research or commit new
10 resources to the expansion of biomedical research at the institution;
11 and
12 (c) consider the potential long term economic benefits to the state by
13 awarding the specific grant or loan and whether the grant or loan will
14 result in a reasonable likelihood of success in meeting the purposes for
15 which it was sought by the applicant.
16 4. Scientific peer review. The corporation shall engage the services
17 of consultants for the purpose of conducting a scientific peer review of
18 all applications for such grants and loans. Such consultants shall have
19 substantial experience in the establishment and management of such peer
20 review process and shall make recommendations to the biomedical research
21 advisory board established pursuant to subdivision six of this section.
22 5. Funds. The fund shall consist of such amounts as may be appropri-
23 ated, any repayment of the principal amount of any loan made from the
24 fund, and any interest earned by the corporation from the investment of
25 moneys of the fund.
26 6. Advisory board. (a) There shall be established in the corporation a
27 biomedical research advisory board which shall oversee the process of
28 providing such financial assistance. Such board shall consist of thir-
29 teen voting members as follows:
30 (i) the commissioner of health;
31 (ii) the commissioner of mental health;
32 (iii) the chair of the state health research council;
33 (iv) four members appointed by the governor;
34 (v) two members appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
35 (vi) two members appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
36 (vii) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and
37 (viii) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly.
38 (b) The appointed members shall each have advanced knowledge of or an
39 advanced degree in one of the fields of biomedical sciences, or be a
40 prominent member of the biomedical research industry. Such members of
41 the advisory board shall be residents of the state.
42 (c) The appointed members shall serve for terms of three years.
43 Provided, however, the members of the advisory board initially appointed
44 shall be appointed for the following terms:
45 (i) one member appointed by the governor, one member appointed by the
46 temporary president of the senate and the member appointed by the minor-
47 ity leader of the assembly shall be appointed for terms of one year;
48 (ii) two members appointed by the governor, one member appointed by
49 the temporary president of the senate and one member appointed by the
50 speaker of the assembly shall be appointed for terms of two years; and
51 (iii) one member appointed by the governor, one member appointed by
52 the speaker of the assembly and the member appointed by the minority
53 leader of the senate shall be appointed for terms of three years.
54 The members shall continue in office until the expiration of their
55 terms and until their successors are appointed and have qualified.
56 Vacancies shall be filled by the appointing official who originally
A. 6282 3
1 appointed such member within one year of the date upon which such vacan-
2 cies occur.
3 (d) The advisory board shall meet as frequently as its business may
4 require, and at least once in each calendar year.
5 (e) One member shall be appointed by the chair of the corporation, or
6 by his or her designee, as chairperson of the advisory board.
7 (f) The members of the advisory board shall serve without compen-
8 sation, other than reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses.
9 7. Reports. The chairman of the corporation shall submit to the direc-
10 tor of the budget, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of
11 the assembly, the minority leader of the senate and the minority leader
12 of the assembly evaluations of the effectiveness of the program. Such
13 evaluations shall determine whether the assistance provided has enhanced
14 the biomedical research industry in the state and shall make recommenda-
15 tions for improvements which would make the program more effective. The
16 evaluations shall be submitted on or before the first of July of the
17 second calendar year next succeeding the effective date of this section
18 and on or before the first of July every second year thereafter.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
