CSHB 315(FIN): "An Act relating to the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation and to the financing of technological developments by public corporations of the state; relating to the financing of the Kodiak launch complex, the Fairbanks satellite ground station space park, and a low-rank coal water fuel technology project; and relating to a feasibility study to be conducted concerning the establishment of a Challenger Learning Center for the study of science and technology."
00CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 315(FIN) 01 "An Act relating to the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation and to the 02 financing of technological developments by public corporations of the state; relating 03 to the financing of the Kodiak launch complex, the Fairbanks satellite ground 04 station space park, and a low-rank coal water fuel technology project; and 05 relating to a feasibility study to be conducted concerning the establishment of a 06 Challenger Learning Center for the study of science and technology." 07 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 08 * Section 1. AS 37.17.010(b) is amended to read: 09 (b) The purposes of the foundation are to 10 (1) promote and enhance, through basic and applied research and the 11 development and commercialization of technology, 12 (A) [:] economic development and technological innovation in 13 Alaska; 14 (B) public health;
01 (C) telecommunications; and 02 (D) sustained growth and development of Alaskan scientific and 03 engineering capabilities; 04 (2) implement the BIDCO assistance program under AS 37.17.200 - 05 37.17.390. 06 * Sec. 2. AS 37.17.090(a) is amended to read: 07 (a) The board of directors shall provide adequate and appropriate notice of all 08 solicitations for grant proposals at least once a year. Except for projects listed in (k) 09 of this section, the [THE] board shall give preference, consistent with the purposes 10 of AS 37.17.010 - 37.17.110, to soliciting proposals for research projects that are 11 reasonably expected to use or enhance research capabilities for basic and applied 12 research in the state. The board may actively solicit persons, organizations, or 13 institutions to apply for general or specific grants. 14 * Sec. 3. AS 37.17.090(d) is amended to read: 15 (d) Except for grants awarded under (k) of this section, not [NOT] less 16 than 50 percent of the endowment income that is distributed to grantees [AS 17 GRANTS] by the foundation in a fiscal year must be for grant payments in that 18 fiscal year [GRANTS] of $100,000 or less, exclusive of other funding. 19 * Sec. 4. AS 37.17.090(f) is amended to read: 20 (f) The board shall require from each grant recipient periodic reports and a 21 final report. The board shall disseminate to the scientific community and to the public, 22 on a regular basis, the results of research sponsored by the foundation. The board 23 may adopt regulations to protect trade secrets and other proprietary information 24 submitted to the foundation from disclosure under AS 09.25.110 - 09.25.120. 25 Upon written request under regulations adopted by the board to protect the 26 interests of the state and the grantee, the board may allow information developed 27 or to be developed under a [PROPRIETARY REPORTS AND OTHER 28 INFORMATION VOLUNTARILY FILED WITH THE BOARD OR CRITICAL TO 29 PATENT APPLICATIONS MAY BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL IF THE PERSON 30 PROVIDING THE INFORMATION SO REQUESTS AND THE BOARD FINDS 31 THAT IT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STATE. INFORMATION
01 DEVELOPED UNDER A GRANT AWARDED BY THE BOARD IS PUBLIC 02 INFORMATION UNLESS THE APPLICANT REQUESTS AND THE BOARD 03 GRANTS CONFIDENTIALITY PRIOR TO THE AWARD OF THE] grant to be 04 treated confidentially under AS 09.25.110 - 09.25.120. Dissemination of sponsored 05 research must be in a form of greatest utility to the scientific community and the 06 general public and may include technological transfer or applications information for 07 promising results. 08 * Sec. 5. AS 37.17.090(g) is amended to read: 09 (g) As a condition of all grants awarded under AS 37.17.010 - 37.17.110, the 10 board of directors shall require that a fair and reasonable return to the foundation, 11 as determined by the board, from the revenue, economic value, or profits derived 12 by the grantee from the grant project [PERCENTAGE OF ALL INCOME, IF ANY, 13 FROM ROYALTIES, LICENSES, AND PATENTS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF 14 THE GRANT] be paid into the principal of the endowment, subject to AS 37.07. To 15 secure payment of sums owed to the foundation under a grant agreement, the 16 foundation may take a security interest in and own patents, copyrights, and other 17 intellectual property. 18 * Sec. 6. AS 37.17.090 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 19 (k) Subject to appropriation, the board may award the following grants: 20 (1) up to $5,000,000 to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export 21 Authority or the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation for the development of 22 the Kodiak launch complex and Fairbanks satellite ground station space park; 23 (2) up to $4,000,000 to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export 24 Authority or to another entity satisfying criteria established by the board for research, 25 development, and commercialization of low-rank coal water fuel technology. 26 * Sec. 7. PROJECT FINANCING; BOND AUTHORIZATION. The Alaska Industrial 27 Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) may issue bonds to finance the acquisition, 28 design, and construction of the Kodiak rocket launch complex and tracking station, and the 29 Fairbanks satellite ground station space park, or may finance these projects by other means 30 available to AIDEA. The aggregate principal amount of the bonds for these projects may not 31 exceed $20,000,000. Until the board of directors of AIDEA and of the Alaska Aerospace
01 Development Corporation have each made a finding for each project that there is sufficient 02 commercial interest and financial viability to support the debt service and operating costs of 03 that facility, no money for any phase of construction may be expended under this section for 04 that project. This section grants the legislative approval required by AS 44.88.095(g). 05 * Sec. 8. CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER FEASIBILITY STUDY. The Alaska 06 Aerospace Development Corporation shall conduct a feasibility study on the technical, 07 financial, and economic feasibility of establishing in the state a Challenger Learning Center 08 that is for the study of science and technology and that is modeled after the Challenger 09 Learning Center program established by the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. 10 The feasibility study shall consider various locations for the center. The costs of the study 11 shall be paid as follows: 12 (1) one-half by the Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation and the Alaska 13 Industrial Development and Export Authority; and 14 (2) one-half by the municipalities desiring consideration as possible locations 15 for the center.