SSB 3064 (LSB 5162DP (8) 83)

SENATE/HOUSE FILE _____

BY  (PROPOSED DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BILL)

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing an Iowa innovation council in the department of economic development.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 15.102, Code Supplement 2009, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  6A.  “Targeted industries” means the same as defined in section 15.411, subsection 1.
    Sec. 2.  Section 15.117, Code 2009, is amended to read as follows:
   15.117  Chief technology officer.

   The governor shall appoint a chief technology officer for the state. The chief technology officer shall serve a four-year two-year term and shall have national or international stature as a senior executive at a technology business in one of the targeted industries. The chief technology officer shall coordinate the activities of the technology commercialization specialist employed pursuant to section 15.115. The chief technology officer shall serve as a spokesperson for the department for purposes of promoting to private sector businesses the technology commercialization efforts of the department and the research and technology capabilities of institutions of higher learning in the state.
    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  15.117A  Iowa innovation council.
   1.  An Iowa innovation council is established within the department. The department shall provide the council with staff and administrative support. The department may expend moneys allocated to the innovation and commercialization division in order to provide such support. The department may adopt rules for the implementation of this section.
   2.  The council shall consist of the following members:
   a.  Twenty-seven voting members as follows:
   (1)  Twenty members selected by the board to serve staggered, two-year terms beginning and ending as provided in section 69.19. Of the members selected by the board, seven shall be representatives from businesses in the targeted industries and thirteen shall be individuals who serve on the technology commercialization committee created in section 15.116, or other committees of the board, and who have expertise with the targeted industries. At least ten of the members selected pursuant to this subparagraph shall be executives actively engaged in the management of a business in a targeted industry. The members selected pursuant to this paragraph shall reflect the size and diversity of businesses in the targeted industries and of the various geographic areas of the state.
   (2)  One member, selected by the governor, who also serves on the Iowa capital investment board created in section 15E.63.
   (3)  The director of the department, or the director’s designee.
   (4)  The chief technology officer appointed pursuant to section 15.117.
   (5)  The person designated as the chief information officer pursuant to section 8A.104, subsection 12, or, if no person has been so designated, the director of the department of administrative services, or the director’s designee.
   (6)  The president of the state university of Iowa, or the president’s designee.
   (7)  The president of Iowa state university of science and technology, or the president’s designee.
   (8)  The president of the university of northern Iowa, or the president’s designee.
   b.  Four members of the general assembly serving two-year terms in a nonvoting, ex officio capacity, with two from the senate and two from the house of representatives and not more than one member from each chamber being from the same political party. The two senators shall be designated one member each by the president of the senate after consultation with the majority leader of the senate, and by the minority leader of the senate. The two representatives shall be designated one member each by the speaker of the house of representatives after consultation with the majority leader of the house of representatives, and by the minority leader of the house of representatives.
   3.  To be eligible to serve as a designee pursuant to subsection 2, a person must have sufficient authority to make decisions on behalf of the organization being represented. A person named as a designee pursuant to subsection 2 shall not name a designee nor permit a substitute to attend council meetings.
   4.  The chief technology officer appointed pursuant to section 15.117 shall be the chairperson of the council and shall be responsible for convening meetings of the council and coordinating its activities and shall convene the council at least annually. The council shall annually elect one of the voting members to serve as vice chairperson. A majority of the members of the council constitutes a quorum. However, the chief technology officer shall not convene a meeting of the council unless the director of the department, or the director’s designee, is present at the meeting.
   5.  The council is not subject to the provisions of sections 69.16 and 69.16A.
   6.  The purpose of the council is to advise the department on the development and implementation of public policies that enhance innovation and entrepreneurship in the targeted industries, with a particular focus on the information, technology, and skills that increasingly dominate the twenty-first century economy. Such advice may include evaluating Iowa’s competitive position in the global economy, reviewing the technology typically utilized in the state’s manufacturing sector, assessing the state’s overall scientific research capacity, keeping abreast of the latest scientific research and technological breakthroughs and offering guidance as to their impact on public policy, recommending strategies that foster innovation, increase new business formation, and otherwise promote economic growth in the targeted industries, and offering guidance about future developments in the targeted industries.
   7.  The council shall do all of the following:
   a.  Create a comprehensive strategic plan for implementing specific policies that further the purpose of the council as described in subsection 6.
   b.  Review annually all the economic development programs administered by the department and the board that relate to the targeted industries and make recommendations for adjustments that enhance efficiency and effectiveness. In reviewing the programs, the council shall, to the greatest extent possible, utilize economic development data and research in order to make objective, fact-based recommendations.
   c.  Act as a forum where issues affecting the research community, the targeted industries, and policymakers can be discussed and addressed and where collaborative relationships can be formed.
   d.  Coordinate state government applications for federal funds relating to research and economic development affecting the targeted industries.
   e.  Conduct industry research and draft documents that provide background information for use in decision making by the general assembly, the governor, the department, and other policymaking bodies within state government.
EXPLANATION
   This bill establishes an Iowa innovation council within the department of economic development.
   The bill amends the term and duties of the chief technology officer appointed pursuant to Code section 15.117 and provides that the chief technology officer is the chairperson of the council.
   The council consists of 27 voting members. Twenty of the members are selected by the economic development board to serve staggered two-year terms. Of the members selected by the board, seven are representatives from businesses in the targeted industries and 13 are individuals who also serve on the technology commercialization committee created in Code section 15.116, or other committees of the board, and who have expertise with the targeted industries. At least 10 of the members selected by the board must be executives actively engaged in the management of a business in a targeted industry. The remaining seven members consist of the following: one member, selected by the governor, who also serves on the Iowa capital investment board, the director of the department, or the director’s designee, the chief technology officer, the chief information officer from the department of administrative services, and the presidents of the regents universities or their designees.
   There are four legislative members serving on the council in a nonvoting, ex officio capacity: two from the senate and two from the house of representatives. These four members are appointed by majority and minority leadership and there may not be more than one member from each chamber from the same political party.
   The chief technology officer is responsible for convening meetings of the council and coordinating its activities. The council must annually elect one of the voting members to serve as vice chairperson. The chief technology officer cannot convene a meeting of the council unless the director of the department, or the director’s designee, is present at the meeting.
   The purpose of the council is to advise the department on the development and implementation of public policies that enhance innovation and entrepreneurship in the targeted industries, with a particular focus on the information, technology, and skills that increasingly dominate the twenty-first century economy.
   The bill provides that the council is not subject to the political affiliation and gender balance requirements of Code sections 69.16 and 69.16A.
   The bill provides that the council must: create a comprehensive strategic plan for implementing specific policies that further the purpose of the council; review annually all the economic development programs administered by the department and the board that relate to the targeted industries and make recommendations for adjustments that enhance efficiency and effectiveness; act as a forum where issues affecting the research community, the targeted industries, and policymakers can be discussed and addressed and where collaborative relationships can be formed; coordinate state government applications for federal funds relating to research and economic development affecting the targeted industries; conduct industry research and draft documents that provide background information for use by the general assembly, the governor, the department, and other policymaking bodies within state government.