House Bill No. 5015, now Public Act No. 25-10, amends Section 22-82a of the general statutes to authorize the establishment of spin-off companies for employees of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES). The bill clarifies the definitions of key terms such as "Station," "director," and "board," and outlines the rights and obligations of employees regarding inventions or discoveries made during their employment. Specifically, it stipulates that the CAES owns the rights to any invention conceived during the employee's duties or with the station's resources, and employees must disclose and assign their inventions to the station. Employees who meet their obligations are entitled to share in the net proceeds from the commercialization of their inventions.

Additionally, the bill introduces new provisions allowing employees to serve on the board of directors of start-up companies that develop products based on their inventions, provided that the CAES shares in any net proceeds and there are no active disputes regarding the invention. The board is tasked with establishing policies to ensure that these provisions align with the rights of researchers at other public institutions and comply with legal and ethical standards. The bill repeals the previous statute and replaces it with the updated language, including the new provisions for employee participation in start-up companies.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 22-82a
ENV Joint Favorable: 22-82a
File No. 39: 22-82a
File No. 872: 22-82a
Public Act No. 25-10: 22-82a