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Board adopts rules for new Invention Incentive Program and delegates award approvals to staff
Summary
The board adopted rules to implement the newly enacted Invention Incentive Program — reimbursing up to $5,000 toward patent-application costs for eligible Rhode Island small businesses and inventors — and delegated limited authority to staff to approve awards to streamline processing.
The board adopted rules and regulations to implement the state’s new Invention Incentive Program, which staff said will reimburse Rhode Island small businesses and inventors up to $5,000 for expenses incurred when applying for patents with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Christina Brown explained the program is limited to one award per applicant under statute and that the program will be administered from the broader invention and incentives line item in the state budget. When board members asked whether recipients must remain in Rhode Island after receiving funds, staff said there is no such requirement in the rules as drafted. Several members urged delegating routine approvals to staff to avoid monthly board sign‑offs; staff proposed delegating up to a set number of approvals with mandatory reporting back to the board. The board voted to adopt the rules with a delegation of authority to staff, with reporting requirements to return to the board for any substantial edits after OMB review and public comment.
