Senator Robach & NYS Senate Majority Coalition to Host Public Hearing on Regulatory Reform & Biotechnology

Senator Robach & NYS Senate Majority Coalition to Host Public Hearing on Regulatory Reform & Biotechnology
Robach Seeks Bioscience Experts & Business Leaders to Testify at Hearing 

New York State Senator Joseph Robach and the members of the Senate Majority Coalition announced today that they will be hosting a public hearing on regulatory reform and biotechnology on Tuesday, October 15 from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. This hearing will be held at the Monroe County Office Building Legislative Chambers (4^th floor, Rm. 406), 39 West Main Street, Rochester, NY 14614.

The hearing is part of a series of industry-specific public hearings sponsored by the Senate Majority Coalition and will discuss the impact of the biotechnology industry and its growth in Upstate New York. The October 15 hearing will give NYS Senators the opportunity to hear from business and local officials, and learn which rules, regulations and mandates affect the biotechnology industry.

The Senate Majority Coalition is conducting public hearings across the state as part of its bipartisan effort to identify and eliminate the most costly government regulations and mandates that impede business and job growth, and drive up local taxes.

Senator Robach stated, “The highly skilled nature of bioscience jobs, and their growing demand, has surpassed the wage growth of private sector jobs, so it is our best interest to do whatever we can to help this new industry thrive in Rochester and Upstate New York. There are many ways to do this, but it all starts with eliminating the bureaucracy and red tape preventing job growth.”

According to the New York State Biotechnology Association, bioscience annually contributes $8.4 billion in New York’s economic output, generates more than $3.75 million in annual wages and contributes more than $500 million in New York taxes. Although New York State is considered a major bioscience employer, there are still areas that require further development if it is to be considered fully competitive. Many industry leaders believe they must build alliances among regional bioscience industry organizations, academia, the government and real estate and financial communities to create and enact policy that will strengthen the growth of New York’s biotechnology industry.

Senator Patrick Gallivan (R-C-I, 50^th NYS Senate District) said, “The objective of these public hearings is to produce valuable ideas to improve New York’s economy. It is our hope that at the conclusion of this hearing we will have an even better idea of what is working for the biotechnology industry and what is not.”