89440.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:(1) The biotechnology industry in California is a rapidly growing industry that will be a critical factor in the state’s economic success in the new millennium.
(2) The California State University plays a significant role in the production and maintenance of the work force for this rapidly growing industry.
(3) The California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology (program) was created in 1987 to provide a coordinated and amplified development of biotechnology research and education within the California State University, to foster competitiveness in the industry on both the state and national levels, to facilitate training of a sufficient number of biotechnology technicians and scientists, to catalyze technology transfer and enhance intellectual property protection, and to facilitate the acquisition and long-term maintenance of state-of-the-art biotechnology resource facilities.
(4) The program facilitates interdisciplinary cooperative activities between the biology and chemistry departments on all California State University campuses and between faculty and a number of allied academic and research units, including bioengineering, agricultural biotechnology, environmental and natural resources, molecular ecology, and marine biotechnology.
(5) The program conducts a number of activities, including a competitive applied research and education grants program, the upgrade of biotechnology instructional and research equipment, the development of specialized training facilities, and involvement in secondary educator in-service and preservice biotechnological training.
(6) The program serves as the official liaison among the California State University and industry, government, the Congressional Biotechnology Caucus, and the public arena in biotechnological matters.
(7) One million dollars ($1,000,000) was appropriated for this program in the Budget Act of 1999.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to provide additional state funding, if state revenues allow, to the California State University to maintain the California State University Program for Education and Research in Biotechnology at a level that will maintain and enhance its role in the preparation of the work force in this critical industry.