(TRENTON) – The bipartisan Assembly Task Force on Life Sciences will hold its first meeting Friday in New Brunswick and is expected to hear testimony focusing on an overview of the life sciences industry and the benefits it can bring the state.
Testimony is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 1 at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany St., New Brunswick.
For directions please visit: http://www.cinj.org/about_cinj/directions.html.
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey is a Center of Excellence of UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver created the task force in July to identify ways to attract, encourage and support the life sciences industry in New Jersey.
“The Assembly is committed to ensuring New Jersey remains a leader in the job-creating innovation and economic gains that come along with the life sciences industry,” said Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic). “That includes nurturing new companies while ensuring the ones we already have remain strong, helping put New Jersey’s economy in a strong position to succeed.”
“The life sciences play a key role in New Jersey’s economy and we need to do all we can to encourage its continued development in our state,” said Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris). “This industry is important for the jobs it provides and the commerce it creates, and also for the critical role it plays in advancing medical technologies and pioneering research.”
The task force will identify ways in which New Jersey can retain and attract new life science industry to spur growth and create jobs across the state.
It would also identify and examine the barriers to life science growth in New Jersey and examine the successful programs in other states that are attracting life sciences companies to see if there are financial, tax and regulatory incentives that New Jersey should be exploring.
The task force includes:
· From the Assembly Higher Education Committee – Chairwoman Pamela R. Lampitt (D-Camden), Vice Chairman Thomas P. Giblin (D-Essex/Passaic) an Assembly Republican Appropriations Officer Sam Thompson (R-Monmouth/Middlesex).
· From the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee – Chairman John J. Burzichelli (D-Gloucester/Cumberland/Salem), Vice Chairwoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-Monmouth/Mercer).
· From the Assembly Telecommunications and Utilities Committee – Chairman Upendra Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex), Vice Chairman Wayne P. DeAngelo (D-Mercer/Middlesex) and Assembly Republican Whip David Rible (R-Monmouth).
