Bill Text: NJ A288 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes innovation zone program and creates innovation zone around Aviation Research and Technology Park in Atlantic County.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee [A288 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A288-Introduced.html
ASSEMBLY, No. 288
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN F. AMODEO
District 2 (Atlantic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Giblin and Coutinho
SYNOPSIS
Establishes innovation zone program and creates innovation zone around Aviation Research and Technology Park in Atlantic County.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act establishing an innovation zone program in the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and supplementing P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. The Legislature finds and declares that:
(1) New Jersey's historic legacy of innovation and invention has contributed to its national reputation as the home of numerous advanced technology industries;
(2) New Jersey must continue to meet the challenges and opportunities of the global marketplace by fostering the creation of high-quality jobs that will sustain a knowledge-based economy that thrives on innovation and entrepreneurship in order to bring advanced technologies to market;
(3) New Jersey should capitalize on its competitive advantage through economic development initiatives that support the State's world-class educational facilities and science and technology industries;
(4) Relationships between industrial and academic research in the State must be strengthened to sustain New Jersey's economy and to propel it to an even higher level of performance;
(5) The State of New Jersey and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority ("authority") have supported the research and development efforts of technology companies by developing financial assistance programs;
(6) The authority has the ability to acquire land and develop shared infrastructure that is specialized to the focus needs of later stage businesses such as pilot scale production centers; and
(7) The mission of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology ("commission") is to promote further development of the State's academic research capabilities in fields of strategic importance to New Jersey's technology industry, to enhance the transfer of technology from the academic research environment to commercialization in the marketplace, and to encourage entrepreneurship and the establishment of new enterprises in science and new technology fields.
b. The Legislature determines that it is in the public interest to establish an innovation zone program comprising zones that embrace New Jersey's educational facilities, one of which shall include the Aviation Research and Technology Park in Atlantic County, and that:
(1) The goal of the innovation zone program is to attract high-technology businesses and research scientists to these defined areas, where proximity to educational facilities will increase collaborative research efforts between the academic communities and New Jersey's technology industry, resulting in business and job growth;
(2) These innovation zones will serve to spur partnerships between New Jersey's educational facilities, and will encourage the more rapid transfer of discoveries from New Jersey's laboratories to the marketplace;
(3) The creation of the innovation zones will require the focusing of resources on geographic areas where research clusters presently exist or have the potential to form because of the location of educational facilities; and
(4) These geographic areas will also be made more attractive to businesses, entrepreneurs, and researchers by the availability of alternative housing opportunities, access to public transportation and workforce development initiatives that provide customized training for all levels of employees.
2. As used in this act:
"Authority" means the New Jersey Economic Development Authority established pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1974, c.80 (C.34:1B-4).
"Aviation Research and Technology Park" means the aviation research and technology facility established adjacent to the Federal Aviation Administration's William J. Hughes Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township, Atlantic County.
"Commission" means the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology created pursuant to P.L.1985, c.102 (C.52:9X-1 et seq.).
"Educational facility" means a New Jersey public or private university, college, community college, or technical school.
"Innovation zone" means a geographic area that includes a New Jersey educational facility, and that has the potential of attracting a collaborative research effort between the academic communities and New Jersey's technology industry, resulting in business and job growth.
3. The authority shall establish an "innovation zone" program within the authority which shall consist of one or more innovation zones, each of which shall include a New Jersey educational facility. The program shall include an Aviation Research Innovation Zone at the Aviation Research and Technology Park located in Egg Harbor Township. The zone shall also encompass the municipalities of Egg Harbor Township, Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township and Hamilton Township, all in Atlantic County. Additional innovation zones may be established pursuant to law or created by executive order.
4. The executive director of the authority shall recommend the precise geographic boundaries of any innovation zone, established or created pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), to the members of the authority, who shall give their final approval to those boundaries.
5. The authority, with the approval of the State Treasurer, shall modify its existing programs where permissible by law to give bonuses or other enhanced incentives to businesses that locate in an innovation zone, so long as the business location is within the surroundings of an educational facility. Programs to be utilized in this regard shall include any technology-based programs or funds established by the authority or the commission.
6. The commission shall modify its programs where permissible by law to promote and support networks and collaboration between the local technology industry and an educational facility in an innovation zone, to increase federal funding to the educational facility within an innovation zone in areas of strategic importance to New Jersey's technology industry, to promote the transfer of technology and commercialization of new ideas in an innovation zone, and to further develop support for technology companies in an innovation zone by means including, but not limited to, incubation and grant writing assistance.
7. The authority and the commission shall work cooperatively with other State departments, agencies, boards, commissions and authorities to explore and implement opportunities to direct resources to those areas within an innovation zone located in proximity to an educational facility, and may provide technology, financial and workforce development opportunities, infrastructure and housing elsewhere within an innovation zone. With the assistance of these State entities, the authority and the commission may recommend potential future innovation zones and subzones to enhance cluster-based economic development strategies anchored by educational facilities.
8. The authority and the commission are authorized to call upon any department, authority, commission, board, office, division or agency of the State to provide such information, resources or other assistance deemed necessary to discharge its responsibilities under this act. Such responsibilities may include, but not be limited to, the Department of the Treasury for assistance with its technology funding programs; the Department of Labor and Workforce Development for assistance in developing workforce development strategies; the Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Transit Corporation for assistance in enhancing public transportation networks and infrastructure; the Department of Community Affairs for assistance in expanding housing opportunities and advising on smart growth development strategies; and the Commission on Higher Education to facilitate and promote partnerships and programs to address workforce needs and enhance research and development.
Each department, authority, commission, board, office, division and agency of the State is hereby required to cooperate with the authority and to furnish the authority with such information, personnel and assistance as is necessary to accomplish the purposes of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
9. The authority shall establish an advisory committee for each innovation zone whose membership shall consist of local technology business leaders and representatives from the research community. Each advisory committee shall meet quarterly to advise the authority and the commission with respect to the functioning of the innovation zone and the needs of the local technology industry.
10. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (the "authority") to establish an "innovation zone" program within the authority to consist of one or more innovation zones, with each zone including a New Jersey educational facility. An innovation zone established by this bill shall include an Aviation Research Innovation Zone at the Aviation Research and Technology Park located in Egg Harbor Township. The zone shall encompass the municipalities of Egg Harbor Township, Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township and Hamilton Township, all in Atlantic County. The bill authorizes other innovation zones to be established pursuant to law or created by executive order.
An innovation zone is a geographic area that includes a New Jersey educational facility as defined in the bill, and that has the potential to attract a collaborative research effort between the academic communities and New Jersey's technology industry, resulting in business and job growth. The executive director of the authority is to recommend the precise geographic boundaries of the innovation zone to the members of the authority, who shall give their final approval to those boundaries.
The bill requires the authority, with the approval of the State Treasurer, to modify its existing programs where permissible by law to give bonuses or other enhanced incentives to businesses that locate in an innovation zone within the surroundings of an educational facility. Programs to be utilized in this regard shall include any technology-based programs or funds of the authority or the Commission on Science and Technology (the "commission").
The bill requires the commission to modify its programs where permissible by law to promote and support networks and collaboration between the local technology industry and educational facilities in an innovation zone, to increase federal funding to educational facilities in areas of strategic importance to New Jersey's technology industry, to promote the transfer of technology and commercialization of new ideas in an innovation zone, and to further develop support for technology companies in an innovation zone. With the assistance of other State entities, the authority and the commission may recommend potential future innovation zones to enhance cluster-based economic development strategies anchored by educational facilities.
