ASSEMBLY SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 3546

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  SEPTEMBER 17, 2018

      The Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 3546.

      As amended and reported, this bill directs the Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute, Office of Information Technology, and the New Jersey Big Data Alliance to coordinate and establish an advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan. The advanced cyberinfrastructure strategic plan is to include, but is not to be limited to: (1) assessing the State’s cyberinfrastructure, public and privately-owned, including, high performance computing, data storage systems, advanced instrumentation, data center facilities, visualization environments, the human expertise necessary to operate the cyberinfrastructure, and the software and advanced networks that link these resources together; (2) creating a roadmap for implementing advanced cyberinfrastructure improvements throughout the State, which shall include, but not be limited to the development of a shared data cloud that integrates data infrastructure, hosted data, and data analytics, and the development of a high speed network infrastructure. The shared data cloud is to host an open data repository to address big data challenges and catalyze collaborations between academia, industry, and government; (3) recommending implementation strategies and policies for improving the State’s cyberinfrastructure; (4) identifying the benefits and the essential applications of cyberinfrastructure; (5) recommending workforce development strategies to ensure that the necessary human expertise is in place; and (6) identifying the means of using advanced cyberinfrastructure to drive economic development and facilitate the creation of public private partnerships.

      Under the bill, “big data” is defined to mean high volume information assets, high velocity information assets, high variety information assets, or all three, that require new forms of processing to enable enhanced decision making, insight discovery, and process optimization. The term “cyberinfrastructure” includes, but is not limited to, data networks, computational facilities, computing resources, large data sets, specialized software applications, information technology usage improvements, and the human expertise necessary to develop and manage such resources.

      The bill defines “New Jersey Big Data Alliance” to mean a consortium consisting of Rutgers, the State University, Princeton University, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rowan University, Stockton University, Kean University, Montclair State University, and the Stevens Institute of Technology for the purpose of encouraging New Jersey government, academia, and industry to address, in a strategic and coordinated manner, the significant and immediate challenges posed by the proliferation of big data sources and the resultant deluge of digital data.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to remove a $150,000 appropriation from the General Fund to the Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2017 for carrying out the purposes of the bill.