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House Bill 3447 |
House Author: Bonnen et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-23 |
Senate Sponsor: Huffman et al. |
House Bill 3447 amends the Government Code to establish the Texas Space Commission for the purpose of strengthening the state's proven leadership in civil, commercial, and military aerospace activity and promoting innovation in the fields of space exploration and commercial aerospace opportunities. The bill also establishes the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium, which is composed of each public institution of higher education and any other entity that the consortium's executive committee considers necessary, and sets out the following purposes of the consortium:
· identifying research opportunities for entities within Texas that would do the following:
o strengthen such state leadership;
o enhance the state's position in aeronautics research and development, astronautics, space commercialization, and space flight infrastructure; and
o enhance the integration of the space, aeronautics, astronautics, and aviation industries into the state's economy; and
· providing funding and research recommendations to the commission.
Both the commission and the consortium are subject to sunset review and both are administratively attached to the office of the governor, though the consortium is only attached for limited purposes. Among other provisions, the bill provides for the following:
· the commission's governance by its board of directors;
· the consortium's governance by its executive committee;
· a requirement for the commission to develop and annually update a strategic plan for the promotion of space, aeronautics, and aviation economic development in Texas; and
· establishment of the space exploration and aeronautics research fund from which the commission awards grants to eligible entities for specified purposes.