Amendment Text: An act relating to biomedical research; creating the James and Esther King Center for Universal Research to Eradicate Disease; providing intent and duties; creating an advisory council; amending s. 215.5602, F.S.; expanding the long-term goals and funding of the Florida Biomedical Research Program to include the cure of specified diseases; creating the Florida Cancer Research Cooperative; providing for a board of directors; providing the cooperative's mission and duties; providing an effective date.

HOUSE AMENDMENT

Bill No. HB 0845

CHAMBER ACTION

The Committee on Commerce recommends the following:

Committee Substitute

Remove the entire bill and insert:

A bill to be entitled

An act relating to biomedical research; creating the James

and Esther King Center for Universal Research to Eradicate

Disease; providing intent and duties; creating an advisory

council; amending s. 215.5602, F.S.; expanding the long-

term goals and funding of the Florida Biomedical Research

Program to include the cure of specified diseases;

creating the Florida Cancer Research Cooperative;

providing for a board of directors; providing the

cooperative's mission and duties; providing an effective

date.

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

Section 1. James and Esther King Center for Universal

Research to Eradicate Disease.--

(1) The Legislature finds that an estimated 128 million

Americans suffer from acute, chronic, and degenerative diseases

and that biomedical research is the key to finding cures for

these diseases that negatively affect all Floridians. The

Legislature further finds that, while there is much research

being conducted throughout this state and throughout the world,

there is a lack of coordination of efforts among researchers.

The Legislature, therefore, finds that there is a significant

need for a coordinated effort if the goal of curing disease is

to be achieved. Moreover, the Legislature finds that the

biomedical technology sector meets the criteria of a high-impact

sector, pursuant to section 288.108, Florida Statutes, having a

high importance to this state's economy with a significant

potential for growth and contribution to our universities and

quality of life.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that Florida

strive to become the nation's leader in biomedical research and

commit itself to being the state to find cures for the most

deadly and widespread diseases. It is further the intent of the

Legislature that there be a coordinated effort among the state's

public and private universities and the biomedical industry to

discover such cures. Moreover, it is the intent of the

Legislature to expand the state economy by attracting biomedical

researchers and research companies to this state.

(3) There is established the James and Esther King Center

for Universal Research to Eradicate Disease, which shall be

known as the "CURED."

(a) The purpose of the center is to coordinate, improve,

expand, and monitor all biomedical research programs within the

state, facilitate funding opportunities, and foster improved

technology transfer of research findings into clinical trials

and widespread public use.

(b) The goal of the center is to find cures for diseases

such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, and

neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy,

and Parkinson's disease.

summit in Florida to which biomedical researchers, biomedical

technology companies, business incubators, pharmaceutical

manufacturers, and others around the nation and world are

invited to share biomedical research findings in order to

expedite the discovery of cures. Summit attendees will be

required to cover the costs of such attendance or obtain

sponsorship for such attendance.

(d) The center shall encourage clinical trials in this

state on research that holds promise of curing a disease or

condition. The center shall facilitate partnerships between

researchers, treating physicians, and community hospitals for

the purpose of sharing new techniques and new research findings,

as well as coordinating voluntary donations to ensure an

adequate supply of adult stem cells or cord blood.

(e) The center shall also encourage the discovery and

production in Florida of vaccines that prevent disease.

(f) The center shall monitor the supply and demand needs

of researchers relating to stem cell research and other types of

human tissue research. If the center determines that there is a

need for increased donation of human tissue, it shall notify

hospitals licensed pursuant to chapter 395, Florida Statutes,

that have entered into partnership agreements with research

institutes conducting stem cell research located in the same

geographic region as the researchers demanding the stem cells or

other tissues. Such hospitals shall then implement programs that

encourage voluntary donations of cord blood or other needed

adult tissue.

(g) The center shall be funded through private, state, and

federal sources.

(h) The center shall serve as a registry of all known

biomedical grant opportunities and may assist any public or

private biomedical research program in this state in preparing

grant requests.

(i) The center shall maintain a website with links to

peer-reviewed biomedical research. The website shall also

contain a list of all known biomedical research being conducted

in Florida and shall facilitate communication among researchers

100

and other interested parties.

101

(j) The center shall submit an annual report to the

102

Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the

103

House of Representatives no later than January 15 which contains

104

recommendations for legislative change necessary to foster a

105

positive climate for biomedical research in this state.

106

(k) The duties of the center may be outsourced to a

107

private entity or state university.

108

(4) There is established within the center an advisory

109

council which shall meet at least annually.

110

(a) The council shall consist of the members of the board

111

of directors of the Florida Research Consortium and at least one

112

representative from:

113

1. The Emerging Technology Commission.

114

2. Enterprise Florida, Inc.

115

3. BioFlorida.

116

4. The Florida Biomedical Research Advisory Council.

117

5. The Florida Medical Foundation.

118

6. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

119

(b) Members of the council shall serve without

120

compensation and each organization represented shall cover all

121

expenses of its representative.

122

Section 2. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1),

123

subsection (2), and paragraph (f) of subsection (10) of section

124

215.5602, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

125

215.5602 Florida Biomedical Research Program.--

126

(1) There is established within the Department of Health

127

the Florida Biomedical Research Program funded by the proceeds

128

of the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund pursuant to s. 215.5601. The

129

purpose of the Florida Biomedical Research Program is to provide

130

an annual and perpetual source of funding in order to support

131

research initiatives that address the health care problems of

132

Floridians in the areas of tobacco-related cancer,

133

cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease. The long-

134

term goals of the program are to:

135

(a) Improve the health of Floridians by researching better

136

prevention, diagnoses, ~~and~~ treatments, and curesfor cancer,

137

cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease.

