House Bill 1015c1

    Florida House of Representatives - 2000             CS/HB 1015

        By the Committee on Colleges & Universities and
    Representatives Minton, Waters, Rojas and J. Miller





  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to marine biotechnology

  3         research and industry development; establishing

  4         the Florida Marine Biotechnology Research and

  5         Development Program; providing purpose;

  6         providing for program administration; requiring

  7         an annual report; providing for program focus

  8         areas; providing for award of funds to projects

  9         on a competitive basis; providing for annual

10         appropriations for a specified period; limiting

11         administrative expenses; providing long-term

12         goal of the program; providing an

13         appropriation; providing an effective date.

14

15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Florida Marine Biotechnology Research and

18  Development Program.--

19         (1)  There is established a Florida Marine

20  Biotechnology Research and Development Program. The program

21  shall establish partnerships among research scientists in

22  Florida universities and research laboratories and the marine

23  biotechnology industry for the purpose of promoting commerce,

24  creating jobs, and benefiting from potential commercial

25  opportunities in Florida. The Director of the Florida Marine

26  Research Institute and the Director of the Florida Sea Grant

27  College Program shall jointly administer the program, with

28  input from a steering committee appointed by both directors.

29  The steering committee shall include a member from each of the

30  following:  University of Florida, Florida Atlantic

31  University, Florida State University, University of South

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida House of Representatives - 2000             CS/HB 1015

    184-296-00






  1  Florida, Nova Southeastern University, University of Miami,

  2  University of West Florida, Harbor Branch Oceanographic

  3  Institution, Inc., Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Marine

  4  Research Institute, and BIO+Florida. The steering committee

  5  shall determine the research priorities that shall be used to

  6  request project proposals to be selected and funded using

  7  funds as provided in this act. The Florida Marine Research

  8  Institute and the Florida Sea Grant College Program shall make

  9  a joint report to the Legislature on the progress of the

10  program by July 1 of each year that the program is funded.

11         (2)  The Florida Marine Biotechnology Research and

12  Development Program shall focus on the following

13  areas:  aquaculture, marine animal health, marine natural

14  products, biofilm/bioadhesion, bioremediation, and marine

15  ecology.

16         (3)(a)  Funds appropriated for this program shall be

17  awarded to projects based on competition as determined by a

18  scientific peer review process, which may include the advice

19  of a nationwide panel of experts. Review criteria shall

20  include project rationale, scientific merit, potential

21  applications, industrial sponsorship, and investigator

22  qualifications. All universities, public research

23  laboratories, and private nonprofit research laboratories in

24  Florida shall be eligible to compete for funding based on the

25  submission of proposals and selection by the competitive

26  process. The program is intended to continue for a total of 5

27  years, with an annual appropriation each year. Projects

28  initiated using funds under this act shall require that the

29  annual appropriations be spent over a 30-month period.

30         (b)  The Florida Marine Research Institute and the

31  Florida Sea Grant College Program shall disburse all funds on

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000             CS/HB 1015

    184-296-00






  1  a competitive basis. Projects funded within the Florida Marine

  2  Research Institute shall receive funds appropriated under this

  3  act directly from the institute. Funds awarded to universities

  4  and private nonprofit research laboratories shall be

  5  transferred by the Florida Marine Research Institute by

  6  contract through the Florida Sea Grant College Program.

  7         (c)  All projects should promote public and private

  8  partnerships where possible. The Florida Marine Research

  9  Institute and the Florida Sea Grant College Program shall use

10  no more than $25,000 each of each annual appropriation for

11  technical administration of the program. Up to $16,000 of each

12  annual appropriation may be used by the Florida Sea Grant

13  College Program for the expenses of the peer review process

14  and technical panel.

15         (4)  The long-term goal of the program shall be the

16  creation of products and processes that will advance the

17  marine biotechnology industry in Florida, which industry will

18  create new, clean, high-technology businesses, will provide

19  high-paying jobs, and will create training opportunities that

20  will keep Florida-trained students in Florida.

21         (5)  Contractual services procured under this section

22  are not subject to the provisions of s. 287.057, Florida

23  Statutes.

24         Section 2.  There is hereby appropriated from the

25  General Revenue fund to the Florida Marine Research Institute

26  for fiscal year 2000-2001 the sum of $2 million for

27  implementation of the first year of the program described in

28  this act.

29         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2000.

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