HB 0131

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to centers of excellence; creating s.
3	1004.226, F.S.; defining the term "center of excellence";
4	providing purposes and objectives of centers of
5	excellence; creating the Emerging Technology Commission in
6	the Executive Office of the Governor and providing
7	membership thereof; providing duties of Florida Research
8	Consortium, Inc., relating to review and reporting;
9	requiring the commission to adopt criteria for evaluating
10	proposals for establishing or expanding centers of
11	excellence; providing requirements for such proposals;
12	requiring submission of a recommended plan and approval of
13	a final plan for establishing or expanding centers of
14	excellence; requiring semiannual reporting; providing
15	appropriations; providing an effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  Section 1004.226, Florida Statutes, is created
20	to read:
21	1004.226  Florida technology development; centers of
22	excellence.--
23	(1)  The term "center of excellence," as used in this
24	section, means an organization of personnel, facilities, and
25	equipment established at or in collaboration with one or more
26	universities in Florida to accomplish the purposes and
27	objectives set forth in this section. The purposes and
28	objectives of a center of excellence include:
29	(a)  Identifying and pursuing opportunities for university
30	scholars, research center scientists and engineers, and private
31	businesses to form collaborative partnerships to foster and
32	promote the research required to develop commercially promising,
33	advanced, and innovative technologies and to transfer those
34	technologies to commercial sectors.
35	(b)  Acquiring and leveraging public and private sector
36	funding to provide the totality of funds, personnel, facilities,
37	equipment, and other resources needed to support the research
38	required to develop commercially promising, advanced, and
39	innovative technologies and to transfer those technologies to
40	commercial sectors.
41	(c)  Recruiting and retaining world class scholars, high-
42	performing students, and leading scientists and engineers in
43	technology disciplines to engage in research in this state to
44	develop commercially promising, advanced, and innovative
45	technologies.
46	(d)  Enhancing and expanding technology curricula and
47	laboratory resources at universities and research centers in
48	this state.
49	(e)  Increasing the number of high-performing students in
50	technology disciplines who graduate from universities in this
51	state and pursue careers in this state.
52	(f)  Stimulating and supporting the inception, growth, and
53	diversification of technology-based businesses and ventures in
54	Florida and increasing employment opportunities for the
55	workforce needed to support such businesses.
56	(2)  The Emerging Technology Commission, or "commission,"
57	is created within the Executive Office of the Governor to guide
58	the establishment of centers of excellence.
59	(a)  The commission shall consist of five regular members
60	appointed by the Governor, one of whom the Governor shall
61	appoint as chair of the commission; two regular members
62	appointed by the President of the Senate; two regular members
63	appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the
64	Chancellor of the Division of Colleges and Universities as an ex
65	officio nonvoting member; and, as ex officio nonvoting members,
66	the member of the Senate and the member of the House of
67	Representatives who serve as members of Florida Research
68	Consortium, Inc. The regular members shall be business leaders,
69	industrial researchers, academic researchers, scientists, or
70	engineers who have been recognized as leaders in the state's
71	emerging and advanced technology sectors. A regular member of
72	the commission may not serve for more than 4 years. Any vacancy
73	that occurs during the term of a regular member of the
74	commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original
75	appointment.
76	(b)  Members of the commission shall serve without
77	compensation but shall be entitled to receive per diem and
78	travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061 while in
79	performance of their duties.
80	(c)  The Executive Office of the Governor shall provide
81	staff support for the activities of the commission and per diem
82	and travel expenses for commission members.
83	(3)  Florida Research Consortium, Inc., shall review the
84	report submitted to the Emerging Technology Commission under
85	former s. 1004.225 and revise the factors contributing to the
86	success of a center of excellence as the consortium considers
87	necessary. By August 1, 2005, the consortium shall submit a
88	revised report to the commission.
89	(a)  In reviewing the report and revising the factors, the
90	consortium shall, at a minimum, consider activities and progress
91	related to the establishment of the centers of excellence
92	designated under former s. 1004.225.
93	(b)  The consortium shall ensure that the revised report
94	addresses factors contributing to the success of an expansion of
95	a center of excellence designated under former s. 1004.225.