138

(b) Expand the foundation of biomedical knowledge relating

139

to the prevention, diagnosis, ~~and~~ treatment, and cureof

140

diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer,

141

cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease.

142

(2) Funds appropriated for the Florida Biomedical Research

143

Program shall be used exclusively for the award of grants and

144

fellowships as established in this section; for research

145

relating to the prevention, diagnosis, ~~and~~ treatment, and cure

146

of diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer,

147

cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease; and for

148

expenses incurred in the administration of this section.

149

Priority shall be granted to research designed to prevent or

150

cure disease.

151

(10) The council shall submit an annual progress report on

152

the state of biomedical research in this state to the Governor,

153

the Secretary of Health, the President of the Senate, and the

154

Speaker of the House of Representatives by February 1. The

155

report must include:

156

(f) Progress in the prevention, diagnosis, ~~and~~ treatment,

157

and cureof diseases related to tobacco use, including cancer,

158

cardiovascular disease, stroke, and pulmonary disease.

159

Section 3. Florida Cancer Research Cooperative.--

160

(1) Effective July 1, 2003, the Florida Cancer Research

161

Cooperative is established for the purpose of making the State

162

of Florida a world class center for cancer research.

163

(2)(a) A not-for-profit corporation, acting as an

164

instrumentality of the Florida Dialogue on Cancer, shall be

165

organized for the purpose of governing the affairs of the

166

cooperative.

167

(b) The Florida Cancer Research Cooperative, Inc., may

168

create not-for-profit corporate subsidiaries to fulfill its

169

mission. The not-for-profit corporation and its subsidiaries are

170

authorized to receive, hold, invest, and administer property and

171

any moneys acquired from private, local, state, and federal

172

sources, as well as technical and professional income generated

173

or derived from the mission-related activities of the

174

cooperative.

175

176

managed by a board of directors which shall consist of:

177

1. The Secretary of the Department of Health or his or her

178

designee;

179

2. The Chief Executive Officer of the H. Lee Moffitt

180

Cancer Center or his or her designee;

181

3. The President of the University of Florida Shands

182

Cancer Center or his or her designee;

183

4. The Chief Executive Officer of the University of Miami

184

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center or his or her designee;

185

5. The Chief Executive Officer of the Mayo Clinic,

186

Jacksonville, or his or her designee;

187

6. The Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer

188

Society, Florida Division, or his or her designee;

189

7. The President of the American Cancer Society, Florida

190

Division, Board of Directors or his or her designee;

191

8. The President of the Florida Society of Clinical

192

Oncology or his or her designee;

193

9. The Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Florida,

194

Inc., or his or her designee;

195

10. Three representatives from large Florida hospitals or

196

institutions, not delineated in subparagraphs 1. through 6.,

197

that treat a large volume of cancer patients. One shall be

198

appointed by the Governor, one shall be appointed by the Speaker

199

of the House of Representatives, and one shall be appointed by

200

the President of the Senate;

201

11. Three representatives from community-based, statewide

202

organizations serving populations that experience cancer

203

disparities, one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, one

204

of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of

205

Representatives, and one of whom shall be appointed by the

206

President of the Senate;

207

12. One member of the Florida House of Representatives, to

208

be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

209

13. One member of the Florida Senate, to be appointed by

210

the President of the Senate;

211

14. Three university presidents, one of whom shall be

212

appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be appointed by the

213

Speaker of the House of Representatives, and one of whom shall

214

be appointed by the President of the Senate; and

215

15. Five representatives from other statewide public

216

health organizations whose missions include public education and

217

the eradication of cancer, three of whom shall be appointed by

218

the Governor, one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of

219

the House of Representatives, and one of whom shall be appointed

220

by the President of the Senate.

221

(d) Appointments made by the Speaker of the House of

222

Representatives and the President of the Senate pursuant to

223

paragraph (c) shall be for 2-year terms, concurrent with the

224

bienniums in which they serve as presiding officers.

225

(e) Appointments made by the Governor pursuant to

226

paragraph (c) shall be for 2-year terms, although the Governor

227

may reappoint directors.

228

(f) Members of the board of directors of the not-for-

229

profit corporation or any subsidiaries shall serve without

230

compensation.

231

(3) The cooperative shall issue an annual report to the

232

Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the

233

President of the Senate, by December 15 of each year, with

234

policy and funding recommendations regarding cancer research

235

capacity in Florida and related issues.

236

Section 4. Florida Cancer Research Cooperative; mission

237

and duties.--

238

(1) The cooperative shall develop and centralize the

239

processes and shared services for expanding cancer research in

240

Florida through:

241

(a) Support through bioinformatics, in order to create a

242

cancer informatics infrastructure that enhances information and

243

resource exchange and integration through researchers working in

244

diverse disciplines to facilitate the full spectrum of cancer

245

investigations;

246

(b) Technical coordination, business development, and

247

support of intellectual property;

248

249

network as contemplated in section 1; and

250

(d) Other multidisciplinary research support activities.

251

(2) The cooperative shall work in concert with the Center

252

for Universal Research to Eradicate Disease created in section 1

253

to ensure that the goals of the center are advanced.

254

Section 5. This act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

255