S.B. 263 Enrolled

             1     

SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH

             2     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Jerry W. Stevenson

             5     
House Sponsor: Gregory H. Hughes

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies the Technology Commercialization and Innovation Act by allowing
             10      small businesses to apply for grants and loans under the act.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    defines small business;
             14          .    allows small businesses, in addition to institutions of higher education, to apply for
             15      Technology Commercialization and Innovation Program grants and loans;
             16          .    provides for rulemaking by the Governor's Office of Economic Development;
             17          .    removes the State Advisory Council for Science and Technology from the funding
             18      allocation process; and
             19          .    makes technical changes.
             20      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2014.
             24          This bill coordinates with S.B. 31, State Agency Reporting Amendments, by providing
             25      superseding amendments.
             26      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             27      AMENDS:
             28           63M-1-702 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 392
             29           63M-1-703 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 392


             30           63M-1-704 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 392
             31      Utah Code Sections Affected by Coordination Clause:
             32           63M-1-704 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 392
             33     
             34      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             35          Section 1. Section 63M-1-702 is amended to read:
             36           63M-1-702. Purpose.
             37          (1) (a) The Legislature recognizes that the growth of new industry and expansion of
             38      existing industry requires a strong technology base, new ideas, concepts, innovations, and
             39      prototypes.
             40          (b) [These generally come from] Growth in industry frequently results from
             41      technological innovation generated by strong research [colleges and universities] institutions of
             42      higher education and by small businesses.
             43          (c) Technical research in Utah's [colleges and universities] institutions of higher
             44      education should be enhanced and expanded, particularly in those areas targeted by the state for
             45      economic development.
             46          (d) Most states [are enhancing] enhance their research base by direct funding, usually
             47      on a matching basis.
             48          (e) The purpose of this part is to catalyze and enhance the growth of these technologies
             49      by:
             50          (i) encouraging interdisciplinary research activities in targeted areas [and by];
             51          (ii) facilitating the transition of these technologies out of the [university] higher
             52      education environment into industry where the technologies can be used to enhance job
             53      creation[.]; and
             54          (iii) supporting the commercialization of technologies developed by small business to
             55      enhance job creation.
             56          (f) The Legislature recognizes that one source of funding is [in matching] to match
             57      state funds with federal funds and industrial support to provide and develop [the needed] new


             58      technologies.
             59          (2) The Legislature recommends that the governor consider matching the allocation of
             60      economic development funds for the Technology Commercialization and Innovation Program
             61      [to be matched by] with industry and federal grants [on at least a two-for-one basis for colleges
             62      and universities in the state that offer any doctoral degrees].
             63          (3) (a) The Legislature recommends that the funds be allocated on a competitive basis:
             64          (i) to the various [colleges and universities] institutions of higher education in the state
             65      [and];
             66          (ii) to companies working in partnership with [colleges and universities] institutions of
             67      higher education to commercialize their technologies[.]; and
             68          (iii) to small businesses that are developing promising technologies.
             69          (b) The funds made available should be used to support:
             70          (i) interdisciplinary research in the Technology Commercialization and Innovation
             71      Program in technologies that are considered to have potential for economic development in
             72      [this] the state and to help transition these technologies out of [the colleges and universities]
             73      institutions of higher education and into industry[.]; and
             74          (ii) small businesses in commercializing their promising technologies that have the
             75      potential to increase economic development in the state.
             76          Section 2. Section 63M-1-703 is amended to read:
             77           63M-1-703. Definitions.
             78          As used in this part:
             79          (1) "Business team consultant" means an experienced technology executive,
             80      entrepreneur, or business person who:
             81          (a) is recruited by the office through a request for proposal process to work directly
             82      with a college or university in the Technology Commercialization and Innovation Program; and
             83          (b) works with the institution to facilitate the transition of its technology into industry
             84      by assisting the institution in developing strategies, including spin out strategies when
             85      appropriate, and go-to-market plans, and identifying and working with potential customers and


             86      partners.
             87          (2) "Direct license" means [the licensing] a written license agreement between a
             88      company and a Utah [college or university of] institution of higher education related to
             89      technology developed at the [college or university for] institution of higher education with the
             90      intent of commercializing the technology or facilitating its transition into industry.
             91          (3) "Institution of higher education" means:
             92          (a) a state institution of higher education as defined in Section 53B-3-102 ; or
             93          (b) a private institution of higher education in the state accredited by a regional or
             94      national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
             95          [(3)] (4) "Licensee" means:
             96          (a) a company that executes or is in the process of executing a direct license; or
             97          (b) a sublicensee of the technology from a direct license.
             98          (5) "Small business" means a business that:
             99          (a) meets the size standards for the business's industry classification as identified by the
             100      United States Small Business Administration in 13 C.F.R. Sec. 121.201;
             101          (b) is organized for profit;
             102          (c) operates primarily within the United States;
             103          (d) has a principal place of business in the state, including a manufacturing or service
             104      location; and
             105          (e) is independently owned and operated.
             106          [(4)] (6) "Technology Commercialization and Innovation Program" means
             107      [university-based,]:
             108          (a) a federal- and industry-supported cooperative research and development
             109      [programs.] program based at an institution of higher education; or
             110          (b) a federal- and state-supported program for funding technologically innovative small
             111      businesses.
             112          Section 3. Section 63M-1-704 is amended to read:
             113           63M-1-704. Administration -- Grants and loans.


