Senate Bill sb1444
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1444
By Senator Klein
30-694-05 See HB 131
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to centers of excellence;
3 creating s. 1004.226, F.S.; defining the term
4 "center of excellence"; providing purposes and
5 objectives of centers of excellence; creating
6 the Emerging Technology Commission in the
7 Executive Office of the Governor and providing
8 membership thereof; providing duties of Florida
9 Research Consortium, Inc., relating to review
10 and reporting; requiring the commission to
11 adopt criteria for evaluating proposals for
12 establishing or expanding centers of
13 excellence; providing requirements for such
14 proposals; requiring submission of a
15 recommended plan and approval of a final plan
16 for establishing or expanding centers of
17 excellence; requiring semiannual reporting;
18 providing appropriations; providing an
19 effective date.
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21 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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23 Section 1. Section 1004.226, Florida Statutes, is
24 created to read:
25 1004.226 Florida technology development; centers of
26 excellence.--
27 (1) The term "center of excellence," as used in this
28 section, means an organization of personnel, facilities, and
29 equipment established at or in collaboration with one or more
30 universities in Florida to accomplish the purposes and
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1444
30-694-05 See HB 131
1 objectives set forth in this section. The purposes and
2 objectives of a center of excellence include:
3 (a) Identifying and pursuing opportunities for
4 university scholars, research center scientists and engineers,
5 and private businesses to form collaborative partnerships to
6 foster and promote the research required to develop
7 commercially promising, advanced, and innovative technologies
8 and to transfer those technologies to commercial sectors.
9 (b) Acquiring and leveraging public and private sector
10 funding to provide the totality of funds, personnel,
11 facilities, equipment, and other resources needed to support
12 the research required to develop commercially promising,
13 advanced, and innovative technologies and to transfer those
14 technologies to commercial sectors.
15 (c) Recruiting and retaining world class scholars,
16 high-performing students, and leading scientists and engineers
17 in technology disciplines to engage in research in this state
18 to develop commercially promising, advanced, and innovative
19 technologies.
20 (d) Enhancing and expanding technology curricula and
21 laboratory resources at universities and research centers in
22 this state.
23 (e) Increasing the number of high-performing students
24 in technology disciplines who graduate from universities in
25 this state and pursue careers in this state.
26 (f) Stimulating and supporting the inception, growth,
27 and diversification of technology-based businesses and
28 ventures in Florida and increasing employment opportunities
29 for the workforce needed to support such businesses.
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1444
30-694-05 See HB 131
1 (2) The Emerging Technology Commission, or
2 "commission," is created within the Executive Office of the
3 Governor to guide the establishment of centers of excellence.
4 (a) The commission shall consist of five regular
5 members appointed by the Governor, one of whom the Governor
6 shall appoint as chair of the commission; two regular members
7 appointed by the President of the Senate; two regular members
8 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the
9 Chancellor of the Division of Colleges and Universities as an
10 ex officio nonvoting member; and, as ex officio nonvoting
11 members, the member of the Senate and the member of the House
12 of Representatives who serve as members of Florida Research
13 Consortium, Inc. The regular members shall be business
14 leaders, industrial researchers, academic researchers,
15 scientists, or engineers who have been recognized as leaders
16 in the state's emerging and advanced technology sectors. A
17 regular member of the commission may not serve for more than 4
18 years. Any vacancy that occurs during the term of a regular
19 member of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as
20 the original appointment.
21 (b) Members of the commission shall serve without
22 compensation but shall be entitled to receive per diem and
23 travel expenses in accordance with s. 112.061 while in
24 performance of their duties.
25 (c) The Executive Office of the Governor shall provide
26 staff support for the activities of the commission and per
27 diem and travel expenses for commission members.
28 (3) Florida Research Consortium, Inc., shall review
29 the report submitted to the Emerging Technology Commission
30 under former s. 1004.225 and revise the factors contributing
31 to the success of a center of excellence as the consortium
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1444
30-694-05 See HB 131
1 considers necessary. By August 1, 2005, the consortium shall
2 submit a revised report to the commission.
3 (a) In reviewing the report and revising the factors,
4 the consortium shall, at a minimum, consider activities and
5 progress related to the establishment of the centers of
6 excellence designated under former s. 1004.225.
7 (b) The consortium shall ensure that the revised
8 report addresses factors contributing to the success of an
9 expansion of a center of excellence designated under former s.