96	(4)(a)  By September 1, 2005, the Emerging Technology
97	Commission shall develop and approve criteria for evaluating
98	proposals for establishing or expanding one or more centers of
99	excellence under this section. The commission shall consider the
100	criteria developed under former s. 1004.225 and the revised
101	report submitted by Florida Research Consortium, Inc., under
102	subsection (3). The commission shall hold at least one public
103	hearing, at a time and location designated by the chair of the
104	commission, for the purpose of receiving expert testimony on the
105	evaluation criteria.
106	(b)  By September 15, 2005, the commission shall provide a
107	list of the approved criteria to each university in the state
108	and to the State Technology Office for publishing on the
109	Internet within 24 hours after the office's receipt of the list.
110	(5)(a)  Concurrent with the provision of the list of
111	criteria under subsection (4), the Emerging Technology
112	Commission shall notify each university in the state, in
113	writing, of the opportunity to submit to the commission a
114	written proposal for establishing a center of excellence under
115	this section or expanding a center of excellence designated
116	under former s. 1004.225. This section does not prevent a
117	university that is the site of a center of excellence designated
118	under former s. 1004.225 from submitting a proposal to establish
119	a new center of excellence or to expand the existing center of
120	excellence designated under former s. 1004.225.
121	(b)  A proposal from a university must be submitted to the
122	commission before November 1, 2005.
123	(c)  A proposal must specifically address the evaluation
124	criteria developed by the commission and specify how funding
125	would be used to establish or expand a center of excellence.
126	(6)  By January 1, 2006, the Emerging Technology Commission
127	shall submit to the Board of Governors a recommended plan for
128	establishing or expanding one or more centers of excellence
129	under this section. The recommended plan must specifically
130	address the evaluation criteria developed by the commission and
131	specify how funding would be used to establish or expand each
132	center of excellence. When developing the recommended plan, the
133	commission shall consider the proposals submitted under this
134	section and hold at least two public hearings, at times and
135	locations designated by the chair of the commission, for the
136	purpose of receiving expert testimony, including, but not
137	limited to, viewing presentations of university proposals.
138	(7)(a)  By February 15, 2006, the Board of Governors shall
139	develop and approve a final plan for establishing or expanding
140	one or more centers of excellence under this section and shall
141	authorize expenditures for implementing the plan. The final plan
142	approved by the Board of Governors for the establishment or
143	expansion of one or more centers of excellence must allocate at
144	least $10 million to each center of excellence established or
145	expanded under the plan.
146	(b)  The final plan may provide for:
147	1.  Designating one or more centers of excellence, which
148	shall be in addition to any centers of excellence designated
149	under former s. 1004.225;
150	2.  Expanding one or more of the centers of excellence
151	designated under former s. 1004.225; or
152	3.  Designating one or more new centers of excellence and
153	expanding one or more of the centers of excellence designated
154	under former s. 1004.225.
155	(c)  The final plan must include performance and
156	accountability measures that can be used to assess the progress
157	of plan implementation and the success of each center of
158	excellence that receives funding under the final plan. By March
159	1, 2006, the Board of Governors shall provide a copy of the
160	final plan to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the
161	Speaker of the House of Representatives.
162	(8)  Beginning July 1, 2006, the Emerging Technology
163	Commission shall report semiannually, in writing, to the
164	Commissioner of Education on the progress in implementing the
165	final plan approved under subsection (7) and the success of each
166	center of excellence that receives funding under that plan.
167	Section 2.  The sum of $50,000 is appropriated from the
168	General Revenue Fund to the Executive Office of the Governor for
169	fiscal year 2005-2006 for the purpose of providing staff and
170	administrative support to the Emerging Technology Commission,
171	created under s. 1004.226, Florida Statutes, and per diem and
172	travel expenses for commission members or for Florida Research
173	Consortium, Inc., members and staff while completing the tasks
174	specified in s. 1004.226(3), Florida Statutes.
175	Section 3.  The sum of $50 million is appropriated from the
176	General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for fiscal
177	year 2005-2006 for the purpose of establishing one or more
178	additional centers of excellence or expanding one or more
179	existing centers of excellence pursuant to s. 1004.226, Florida
180	Statutes.
181	Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

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