PRINTER'S NO. 2652
No. 2123 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY G. SNYDER, PERZEL, BILLOW, CAPPABIANCA, MERRY,
HERMAN, FLEAGLE, HAGARTY, TRELLO, DEMPSEY, BIRMELIN, BUSH,
FARMER, GEIST, RAYMOND, ALLEN, NAHILL, FOX, LANGTRY,
PHILLIPS, WOZNIAK, ARMSTRONG, ANGSTADT, HERSHEY, SAURMAN,
NOYE, E. Z. TAYLOR, PRESTON, CLYMER, CORNELL, BATTISTO,
JOHNSON, D. W. SNYDER, KING, SERAFINI, BARLEY, FREEMAN, BUNT,
LEH, SCHULER, HALUSKA, B. SMITH, NICKOL AND FOSTER,
NOVEMBER 12, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND COMMERCE,
NOVEMBER 12, 1991
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," further providing for the
21 powers and duties of the Board of the Ben Franklin
22 Partnership Fund.
23 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
24 hereby enacts as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2503-B of the act of April 9, 1929
2 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929,
3 amended December 6, 1982 (P.L.774, No.223) and December 15, 1988
4 (P.L.1239, No.152), is amended to read:
5 Section 2503-B. Duties and Powers of the Board of the Ben
6 Franklin Partnership Fund.--(a) The Board of the Ben Franklin
7 Partnership Fund is authorized to promote, stimulate and
8 encourage (i) basic and applied scientific research and
9 development in Pennsylvania and (ii) scientific and
10 technological education in Pennsylvania, which may reasonably be
11 expected to advance the Commonwealth's economic growth and
12 welfare. In addition, the board shall, upon request, provide
13 advice to the Governor and the executive agencies concerning
14 scientific, technological and engineering matters, which relate
15 to the economic growth and the health, safety and welfare of the
16 Commonwealth and its citizens; shall establish a program to
17 assist Pennsylvania small businesses to enter into exporting
18 activities; and may establish advanced technology centers which
19 shall serve as university-based consortiums between business,
20 universities and government to provide advanced technology
21 research and development, training, education and related
22 activities which show significant potential in diversification
23 of Pennsylvania's economy and the State's economic growth.
24 (b) With the approval of the Governor, the board is
25 authorized to enter into mutually satisfactory contracts,
26 agreements or grants with educational institutions, nonprofit
27 institutions and organizations, business enterprises and other
28 persons concerned with scientific and technological research,
29 and development in the Commonwealth, as well as any State or
30 Federal agency, to foster and support scientific and
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1 technological research, development, exporting, education and
2 promotion of applied advanced technology activities. The board
3 may, subject to the approval of the Governor, make grants to
4 educational institutions, nonprofit institutions and
5 organizations, and other persons for the same purposes. The
6 board may sponsor and conduct conferences and studies, collect
7 and disseminate information, and issue periodic reports relating
8 to scientific and technological research, development, and
9 education in the Commonwealth, including grants for Governor's
10 chairs to Pennsylvania colleges and universities in the field of
11 new materials; maintain registers and inventories of scientific
12 and technological personnel and facilities, including but not
13 limited to scientific libraries and data centers. It may receive
14 gifts, grants, bequests or devises from any source, including
15 funds from the Federal government.
16 (c) The board may enter into a matching grant program,
17 involving consortiums of college or university and private
18 sector organizations for the purposes of establishing, operating
19 and promoting advanced technology centers throughout the
20 Commonwealth. Such centers shall receive no more than fifty per
21 centum (50%) of their financial support from this board.
22 Applicants for funds provided under this section shall secure
23 financial commitments from profit and nonprofit groups and
24 organizations, including the Federal government or local
25 political subdivisions and shall be required to submit
26 applications in accordance with policies and criteria issued by
27 the board. The board shall utilize adequate financial controls,
28 including a program of audits, to implement the matching grant
29 program. Such centers shall utilize to the extent possible,
30 existing or new private businesses operating or willing to
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1 operate in the fields of expertise needed to accomplish the
2 purposes of the center. Eligible purposes which the board may
3 fund under this matching grant program include, but are not
4 limited to:
5 (1) Development and strengthening of joint research and
6 development efforts including facilities for advanced
7 technologies activities, equipment, personnel, land and related
8 activities, which will lead to new technologies which will
9 create or preserve jobs.
10 (2) Providing training and curriculum development related to
11 advanced technology in order to provide a skilled work force to
12 secure employment in advanced technology industries.
13 (3) Technical assistance and technology transfer activities
14 on an areawide or Statewide basis to transfer research and
15 development activities into the marketplace.
16 (4) Assistance through small business incubators, including,
17 but not limited to space, services and technical assistance.
18 (5) Market development, feasibility studies and other
19 activities related to increasing jobs in advanced technology
20 industries.
21 (6) Staff support for advanced technology councils or other
22 mechanisms to encourage labor, business, university and
23 governmental linkages in promoting advanced technology
24 industrial diversification.
25 (7) Facilitate establishment of technology parks, which will
26 serve as locations for facilities devoted to research and
27 development and technology-intensive light manufacturing.
28 (8) Assistance for small businesses in Pennsylvania which
29 desire to export their products.
30 (d) The Ben Franklin Partnership Fund, together with its
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1 statutory functions and duties, shall terminate and go out of
2 existence on December 31, 1998, unless reestablished or
3 continued by the General Assembly. Evaluation and review,
4 termination, reestablishment and continuation of the agency
5 shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of the act of
6 December 22, 1981 (P.L.508, No.142), known as the "Sunset Act."
7 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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