House Bill No. 5015 amends Section 22-82a of the general statutes to allow employees of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) to form and participate in start-up companies that develop and commercialize products based on their inventions and discoveries. The bill mandates that the CAES control board establish policies and procedures to ensure that employees' rights in this context align with those of researchers at other public universities and agencies in Connecticut, as well as with applicable legal and ethical standards. The bill also allows the board to adopt regulations related to these provisions.

The bill retains the existing ownership rights of CAES over inventions and discoveries made by its employees during the course of their duties or with the station's resources, while also allowing employees to share in the net proceeds from their inventions. The new language inserted into the law includes provisions for employees to be compensated by start-up companies, which is a significant change from the previous law. The bill is effective upon passage and is not expected to have any fiscal impact on the state or municipalities.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 22-82a
ENV Joint Favorable: 22-82a
File No. 39: 22-82a