PRINTER'S NO. 707
No. 643 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY PESCI, TIGUE, MARKOSEK, ARMSTRONG, MELIO,
CORRIGAN, ROBERTS, ACOSTA, HASAY, VAN HORNE, GORDNER, HERMAN,
FLICK, BAKER, NAILOR, RAYMOND, BELFANTI, VEON, KASUNIC,
PHILLIPS, MERRY, ARGALL, MIHALICH, GEIST, E. Z. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, TRICH, FAJT, COY, TRELLO, KING, PISTELLA, TOMLINSON,
STURLA, LEDERER AND KIRKLAND, MARCH 22, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 22, 1993
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:
25 Section 1. Section 2503-B of the act of April 9, 1929
26 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929,
1 amended December 6, 1982 (P.L.774, No.223) and December 15, 1988
2 (P.L.1239, No.152), is amended to read:
3 Section 2503-B. Duties and Powers of the Board of the Ben
4 Franklin Partnership Fund.--(a) The Board of the Ben Franklin
5 Partnership Fund is authorized to promote, stimulate and
6 encourage (i) basic and applied scientific research and
7 development in Pennsylvania and (ii) scientific and
8 technological education in Pennsylvania, which may reasonably be
9 expected to advance the Commonwealth's economic growth and
10 welfare. In addition, the board shall, upon request, provide
11 advice to the Governor and the executive agencies concerning
12 scientific, technological and engineering matters, which relate
13 to the economic growth and the health, safety and welfare of the
14 Commonwealth and its citizens; shall establish a program to
15 assist Pennsylvania small businesses to enter into exporting
16 activities; and may establish advanced technology centers which
17 shall serve as university-based consortiums between business,
18 universities and government to provide advanced technology
19 research and development, training, education and related
20 activities which show significant potential in diversification
21 of Pennsylvania's economy and the State's economic growth.
22 (b) With the approval of the Governor, the board is
23 authorized to enter into mutually satisfactory contracts,
24 agreements or grants with educational institutions, nonprofit
25 institutions and organizations, business enterprises and other
26 persons concerned with scientific and technological research,
27 and development in the Commonwealth, as well as any State or
28 Federal agency, to foster and support scientific and
29 technological research, development, education and promotion of
30 applied advanced technology activities. The board may, subject
19930H0643B0707 - 2 -
1 to the approval of the Governor, make grants to educational
2 institutions, nonprofit institutions and organizations, and
3 other persons for the same purposes. The board may sponsor and
4 conduct conferences and studies, collect and disseminate
5 information, and issue periodic reports relating to scientific
6 and technological research, development, and education in the
7 Commonwealth, including grants for Governor's chairs to
8 Pennsylvania colleges and universities in the field of new
9 materials; maintain registers and inventories of scientific and
10 technological personnel and facilities, including but not
11 limited to scientific libraries and data centers. It may receive
12 gifts, grants, bequests or devises from any source, including
13 funds from the Federal government.
14 (b.1) With the approval of the Governor, the board is
15 authorized to enter into mutually satisfactory contracts,
16 agreements or grants with educational institutions, nonprofit
17 institutions and organizations, business enterprises and other
18 persons, as well as any Federal or State agency, to foster and
19 support a program to assist Pennsylvania small businesses to
20 enter into exporting activities. The board may, subject to the
21 approval of the Governor, make grants to educational
22 institutions, nonprofit institutions and organizations, and
23 other persons for the same purposes. The board may sponsor and
24 conduct conferences and studies, collect and disseminate
25 information, issue periodic reports and maintain data centers on
26 exporting programs, activities and assistance for Pennsylvania
27 small businesses. It may receive gifts, grants, bequests or
28 devises from any source, including funds from the Federal
29 government.
30 (c) The board may enter into a matching grant program,
19930H0643B0707 - 3 -
1 involving consortiums of college or university and private
2 sector organizations for the purposes of establishing, operating
3 and promoting advanced technology centers throughout the
4 Commonwealth. Such centers shall receive no more than fifty per
5 centum (50%) of their financial support from this board.
6 Applicants for funds provided under this section shall secure
7 financial commitments from profit and nonprofit groups and
8 organizations, including the Federal government or local
9 political subdivisions and shall be required to submit
10 applications in accordance with policies and criteria issued by
11 the board. The board shall utilize adequate financial controls,
12 including a program of audits, to implement the matching grant
13 program. Such centers shall utilize to the extent possible,
14 existing or new private businesses operating or willing to
15 operate in the fields of expertise needed to accomplish the
16 purposes of the center. Eligible purposes which the board may
17 fund under this matching grant program include, but are not
18 limited to:
19 (1) Development and strengthening of joint research and
20 development efforts including facilities for advanced
21 technologies activities, equipment, personnel, land and related
22 activities, which will lead to new technologies which will
23 create or preserve jobs.
24 (2) Providing training and curriculum development related to
25 advanced technology in order to provide a skilled work force to
26 secure employment in advanced technology industries.
27 (3) Technical assistance and technology transfer activities
28 on an areawide or Statewide basis to transfer research and
29 development activities into the marketplace.
30 (4) Assistance through small business incubators, including,
19930H0643B0707 - 4 -
1 but not limited to space, services and technical assistance.
2 (5) Market development, feasibility studies and other
3 activities related to increasing jobs in advanced technology
4 industries.
5 (6) Staff support for advanced technology councils or other
6 mechanisms to encourage labor, business, university and
7 governmental linkages in promoting advanced technology
8 industrial diversification.
9 (7) Facilitate establishment of technology parks, which will
10 serve as locations for facilities devoted to research and
11 development and technology-intensive light manufacturing.
12 (c.1) The board may enter into a matching grant program,
13 involving consortiums of college or university and private
14 sector organizations for the purposes of establishing, operating
15 and promoting small business export assistance centers
16 throughout this Commonwealth to assist small businesses in
17 Pennsylvania which desire to export their products. Such centers
18 shall receive no more than fifty per centum (50%) of their
19 financial support from this board. Applicants for funds provided
20 under this section shall secure financial commitments from
21 profit and nonprofit groups and organizations, including the
22 Federal government or local political subdivisions and shall be
23 required to submit applications in accordance with policies and
24 criteria issued by the board. The board shall utilize adequate
25 financial controls, including a program of audits, to implement
26 the matching grant program. Such centers shall utilize to the
27 extent possible, existing or new private businesses operating or
28 willing to operate in the fields of expertise needed to
29 accomplish the purposes of the center.
30 (d) The Ben Franklin Partnership Fund, together with its
19930H0643B0707 - 5 -
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 (e) As used in this section, the following words and phrases
8 shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:
9 "Small business" means an independently owned and operated
10 for-profit business concern employing two hundred fifty (250) or
11 fewer employes.
12 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
A21L71JRW/19930H0643B0707 - 6 -