Recently, Wozniak had introduced Senate Bill 632, which proposes to lengthen the time that businesses have to apply for tax-exempt status under the KOZ Act.

Gerard said the bill would be referred to the appropriate committee and the approval process could take from a few weeks to a few months.

The bill is meant to give companies an equal amount of time to benefit from the tax exemption, Gerard said.

"[Under the KOZ Act,] they're recycling land and they're trying to draw interest for locating there," he said.

Mitchell said the only KOZ located in Centre County is Moshannon Valley Regional Business Park. She added that not all states have such a program in place.

"It's a big attraction tool. It's a total tax abatement," Mitchell said.

Dave McKee (senior-biology) said the program could lessen the effect of the brain drain problem affecting Pennsylvania.

"It would keep more students working in Pennsylvania rather than getting a job outside of Pennsylvania," McKee said.

If Senate Bill 632 were passed, businesses would have 15 years of tax exemption status following the signing of the KOZ agreement.

Previously, the time for the tax-exempt status began once the area was declared a KOZ opportunity zone.

"Our language wants to make it 15 years regardless," Gerard said.

The businesses that are participating in the KOZ program include Sinterstahl Corp., and Advanced Powder Products Inc., which are both located in Philipsburg.

Mitchell said the KOZ program does not attract one type of business over another, but has instead a universal appeal.

Gregory Morgan, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, said the KOZs help to promote business through a simple application process for tax exemption status.

Morgan said that once businesses have been approved as KOZs, they are then eligible for tax exemptions from state and local sales and use taxes as well as tax deductions, abatements or credits for corporate, franchise, financial institution, income and real estate taxes.

"It's promoting business growth in the municipalities and promoting business growth through this tax exemption status," he said.

In Pennsylvania, Morgan said there are 12 KOZs spanning 49,443 acres.

Joseph Lizik (senior-computer science engineering) said he thinks the program could benefit Penn State graduates in their job search.

"With the tax exemption, the businesses will be able to hire more workers," he said.