BioUtah on Capitol Hill

February 9, 2023

The Utah State Legislature has hit its halfway point in the 2023 session. Since day one, BioUtah President and CEO, Kelvyn Cullimore, and industry lobbyist, Chris Bleak, have been on the Hill engaging with lawmakers on a number of issues that impact our industry. Yesterday, Cullimore testified before the House Health and Human Services Committee regarding HB131, “Vaccine Passport Amendments”, and before the Senate Business and Labor Committee supporting HB42, “Technology Commercialization Amendments”.

BioUtah successfully amended the Vaccine Passport bill that prohibited employers from requiring any employee be vaccinated. The amendment made allowances for employees whose job description required they be vaccinated by virtue of working with facilities that could legally require such vaccinations.

HB42, “Technology Commercialization Amendments,” establishes the Utah Innovation Lab. The Innovation Lab, linked to the Point of the Mountain Development, will identify challenges that require innovative solutions, including in healthcare. It would also create a $15 million Utah Innovation Fund to provide seed money to help translate technology from institutions of higher education to investable concepts.

HB407, “Incentives Amendments,” imposes a requirement on any company seeking to claim an R&D tax credit to conduct an audit by a CPA firm confirming their claimed credit complies with the statutory laws. BioUtah strongly opposes the imposition of such a requirement as unneccessary and burdensome.

BioUtah is also joining patient groups in supporting SB184, “Prescription Costs Amendments,” that bans copay accumulator programs in which some insurance companies and PBM’s refuse to apply third party subsidies of patient deductibles and co-pays and instead divert the funds for more general use by the insurance carrier or PBM to subsidize overall costs. BioUtah believes the subsidies should be applied as directed by the third party and not converted to other uses in order for patients to be better able to stay on their prescribed drug regimens.

For questions, please contact Kelvyn Cullimore.