10 1004.225.
11 (4)(a) By September 1, 2005, the Emerging Technology
12 Commission shall develop and approve criteria for evaluating
13 proposals for establishing or expanding one or more centers of
14 excellence under this section. The commission shall consider
15 the criteria developed under former s. 1004.225 and the
16 revised report submitted by Florida Research Consortium, Inc.,
17 under subsection (3). The commission shall hold at least one
18 public hearing, at a time and location designated by the chair
19 of the commission, for the purpose of receiving expert
20 testimony on the evaluation criteria.
21 (b) By September 15, 2005, the commission shall
22 provide a list of the approved criteria to each university in
23 the state and to the State Technology Office for publishing on
24 the Internet within 24 hours after the office's receipt of the
25 list.
26 (5)(a) Concurrent with the provision of the list of
27 criteria under subsection (4), the Emerging Technology
28 Commission shall notify each university in the state, in
29 writing, of the opportunity to submit to the commission a
30 written proposal for establishing a center of excellence under
31 this section or expanding a center of excellence designated
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1444
30-694-05 See HB 131
1 under former s. 1004.225. This section does not prevent a
2 university that is the site of a center of excellence
3 designated under former s. 1004.225 from submitting a proposal
4 to establish a new center of excellence or to expand the
5 existing center of excellence designated under former s.
6 1004.225.
7 (b) A proposal from a university must be submitted to
8 the commission before November 1, 2005.
9 (c) A proposal must specifically address the
10 evaluation criteria developed by the commission and specify
11 how funding would be used to establish or expand a center of
12 excellence.
13 (6) By January 1, 2006, the Emerging Technology
14 Commission shall submit to the Board of Governors a
15 recommended plan for establishing or expanding one or more
16 centers of excellence under this section. The recommended plan
17 must specifically address the evaluation criteria developed by
18 the commission and specify how funding would be used to
19 establish or expand each center of excellence. When developing
20 the recommended plan, the commission shall consider the
21 proposals submitted under this section and hold at least two
22 public hearings, at times and locations designated by the
23 chair of the commission, for the purpose of receiving expert
24 testimony, including, but not limited to, viewing
25 presentations of university proposals.
26 (7)(a) By February 15, 2006, the Board of Governors
27 shall develop and approve a final plan for establishing or
28 expanding one or more centers of excellence under this section
29 and shall authorize expenditures for implementing the plan.
30 The final plan approved by the Board of Governors for the
31 establishment or expansion of one or more centers of
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1444
30-694-05 See HB 131
1 excellence must allocate at least $10 million to each center
2 of excellence established or expanded under the plan.
3 (b) The final plan may provide for:
4 1. Designating one or more centers of excellence,
5 which shall be in addition to any centers of excellence
6 designated under former s. 1004.225;
7 2. Expanding one or more of the centers of excellence
8 designated under former s. 1004.225; or
9 3. Designating one or more new centers of excellence
10 and expanding one or more of the centers of excellence
11 designated under former s. 1004.225.
12 (c) The final plan must include performance and
13 accountability measures that can be used to assess the
14 progress of plan implementation and the success of each center
15 of excellence that receives funding under the final plan. By
16 March 1, 2006, the Board of Governors shall provide a copy of
17 the final plan to the Governor, the President of the Senate,
18 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
19 (8) Beginning July 1, 2006, the Emerging Technology
20 Commission shall report semiannually, in writing, to the
21 Commissioner of Education on the progress in implementing the
22 final plan approved under subsection (7) and the success of
23 each center of excellence that receives funding under that
24 plan.
25 Section 2. The sum of $50,000 is appropriated from the
26 General Revenue Fund to the Executive Office of the Governor
27 for fiscal year 2005-2006 for the purpose of providing staff
28 and administrative support to the Emerging Technology
29 Commission, created under section 1004.226, Florida Statutes,
30 and per diem and travel expenses for commission members or for
31 Florida Research Consortium, Inc., members and staff while
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Florida Senate - 2005 SB 1444
30-694-05 See HB 131
1 completing the tasks specified in section 1004.226(3), Florida
2 Statutes.
3 Section 3. The sum of $50 million is appropriated from
4 the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for
5 fiscal year 2005-2006 for the purpose of establishing one or
6 more additional centers of excellence or expanding one or more
7 existing centers of excellence pursuant to section 1004.226,
8 Florida Statutes.
9 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.
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