State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Connecticut > Title19a > Chap368a > Sec19a-32fSec. 19a-32f. Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee established. Members deemed public officials. Duties. Report. (a)(1) There is established a Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee. The committee shall consist of the Commissioner of Public Health and eight members who shall be appointed as follows: Two by the Governor, one of whom shall be nationally recognized as an active investigator in the field of stem cell research and one of whom shall have background and experience in the field of bioethics; one each by the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall have background and experience in private sector stem cell research and development; one each by the majority leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, who shall be academic researchers specializing in stem cell research; one by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall have background and experience in either private or public sector stem cell research and development or related research fields, including, but not limited to, embryology, genetics or cellular biology; and one by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall have background and experience in business or financial investments. Members shall serve for a term of four years commencing on October first, except that members first appointed by the Governor and the majority leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives shall serve for a term of two years. No member may serve for more than two consecutive four-year terms and no member may serve concurrently on the Stem Cell Research Peer Review Committee established pursuant to section 19a-32g. All initial appointments to the committee shall be made by October 1, 2005. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(2) On and after July 1, 2006, the advisory committee shall include eight additional members who shall be appointed as follows: Two by the Governor, one of whom shall be nationally recognized as an active investigator in the field of stem cell research and one of whom shall have background and experience in the field of ethics; one each by the president pro tempore of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall have background and experience in private sector stem cell research and development; one each by the majority leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives, who shall be academic researchers specializing in stem cell research; one by the minority leader of the Senate, who shall have background and experience in either private or public sector stem cell research and development or related research fields, including, but not limited to, embryology, genetics or cellular biology; and one by the minority leader of the House of Representatives, who shall have background and experience in business or financial investments. Members shall serve for a term of four years, except that (A) members first appointed by the Governor and the majority leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives pursuant to this subdivision shall serve for a term of two years and three months, and (B) members first appointed by the remaining appointing authorities shall serve for a term of four years and three months. No member appointed pursuant to this subdivision may serve for more than two consecutive four-year terms and no such member may serve concurrently on the Stem Cell Research Peer Review Committee established pursuant to section 19a-32g. All initial appointments to the committee pursuant to this subdivision shall be made by July 1, 2006. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.
(b) The Commissioner of Public Health shall serve as the chairperson of the committee and shall schedule the first meeting of the committee, which shall be held no later than December 1, 2005.
(c) All members appointed to the committee shall work to advance embryonic and human adult stem cell research. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from the committee.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, it shall not constitute a conflict of interest for a trustee, director, partner, officer, stockholder, proprietor, counsel or employee of any eligible institution, or for any other individual with a financial interest in any eligible institution, to serve as a member of the committee. All members shall be deemed public officials and shall adhere to the code of ethics for public officials set forth in chapter 10. Members may participate in the affairs of the committee with respect to the review or consideration of grant-in-aid applications, including the approval or disapproval of such applications, except that no member shall participate in the affairs of the committee with respect to the review or consideration of any grant-in-aid application filed by such member or by any eligible institution in which such member has a financial interest, or with whom such member engages in any business, employment, transaction or professional activity.
(e) The Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee shall (1) develop, in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health, a donated funds program to encourage the development of funds other than state appropriations for embryonic and human adult stem cell research in this state, (2) examine and identify specific ways to improve and promote for-profit and not-for-profit embryonic and human adult stem cell and related research in the state, including, but not limited to, identifying both public and private funding sources for such research, maintaining existing embryonic and human adult stem-cell-related businesses, recruiting new embryonic and human adult stem-cell-related businesses to the state and recruiting scientists and researchers in such field to the state, (3) establish and administer, in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health, a stem cell research grant program which shall provide grants-in-aid to eligible institutions for the advancement of embryonic or human adult stem cell research in this state pursuant to section 19a-32e, and (4) monitor the stem cell research conducted by eligible institutions that receive such grants-in-aid.
(f) Connecticut Innovations, Incorporated shall serve as administrative staff of the committee and shall assist the committee in (1) developing the application for the grants-in-aid authorized under subsection (e) of this section, (2) reviewing such applications, (3) preparing and executing any assistance agreements or other agreements in connection with the awarding of such grants-in-aid, and (4) performing such other administrative duties as the committee deems necessary.
(g) Not later than June 30, 2007, and annually thereafter until June 30, 2015, the Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee shall report, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the Governor and the General Assembly on (1) the amount of grants-in-aid awarded to eligible institutions from the Stem Cell Research Fund pursuant to section 19a-32e, (2) the recipients of such grants-in-aid, and (3) the current status of stem cell research in the state.
(P.A. 05-149, S. 3; P.A. 06-33, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 05-149 effective June 15, 2005; P.A. 06-33 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions as Subdiv. (1) and adding Subdiv. (2) requiring the appointment of eight additional members by July 1, 2006, and amended Subsec. (d) by describing what shall not constitute a conflict of interest and authorizing members to participate in the review or consideration of grant-in-aid applications, effective April 24, 2006.
