BILL NUMBER: AB 1277INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Hill and Perea FEBRUARY 18, 2011 An act relating to business. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1277, as introduced, Hill. Biotechnology industry: regulation. Existing law creates various state agencies and authorizes certain of those agencies to regulate the operations of businesses. This bill would make findings and declarations of the Legislature and state the intent of the Legislature to adopt legislation that would reduce regulatory redundancies impacting the biotechnology industry. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares both of the following: (1) There are over 2,200 companies and more than 267,000 employees statewide in the biotechnology industry. It is imperative that government agencies do not unnecessarily hinder this unique California industry, which added 12,000 jobs between 2005 and 2009. (2) According to the 2011 California Biomedical Industry Report, 68 percent of chief executive officers said they expected to expand the overall size of their workforce within California. For the first time in the report's 17-year history, nearly twice as many biomedical chief executive officers said they intend to increase manufacturing within California, 41 percent, compared to out-of-state, 21 percent, over the next two years. In addition, 62 percent of chief executive officers surveyed said they expect to expand research and development within California. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would reduce regulatory redundancies impacting the biotechnology industry in California.