CHI Opens Washington, D.C. Office
In a move to add force to our advocacy and enhance value for our members, CHI has opened a new office in Washington, D.C., headed by Todd Gillenwater, CHI vice president-public policy. The goal is to establish a stronger presence in the capital as priority issues - from intellectual property to CMS coverage and reimbursement to healthcare reform - move toward the center of the federal policy agenda. In 2008, with a presidential election and a congressional leadership populated by numerous California members, CHI's regular presence in the district will bolster the organization's advocacy. CHI's Washington office is located in the University of California's Washington Center, 1608 Rhode Island Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. Gillenwater can be reached at (202) 974-6313 or gillenwater@chi.org.
Patent Reform Focus Shifts to the Senate
As congressional consideration of patent reform legislation moves from the House of Representatives to the Senate, CHI has worked with the offices of California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to address concerns with elements of the measure that threaten biomedical innovation by increasing costs to file and maintain patents, undermining patent certainty, encouraging infringement, and weakening the enforceability of patent rights. On Sept. 18, CHI sent letters to both senators detailing these concerns, and on Sept. 28, CHI-led efforts resulted in similar letters signed by more than 100 California-based biomedical companies, venture capital firms, and research institutes. Given the number of California-based industries at the epicenter of the patent reform debate, CHI continues to play a critical role in ensuring that the interests and objections of the state's biomedical R&D community are heard. For more information, contact Todd Gillenwater, CHI vice president-public policy (gillenwater@chi.org or (202) 974-6313).
NIH Funding Caught in Disagreement over Spending Measures
In the work period prior to the Thanksgiving recess, congressional leadership in the House and Senate have announced their intention to move a number of domestic spending measures to the president for approval, starting with the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill. This legislation, which includes funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has already passed the House and is expected on the Senate floor next Monday, Oct. 15. Caught up in a larger debate over domestic spending, the bill faces a possible presidential veto, as the funding levels in the current drafts are significantly higher than the administration’s request. The NIH allocation in both bills is significantly lower than CHI has advocated. As the bill moves through the Senate and into conference, it remains unlikely that funding will reach the amount needed to sustain research progress, however CHI will continue to fight for increased funding for the agency.
House Approves Change to Eligibility Requirements for Small Business Grants
Since 2003, when the Small Business Administration (SBA) arbitrarily changed its definition of a small business to exclude companies with more than 50 percent ownership of venture capital firms, many early-stage biomedical companies have been excluded from a variety of SBA grant programs, most notably the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This technical change disproportionately penalized life sciences firms – which may be at once small and capital intensive -- stripping them of an important source of funding that often served as a catalyst for additional venture capital investment, accelerating the process toward commercialization. On Friday, Sept. 28, the House of Representatives approved the Small Business Investment Expansion Act (H.R. 3567), which corrects this inequity by allowing venture-backed businesses the opportunity to access SBA grant programs. This important measure will lead to new advances in biomedical innovation, economic growth and job creation in California as companies gain access to these grants. View CHI's letter of support.
CHI Advocates Strengthening and Extending the R&D Tax Credit
As Congress moves toward the 2007 legislative deadline, CHI is rallying support for an extension of the research and development (R&D) tax credit before it expires on Dec. 31. The R&D tax credit encourages increased investment in research leading to new treatments, technologies and therapies for patients around the world, while creating quality jobs that drive economic growth in the state. CHI played an integral role in gaining support for a California delegation letter, signed by 43 members, that was sent to the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leader and the Chairman and Ranking Member on the Ways and Means Committee, outlining the importance of the credit to California’s economy. CHI has also signed onto a coalition letter calling for legislative action on the credit and is encouraging all CHI members to participate. The deadline to sign the letter is Oct. 12. For more information, contact David Burt, CHI legislative director (burt@chi.org or (858) 456-8890).