Senate File 113
SENATE FILE
BY HATCH, DOTZLER, STEWART,
RAGAN, KREIMAN, and HOLVECK
Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act creating an office of science and technology within the
2 department of economic development.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 1689XS 80
5 tm/pj/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 15.121 OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND
1 2 TECHNOLOGY.
1 3 1. a. An office of science and technology is created
1 4 within the department.
1 5 b. The department shall be administered by a science
1 6 advisor who shall be appointed by the governor subject to
1 7 confirmation by the senate and shall serve at the pleasure of
1 8 the governor. If the office of the science advisor becomes
1 9 vacant, the vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as
1 10 provided for the original appointment.
1 11 c. The governor shall select an appointee for the office
1 12 of the science advisor from recommendations submitted by the
1 13 state board of regents or the Iowa economic development board.
1 14 2. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise
1 15 requires:
1 16 a. "Office" means the office of science and technology
1 17 created in subsection 1.
1 18 b. "Science advisor" means the science advisor of the
1 19 office or the science advisor's designee.
1 20 3. The mission of the office shall be to do all of the
1 21 following:
1 22 a. To be the advocate of the state for scientifically
1 23 based high technology business.
1 24 b. To establish the scientific and technological goals of
1 25 the state.
1 26 c. To identify the best scientific and technological
1 27 development to spur job creation and growth.
1 28 d. To identify the technological initiatives that can be
1 29 transferred from the public sector into the private sector.
1 30 4. a. The office, in cooperation with federal and state
1 31 laboratories, state regents institutions, and private
1 32 organizations with similar interests, shall strive to provide
1 33 services vital to entrepreneurs or provide referral
1 34 information to those entities most likely to be of assistance
1 35 to entrepreneurs.
2 1 b. The office shall strive to do all of the following:
2 2 (1) Coordinate all state and federal research projects
2 3 with particular attention to potential commercial
2 4 applications.
2 5 (2) Establish a statewide clearinghouse procedure through
2 6 which all research scheduled for potential commercialization
2 7 would be categorized and prioritized according to its
2 8 relationship to the state's economic development strategies.
2 9 (3) Coordinate the identification of all pertinent
2 10 research with the state board of regents, regents
2 11 institutions, and the department.
2 12 (4) Make recommendations to the state board of regents,
2 13 the governor, and the general assembly regarding the funding
2 14 of strategic research.
2 15 5. The duties of the science advisor shall include, but
2 16 not be limited to, all of the following:
2 17 a. Manage the internal operations of the office and
2 18 establish guidelines and procedures to promote the orderly and
2 19 efficient administration of the office.
2 20 b. Serve as a bridge between the high technology business
2 21 community, the universities under the control of the state
2 22 board of regents, community colleges, and state agencies. The
2 23 focus shall be on the infrastructure needs of the high
2 24 technology business community with the mission of growing
2 25 Iowa's economy and family incomes.
2 26 c. Serve as the advisor to state governmental entities
2 27 regarding high technology business opportunities.
2 28 d. Monitor appropriate regulations, appropriations, and
2 29 new development in the administration of similar activities in
2 30 the state, in other states, by the federal government, or in
2 31 foreign countries. The office shall collect information and
2 32 data prepared by other state agencies related to those
2 33 activities and provide referral and assistance to interested
2 34 persons and agencies.
2 35 e. Cooperate with any person involved in high technology
3 1 activities to standardize regulations and coordinate programs,
3 2 in order to increase administrative effectiveness and reduce
3 3 administrative duplication.
3 4 f. Implement policies and procedures designed to
3 5 facilitate communication among persons involved in high
3 6 technology activities.
3 7 g. Assist state agencies, federal agencies, or commercial
3 8 enterprises or commodity organizations that are located in or
3 9 desiring to locate in this state with high technology issues,
3 10 including support of public research relating to high
3 11 technology activities.
3 12 h. Prepare an annual report to the general assembly
3 13 regarding high technology activities. The report shall
3 14 include a review of research and research results, areas of
3 15 study with promising potential, a summary of initiatives in
3 16 other states, and an analysis of state and federal regulations
3 17 and programs. The office shall regularly inform the governor
3 18 and the general assembly regarding its operations and programs
3 19 administered, including financial reports concerning funding
3 20 of the programs.
3 21 i. Formulate long=range strategic plans to guide state
3 22 investment in applied research, development, and commercial
3 23 transfer of selected scientific and technological innovation.
3 24 j. Seek the cooperation of the department, the state board
3 25 of regents, and regents institutions in implementing this
3 26 section.
3 27 EXPLANATION
3 28 This bill creates a new office of science and technology
3 29 within the department of economic development.
3 30 The bill provides that the mission of the office is to be
3 31 the advocate of the state for scientifically based high
3 32 technology business, to establish the scientific and
3 33 technological goals of the state, to identify the best
3 34 scientific and technological development to spur job creation
3 35 and growth, and to identify the technological initiatives that
4 1 can be transferred from the public sector into the private
4 2 sector.
4 3 The bill provides that the office, in cooperation with
4 4 federal and state laboratories, state regents institutions,
4 5 and private organizations with similar interests, shall strive
4 6 to provide services vital to entrepreneurs or provide referral
4 7 information to those entities most likely to be of assistance
4 8 to entrepreneurs. The bill provides that the office shall
4 9 strive to coordinate all state and federal research projects;
4 10 establish a statewide clearinghouse procedure; coordinate the
4 11 identification of all pertinent research with the state board
4 12 of regents, regents institutions, and the department of
4 13 economic development; and make recommendations to the state
4 14 board of regents, the governor, and the general assembly
4 15 regarding the funding of strategic research.
4 16 The bill provides that the science advisor of the office of
4 17 science and technology shall manage the internal operations of
4 18 the office; serve as a bridge between the high technology
4 19 business community, regents universities, community colleges,
4 20 and state agencies; serve as the advisor to state governmental
4 21 entities regarding high technology business opportunities;
4 22 monitor appropriate regulations, appropriations, and new
4 23 development in the administration of similar activities in the
4 24 state, in other states, by the federal government, or in
4 25 foreign countries; cooperate with any person involved in high
4 26 technology activities to standardize regulations and
4 27 coordinate programs; implement policies and procedures
4 28 designed to facilitate communication between persons involved
4 29 in high technology activities; assist state agencies, federal
4 30 agencies, or commercial enterprises or commodity organizations
4 31 that are located in or desiring to locate in this state with
4 32 high technology issues; prepare an annual report to the
4 33 general assembly regarding high technology activities;
4 34 formulate long=range strategic plans to guide state investment
4 35 in applied research, development, and commercial transfer of
5 1 selected scientific and technological innovation; and seek the
5 2 cooperation of the department of economic development, the
5 3 state board of regents, and regents institutions.
5 4 LSB 1689XS 80
5 5 tm/pj/5.2