1. a. There is created within the Department of Environmental Protection a Biotechnology Permit Acceleration Task Force. In addition to the activities specifically enumerated in this section, it shall be the function of the task force to develop and recommend rules and regulations and to take such other actions within the department designed to accelerate the commercialization of biotechnology related products and services. Upon the development and recommendations of rules and regulations by the task force, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall take all appropriate action to propose and adopt those rules and regulations. The development of rules and regulations by the task force shall be undertaken in consultation with the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology and the New Jersey Commerce and Economic Growth Commission.

b. The task force shall be responsible: (1) for the development of rules and regulations designed to shorten the time period for persons involved in biotechnology related activities to obtain permits from the department; (2) for the coordination of the review and approval of permits for biotechnology related activities in various divisions within the department; and (3) for the development of policies to decrease the application and review costs imposed by the department on persons who apply for permits for biotechnology related activities.

c. The task force shall be an internal working group within the department consisting of employees of the department. The task force shall be headed by an employee of the department of sufficient education and technical expertise to perform the functions of the position. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall vest in the task force sufficient authority to properly manage and expedite the permit approval process for biotechnology related permits. The commissioner shall assign sufficient and appropriate employees to the task force so as to allow the task force to perform its functions.

d. As used in this section “biotechnology” means the continually expanding body of fundamental knowledge about the functioning of biological systems from the macro level to the molecular and sub-atomic levels, as well as novel products, services, technologies and sub-technologies developed as a result of insights gained from research advances which add to that body of fundamental knowledge.

L.2004,c.14.