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Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Amend the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 10 MRSA §949, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 420, §7, is amended to read:
 
1. Establishment; management. The Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board, referred to in this chapter as "the advisory board" and established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 6-G, is established to coordinate the State's research and development activities and to foster collaboration among its higher education and nonprofit research institutions and members of the business community and to render scientific assessment, risk-based analysis and consensus advice upon questions of science posed by the Governor or any joint standing committee of the Legislature with questions on science related to proposed legislation. The advisory board is managed by the State Science Advisor as appointed pursuant to Title 5, section 13105.
Sec. 2.  10 MRSA §949, sub-§11, ¶C  is enacted to read:
 
C. The advisory board shall review and summarize scientific studies related to issues or questions raised by the Governor or any joint standing committee of the Legislature related to proposed legislation in a manner that is timely, objective, transparent and easily understood. Findings and recommendations must represent the prevailing weight of scientific evidence on a given issue or question and, if consensus is not achieved, the board may issue minority reports. The board must include a public comment period prior to a finding. The board may include expertise from other qualified experts as needed. If a member has a conflict of interest in a matter before the advisory board, that member must be recused from any discussion of that issue.’
 
SUMMARY
The amendment, which is the minority report of the committee, replaces the bill. It requires the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board to render scientific assessment on questions of science posed by the Governor or any joint standing committee of the Legislature with a question related to proposed legislation rather than establishing the Maine Science Advisory Board. The Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board would review and summarize scientific studies related to questions, may include outside experts and must include a public comment period before issuing a finding. A member with a conflict of interest in a matter before the advisory board must be recused from any discussion of the subject.