1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to economic development; establishing an Office of Science and 
1.3 	Technology in the Department of Employment and Economic Development; 
1.4 	providing for small business assistance and development; appropriating money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. An Office of Science and Technology is established 
1.8 	in the Department of Employment and Economic Development to do the following: 
1.9 	(1) coordinate public and private efforts to procure federal funding for collaborative 
1.10 	research and development projects of primary benefit to small and medium-sized 
1.11 	businesses;
1.12 	(2) promote contractual relationships between Minnesota businesses that are 
1.13 	recipients of federal grants and prime contractors, and Minnesota-based subcontractors; 
1.14 	(3) assess the research and development capabilities of small and medium-sized 
1.15 	businesses;
1.16 	(4) undertake referral activities to link Minnesota companies with federal requests 
1.17 	for proposal opportunities; 
1.18 	(5) develop a framework for Minnesota companies to establish sole-source 
1.19 	relationships with federal agencies; and
1.20 	(6) coordinate workshops, assistance with business proposals, licensing, intellectual 
1.21 	property protection, commercialization, and government auditing with the University of 
1.22 	Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
1.23 	For the purposes of this section, "office" means the Office of Science and Technology 
1.24 	established in this subdivision.
2.1 		Subd. 2.Technology partnering with a prime contractor. The office must 
2.2 	develop a program to assist small businesses competing for a small business innovation 
2.3 	research award by matching the applicant with a larger company. Prime contractors are 
2.4 	matched to small businesses through a prescreening process that may result in a letter of 
2.5 	support for the applicant designed to increase the chance of receiving a Small Business 
2.6 	Innovation Research (SBIR) award.
2.7 		Subd. 3.Collaborate to commercialize. The office must develop a program to use 
2.8 	the federal high-risk research and development investment program to encourage the 
2.9 	development of new technologies, products, and business development and to reduce 
2.10 	development risks by encouraging alliances between medium-sized companies and 
2.11 	innovative small businesses.
2.12 		Subd. 4.Technology matchmaking. The office must assist businesses in 
2.13 	identifying qualified suppliers and vendors through a program to serve as a conduit for 
2.14 	Minnesota-based companies to network with firms able to support their success. Firms 
2.15 	outside Minnesota can participate in the technology matchmaking network if one of the 
2.16 	participating companies is located in Minnesota.
2.17 		Subd. 5.Commercialization assistance. The office must provide 
2.18 	commercialization assistance to Minnesota firms that have received a Phase I Small 
2.19 	Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer 
2.20 	(STTR) award and are submitting a Phase II proposal. Local service providers must assist 
2.21 	the applicant with developing and reviewing the required commercialization plan prior 
2.22 	to Phase II submission.
2.23 		Subd. 6.Report. The commissioner of employment and economic development 
2.24 	must report to the committees in the house of representatives and senate having 
2.25 	jurisdiction over bioscience and technology issues on the activities of the Office of Science 
2.26 	and Technology by June 30 of each year.

2.27 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
 2.28 	$400,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of employment 
2.29 	and economic development for fiscal year 2009 to establish and operate an Office of 
2.30 	Science and Technology in the Department of Employment and Economic Development 
2.31 	for the purposes and programs under section 1. $400,000 each year is added to the 
2.32 	department's base for the activities and programs of the Office of Science and Technology 
2.33 	beginning in fiscal year 2010.