             114          (1) The Governor's Office of Economic Development shall administer this part.
             115          (2) (a) (i) The office may award Technology Commercialization and Innovation
             116      Program grants or issue loans [to the various colleges, universities, and licensees in the state
             117      for the purposes of this part.] under this part to an applicant that is:
             118          (A) an institution of higher education;
             119          (B) a licensee; or
             120          (C) a small business.
             121          (ii) If loans are issued under Subsection (2)(a)(i), the Division of Finance may set up a
             122      fund or account as necessary for the proper accounting of the loans.
             123          (b) [The Governor's Office of Economic Development shall develop] In accordance
             124      with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the office shall make rules
             125      for a process to determine whether [a college or university] an institution of higher education
             126      that receives a grant under this part must return the grant proceeds or a portion of the grant
             127      proceeds if the technology that is developed with the grant proceeds is licensed to a licensee
             128      that:
             129          (i) does not maintain a manufacturing or service location in the state from which the
             130      licensee or a sublicensee exploits the technology; or
             131          (ii) initially maintains a manufacturing or service location in the state from which the
             132      licensee or a sublicensee exploits the technology, but within five years after issuance of the
             133      license the licensee or sublicensee transfers the manufacturing or service location for the
             134      technology to a location out of the state.
             135          (c) A repayment by [a college or university] an institution of higher education of grant
             136      proceeds or a portion of the grant proceeds [shall come only] may only come from the proceeds
             137      of the license established between the licensee and the [college or university] institution of
             138      higher education.
             139          (d) (i) [A licensee] An applicant that is a licensee or small business that receives a
             140      grant under this part shall return the grant proceeds or a portion of the grant proceeds to the
             141      office if the [licensee] applicant:


             142          (A) does not maintain a manufacturing or service location in the state from which the
             143      [licensee] applicant exploits the technology; or
             144          (B) initially maintains a manufacturing or service location in the state from which the
             145      [licensee] applicant exploits the technology, but within five years after issuance of the grant,
             146      the [licensee] applicant transfers the manufacturing or service location for the technology to an
             147      out-of-state location.
             148          [(ii) A repayment by a licensee that receives a grant shall come only from the proceeds
             149      of the license to that licensee.]
             150          [(iii) A repayment by a licensee shall be prorated based only on the number of full
             151      years the licensee operated in the state from the date of the awarded grant.]
             152          (ii) A repayment by an applicant shall be prorated based on the number of full years the
             153      applicant operated in the state from the date of the awarded grant.
             154          (iii) A repayment by a licensee that receives a grant may only come from the proceeds
             155      of the license to that licensee.
             156          (3) (a) Funding allocations shall be made by the office with the advice of [the State
             157      Advisory Council for Science and Technology and] the board.
             158          (b) Each proposal shall receive the best available outside review.
             159          (4) (a) In considering each proposal, the office shall weigh technical merit, the level of
             160      matching funds from private and federal sources, and the potential for job creation and
             161      economic development.
             162          (b) Proposals or consortia that combine and coordinate related research at two or more
             163      [colleges and universities] institutions of higher education shall be encouraged.
             164          (5) The [State Advisory Council on Science and Technology] office shall review the
             165      activities and progress of grant recipients on a regular basis and [assist the office in preparing
             166      an annual], as part of the office's annual written report described in Section 63M-1-206 , report
             167      on the accomplishments and direction of the Technology Commercialization and Innovation
             168      Program.
             169          Section 4. Effective date.


             170          This bill takes effect on July 1, 2014.
             171          Section 5. Coordinating S.B. 263 with S.B. 31 -- Superseding amendments.
             172          If this S.B. 263 and S.B. 31, State Agency Reporting Amendments, both pass and
             173      become law, as of July 1, 2014, it is the intent of the Legislature that the amendments to
             174      Section 63M-1-704 in this bill supersede the amendments to Section 63M-1-704 in S.B. 31,
             175      when the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel prepares the Utah Code database
             176      for publication.


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