Innovation New Jersey
  • Home
  • Our Coalition
    • Contact Us
  • News
  • Resources
    • State Supports
    • Federal Supports
    • Higher Ed Supports
  • Join Us

Innovation News

Everything Innovation. Everything New Jersey.
Follow us and stay connected.

BioNJ's New Jersey Life Sciences Fall 2015 Legislative Outlook

9/28/2015

0 Comments

 
Trenton, NJ - The post-Labor Day startup has become the traditional kickoff for the remainder of the year's legislative agenda. This year --- not so much. Upcoming elections will sideline legislators and overtake the agenda in both New Jersey and Washington in the next few months. There are pressing state and federal issues to deal with, but it's unlikely that much action will be taken. 
​In New Jersey, the Assembly leads the November 2015 ballot for the first time since 1999. No Assembly sessions are scheduled before the election, as is typically the case in an election year. Legislators will be in their districts campaigning and meeting with constituents. The Senate has a handful of pre-election sessions scheduled.
 
The biosimilars legislation which passed in June awaits the Governor's signature, but he has 45 days to sign it into law after the Assembly reconvenes. California and Puerto Rico also have bills awaiting their Governors' signatures, which brings the number of states that have either passed or have biosimilars legislation pending to 20.
 
Congress has a more robust life sciences agenda, but with Presidential contenders in the Senate looking to 2016, it's even less likely that there will be much action there. A potential government shutdown will dominate the early fall months, and possibly stop activity totally if the shutdown occurs, which could happen as early as the end of September.  
 
At issue is the $18.1 trillion debt limit. Without Congressional approval of an increase in the government's borrowing authority, we will hit the limit in mid-November or early December, according to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predictions. Unless approval is given to exceed the limit, the U. S. would be in default on the national debt (for the first time ever) and government would be forced to shut down.
 
It's unlikely that the default and ensuing shutdown will occur, but the debate will provide a platform for the 2016 Presidential and Senate races. With the Iran treaty, Planned Parenthood funding and additional Affordable Care Act (ACA) reform also in the mix, there is unlimited potential to stall debate on most other pending legislation.
 
In spite of this, the life sciences community is hopeful that action will be taken on several pressing issues:
 
21st Century Cures Act - Without Senate passage of the Innovation Act, the companion legislation to the sweeping 21st Century Cures Act, nothing can move forward. The House legislation will advance medical research and provide new medicines to patients faster. It also provides for increased NIH funding and enhanced patient involvement in the development of new medicines.
 
BioNJ is working with a coalition of trade associations and patient advocacy organizations to urge prompt Senate action on the Innovation Act, and we encourage our Members to contact New Jersey Senators Robert Menendez (www.menendez.senate.gov) and Cory Booker (www.booker.senate.gov) and urge them to support speedy review and passage. The Senate version of the bill will be heard in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) with Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA).
 
Patent Reform - Debate over the Patent and Trademark Office's (PTO) process of Inter Partes Review (IPR) continued in the House until Congress convened for the summer recess. The life sciences industry is pressing for an exemption from IPR, which allows a lower burden of proof to invalidate patents than the standard used in district court, for biotechnology and pharmaceutical products. Resolution of the IPR issue is a major hurdle in both the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
 
BioNJ supports the exemption and is actively engaging in discussion with members of New Jersey's Congressional delegation. 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Do not miss a single innovative moment and sign up for our newsletter!
    Weekly updates


    Categories

    All
    3D Printing
    Academia
    Acquisitions
    Aerospace
    Agriculture
    AIDS
    Algae
    Alumni
    Animals
    Architecture
    Astrophysics
    Autism
    Awards
    Big Data
    Bioethics
    Biofuel
    Biomedical
    BioNJ
    Bioterrorism
    Bit Coins
    Brain Health
    Business
    Camden
    Cancer
    CCollege
    Cellular
    Centenary
    Chemistry
    ChooseNJ
    Climate Change
    Clinical Trials
    Cloud Tech
    Collaboration
    Computing
    Congress
    Coriell
    Council On Innovation
    Crowdfunding
    Cybersecurity
    DARPA
    Defense
    Degree
    Dementia
    Dental Health
    DOC
    DOD
    DOE
    Drew
    Drones
    Drug Creation
    Einstein's Alley
    Electricity
    Energy
    Engineering
    Entrepreneurship
    Environmental
    FAA
    Fairleigh Dickinson
    FDA
    Federal Budget
    Federal Government
    Federal Labs
    Federal Program
    Finance
    Food Science
    Fort Monmouth
    Fuel Cells
    Funding
    Genome
    Geography
    Geology
    Global Competition
    Google
    Governor Christie
    Grant
    Hackensack
    HackensackUMC
    Healthcare
    Health Care
    HHS
    HINJ
    Hospitals
    Immigration
    Incubator
    Infrastructure
    International
    Internet
    Investor
    IoT
    IP
    IT
    Jobs
    Johnson & Johnson
    K-12
    Kean
    Kessler
    Legislation
    Logistics
    Manufacturing
    Medical Devices
    Med School
    Mental Health
    Mentor
    Microorganisms
    Molecular Biology
    Montclair
    NAS
    Neuroscience
    Newark
    New Jersey
    NIFA
    NIH
    NIST
    NJBDA
    NJBIA
    NJ Chemistry Council
    NJCU
    NJDOLWD
    NJEDA
    NJEDge
    NJHF
    NJII
    NJIT
    NJMEP
    NJPAC
    NJPRO
    NJTC
    Nonprofit
    NSF
    OpEd
    Open Data
    OSHE
    OSTP
    Parasite
    Patents
    Paterson
    Patients
    Perth Amboy
    Pharma
    POTUS
    PPPL
    Princeton
    Prosthetics
    Ranking
    Rare Disease
    R&D Council
    Report
    Resiliency
    Rider
    Robotics
    Rowan
    Rutgers
    SBA
    Seton Hall
    Siemens
    Smart Car
    Smart Cities
    Software
    Solar
    Space
    SSTI
    Startup
    State Government
    STEM
    Stevens
    Stockton
    Subatomic
    Supports
    Sustainability
    Taxes
    TCNJ
    Teachers
    Telecom
    Therapy
    Thermodynamics
    Transportation
    Undergraduate
    USEDA
    Verizon
    Video Game
    Virtual Reality
    Water
    WHO
    William Paterson
    Women In STEM
    Workforce Development

Home   Coalition   News   Resources   Events   Join Us
Picture
Innovation New Jersey Coalition
10 West Lafayette Street
Trenton, NJ 08608-2002
609-858-9507