Bill > S82

This bill establishes a Compact to Award Prizes for Curing Diseases, creating a multi-state commission designed to incentivize medical research by offering substantial financial rewards for developing treatments that cure major diseases. The compact would be enacted when at least six states join, forming a commission with representatives from each participating state. The commission would have broad powers, including establishing criteria for selecting diseases to target, defining what constitutes a "cure," and awarding prizes based on estimated five-year public health expense savings. Prizes would be funded through royalty fees and state contributions, with the amount determined by calculating potential healthcare cost reductions. The bill includes detailed provisions for the commission's governance, including rules for establishing bylaws, creating management and advisory committees, maintaining financial transparency, and ensuring ethical research standards. Importantly, when a cure is developed, the prize winner must transfer intellectual property rights to the commission, which would then work to make the treatment widely available. The compact includes mechanisms for states to join, withdraw, or be expelled, and provides legal protections for commission members while maintaining strict accountability and ethical guidelines for the research and prize-awarding process.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S82