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2020 Special Session I

Budget Amendments - HB5005 (Committee Approved)

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COVID-19 Drug Research and Development

Item 135 #1h

Item 135 #1h

First Year - FY2021 Second Year - FY2022
Commerce and Trade
Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority FY2021 $5,000,000 FY2022 $0 NGF

Language
Page 33, line 35, strike "$25,700,000" and insert "$30,700,000".

Page 33, line 35, strike "Not set out." and insert:

"K.1. Out of the appropriation in this item, $3,750,000 the first year and $3,750,000 the second year from the general fund shall be provided for the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC), a non-stock corporation research consortium initially comprised of the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, George Mason University and the Eastern Virginia Medical School. The consortium will contract with private entities, foundations and other governmental sources to capture and perform research in the biosciences, as well as promote the development of bioscience infrastructure tools which can be used to facilitate additional research activities. The Department of Planning and Budget is authorized to provide these funds to the non-stock corporation research consortium referenced in this paragraph upon request filed with the Department of Planning and Budget by VBHRC.

2. Of the amounts provided in K.1. for the research consortium, up to $3,750,000 the first year and $3,750,000 the second year may be used to develop or maintain investments in research infrastructure tools to facilitate bioscience research.

3. The remaining funding shall be used to capture and perform research in the biosciences and must be matched at least dollar-for-dollar by funding provided by such private entities, foundations and other governmental sources. No research will be funded by the consortium unless at least two of the participating institutions, including the five founding institutions and any other institutions choosing to join, are actively and significantly involved in collaborating on the research. No research will be funded by the consortium unless the research topic has been vetted by a scientific advisory board and holds potential for high impact near-term success in generating other sponsored research, creating spin-off companies or otherwise creating new jobs. The consortium will set guidelines to disburse research funds based on advisory board findings. The consortium will have near-term sustainability as a goal, along with corporate-sponsored research gains, new Virginia company start-ups, and job creation milestones.

4. Other publicly-supported institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth may choose to join the consortium as participating institutions. Participation in the consortium by the five founding institutions and by other participating institutions choosing to join will require a cash contribution from each institution in each year of participation of at least $50,000.

5. Of these funds, up to $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year may be used to pay the administrative, promotional and legal costs of establishing and administering the consortium, including the creation of intellectual property protocols, and the publication of research results.

6. VHBRC, in consultation with the publicly-supported institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth participating in the consortium, shall provide to the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget, and VIPA by October 1 of each year a written report summarizing the activities of the consortium, including, but not limited to, a summary of how any funds disbursed to the consortium during the previous fiscal year were spent, and the consortium's progress during the fiscal year in expanding upon existing research opportunities and stimulating new research opportunities in the Commonwealth.

7. The accounts and records of the consortium shall be made available for review and audit by the Auditor of Public Accounts upon request.

8. Up to $2,500,000 of the funds managed by the Commonwealth Health Research Board (CHRB), created pursuant to § 32.1-162.23, Code of Virginia, shall be directed toward collaborative research projects, approved by the boards of the VBHRC and CHRB, to support Virginia's core bioscience strengths, improve human health, and demonstrate commercial viability and a high likelihood of creating new companies and jobs in Virginia.

9.The VBHRC shall administer a one-time grant program designed to support the acceleration of clinical testing of a therapeutic drug that treats clinical symptoms caused by COVID-19.  VBHRC may consult with subject matter experts in the healthcare industry or academia to develop criteria for awarding funds provided in paragraph P.3. of this item. At a minimum, these criteria must include: (i) the company was founded in and is headquartered in Virginia; and (ii) the company is actively conducting a Phase 1 or Phase 2 clinical trial of a therapeutic drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to treat life-threatening symptoms caused by COVID-19.  The provisions of paragraph K.3. of this item shall not apply to this grant award, which includes a matching requirement.

In awarding these funds, VBHRC shall: (i) require the grantee to offer to conduct subsequent clinical trials of its drug in hospitals located in Virginia, provided the hospitals have the capacity to participate in the trial in a timely manner that is consistent with and does not delay the company's clinical trial schedule; (ii) require the grantee to give a preference to qualified Virginia pharmaceutical manufacturers for production of the grantee's COVID-19 therapeutic drug, provided the manufacturers have the capacity to produce the drug in a timely manner that is consistent with and does not delay the company's production schedule; and, (iii) seek a reasonable amount of equity interest in the grantee company in return for the grant."

Page 33, line 35, strike "Not set out." and insert:

"P.1. Out of the amounts transferred to the Authority as a result of actions taken pursuant to Item 126.10, paragraph S.5 of the Chapter 854, 2019 Acts of Assembly, $10,000,000 the first year shall be allocated to the Commonwealth Commercialization Fund to foster innovative and collaborative research, development, and commercialization efforts in the Commonwealth in projects and programs with a high potential for economic development and job creation as specified in § 2.2-2359, Code of Virginia.

2. Out of the amounts transferred to the Authority as a result of actions pursuant to Item 126.10, paragraph S.5 of the Chapter 854, 2019 Acts of Assembly, $5,000,000 the first year shall be allocated to scale the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) for activities at the Hub, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and Node sites and $5,000,000 the first year shall be allocated for the leasing of space and establishment of the Hub by the anchoring institution.

3. Out of the amounts transferred to the Authority as a result of actions pursuant to Item 126.10, paragraph S.5 of the Chapter 854, 2019 Acts of Assembly, $5,000,000 the first year shall be allocated to the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Cooperation to administer the program outlined in paragraph K.9. of this item.  The funds provided in this paragraph shall be transferred to the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Cooperation within 30 days of the passage of this act.

3. 4. Excluding the amounts in paragraph P.1., and P.2., and P.3. of this item, any additional funds transferred to the Authority as a result of actions pursuant to Item 126.10, paragraph S.5 of the Chapter 854, 2019 Acts of Assembly may be used: (1) to enable the establishment of a fund of funds that will permit the Commonwealth to invest in one or more syndicated private investment funds; (2) to enhance direct investment programs by placing additional investments in partnership with Virginia accelerators and university technology commercialization programs; and (3) to enable the establishment of a sustainable program to enhance discovery of, and early investment in, technologies aligned with the Virginia Innovation Index. Decisions to invest in private funds shall be subject to approval by the Board of Directors. Investments in such funds shall be monitored by the Board of Directors."



Explanation

(This amendment provides $5 million in the first year from the nongeneral fund to accelerate the research and development of therapeutic drug treatments for COVID-19.)