Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §13103, sub-§1, ¶A-1, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 196, §2, is amended to read:

A-1. "Academic medical center" is a Maine-based nonprofit clinical, educational and research organization with a critical number of at least 350 hospital beds, with multiple and independent a residency and fellowship programs, program and with a significant number of at least 20 residents and fellows and that is affiliated with but independent of a medical school.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §13103, sub-§1, ¶B, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 196, §3, is amended to read:

B. "Eligible institution" means a Maine-based private nonprofit biomedical research institution or academic medical center or medical school that, as of July 1, 2001:

(1) Performs competitive biomedical research in on- site, wetbench biomedical research laboratories in the State, as evidenced by publications in recognized peer review journals; and

(2) Receives or expends funds in the State from federal agencies or specified grant sources for the purpose of producing peer-reviewed biomedical research in on-site, wetbench biomedical research laboratories.

For purposes of this paragraph, "wetbench" has the meaning generally ascribed to that term by the biomedical research community and refers to laboratories that use solutions or cell extracts and biological reagents.

SUMMARY

This bill changes the definition of academic medical center to allow more hospitals to qualify for funding consideration as academic medical centers.