Proposed bills target biotech sector

Connecticut lawmakers are proposing a trio of bills designed to boost the state’s standing as a biotechnology center.

In a rare show of bipartisanship, Republican and Democratic lawmakers Tuesday debuted the legislative package they hope will serve as a boon to the biotech sector, creating more jobs in the process. All three bills came out of the legislature’s Commerce Committee and now await action by the state Senate.

Senate Bill 959 requires lawmakers to evaluate and, if necessary, strengthen the educational pipeline that provides the state’s biotech companies with workers.

Senate Bill 962 will establish clear measurement tools to assess whether any public money provided to biotech companies is being used effectively. Using the proper metrics will allow state officials to identify trends in the industry that state money can be used to target.

The third and final piece of legislation, Senate Bill 968, calls for the creation of a permanent collaborative group to report on and make recommendations regarding important issue to the biotech industry.

As currently structured, the group’s membership includes such research institutions as the Yale Center for Genomic Analysis, The Jackson Laboratory and Mount Sinai Genetic Testing Laboratory. The collaborative also includes hospital representatives and insurance industry leaders.

The 2,000 biotech sector companies in the state employ about 35,000 people, said state Sen. Joan Hartley, D-Waterbury, co-chairwoman of the Commerce Committee.

“Connecticut is well-positioned to be the place where much of that growth happens, creating new jobs and providing the shot in the arm our economy needs,” Hartley said in a statement. “This isn’t about one political party, one university or one business. This is something that will benefit us all, and we all need to work together to make that happen.”

Senate Republican President Pro Tempore Len Fasano, R-North Haven, said at a time when state money is in short supply, “proposals to bring to light more information and oversight are certainly ideas that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle can come together on.”

David Cadden, a professor emeritus at Quinnipiac University’s School of Business, said the of the three bills, the most important one is Senate Bill 959.

“If I’m going to create a biotech firm, I want to make sure I can find all the people I need with high levels of intelligence and the right skill sets,” Cadden said. “Quite often, the best qualified people for these positions are the ones fresh out of college and graduate school. But it’s tough trying to create an environment in which you’re able to keep these young, highly talented people from leaving after a few years.”