BILL REQ. #:  Z-0823.2 

Read first time 12/08/11.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to the joint center for aerospace technology innovation; and adding a new chapter to Title 28B RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The joint center for aerospace technology innovation is created.
     (2) The purpose of the center is to advance research on new technologies that offer the promise of creating innovative products that can be used in aerospace. The center shall be designed to enhance the education of students in the engineering departments of the University of Washington, Washington State University, and other participating institutions through industry-focused research.
     (3) The center shall be operated and administered as a multi-institutional education and research center, housing appropriate research and development programs conducted in various locations within Washington under the joint authority of the University of Washington and Washington State University. The facilities of the center must be made available to other institutions of higher education when this would benefit specific program needs.
     (4) The initial location of the center shall be west of the crest of the Cascade mountains. Research sponsored by the center must leverage experimental work at the University of Washington and Washington State University.
     (5) The center must:
     (a) Conduct research that is designed to benefit the intermediate and long-term economic vitality of the Washington aerospace industry;
     (b) Advance industry innovation while safeguarding intellectual property;
     (c) Develop and strengthen university-industry relationships through the conduct of research that is primarily of interest to aerospace companies doing business in Washington;
     (d) Encourage a full range of projects from small research projects that meet the specific needs of a smaller company to large scale, multipartner projects;
     (e) Provide substantial opportunities for training undergraduate and graduate students through direct involvement in research and participation with industry;
     (f) Emphasize and develop nonstate support of the center's research activities through leveraging dollars from federal and private for-profit and nonprofit sources;
     (g) Seek to leverage its financial impact through joint support arrangements on a project-by-project basis as appropriate;
     (h) Provide a forum for effective interaction between the state's aerospace industry and its academic institutions through promotion of faculty collaboration with industry, sponsoring at least one annual symposium focusing on aerospace research in the state of Washington;
     (i) Establish mechanisms for soliciting and evaluating proposals and for making awards and reporting on technological progress, financial leverage, and other measures of impact; and
     (j) Report biennially to the legislature and the governor about the impact of the center's work on the state's economy and the aerospace sector, with projections of future impact, providing indicators of its impact, and outlining ideas for enhancing benefits to the state. The report must be coordinated with the governor's office and applicable executive branch agencies.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   An advisory board is created. The board shall consist of five members appointed by the governor representing higher education and the aerospace industry. The terms of the initial members shall be staggered.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   Staff support shall be provided from among the cooperating institutions through cooperative agreements to the extent funds are available.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   The center may hire a director and staff as necessary to operate the center. The director may enter into cooperative agreements for programs and research with public and private organizations including state and nonstate agencies consistent with policies of the participating institutions.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   The center may receive and expend federal funds and any private gifts or grants to further its mission. The funds are to be expended in accordance with federal and state law and any conditions contingent in the grant of those funds.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 28B RCW.