73R5273 LJR-F
          By Duncan                                             H.B. No. 2249
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the emphasis of water conservation in certain advanced
    1-3  research and technology programs at institutions of higher
    1-4  education.
    1-5        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-6        SECTION 1.  Section 142.003(c), Education Code, is amended to
    1-7  read as follows:
    1-8        (c)  The guidelines and procedures developed by the
    1-9  coordinating board must provide for awards on a competitive, peer
   1-10  review basis for specific projects at eligible institutions.  The
   1-11  guidelines must encourage projects that seek to reduce industrial,
   1-12  agricultural, and domestic water use.
   1-13        SECTION 2.  Section 143.004(d), Education Code, is amended to
   1-14  read as follows:
   1-15        (d)  The guidelines and procedures developed by the
   1-16  coordinating board under Subsection (c) of this section shall
   1-17  provide for awards on a competitive, peer review basis for specific
   1-18  projects at eligible institutions.  The guidelines shall encourage
   1-19  projects that seek to reduce industrial, agricultural, and domestic
   1-20  water use.  The coordinating board shall encourage projects that
   1-21  leverage funds from other sources and projects that propose
   1-22  innovative, collaborative efforts:
   1-23              (1)  across academic disciplines;
   1-24              (2)  among two or more eligible institutions; or
    2-1              (3)  between an eligible institution or institutions
    2-2  and private industry.
    2-3        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-4  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-5  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-6  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-7  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-8  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-9  passage, and it is so enacted.
   2-10                       COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
   2-11        Amend H.B. No. 2249 as follows:
   2-12        (1)  Strike SECTION 1 and insert a new SECTION 1 to read as
   2-13  follows:
   2-14        SECTION 1.  Section 142.002, Education Code, is amended to
   2-15  read as follows:
   2-16        Sec. 142.002.  PURPOSE.  The advanced research program is
   2-17  established to encourage and provide support for basic research
   2-18  conducted by faculty members in astronomy, atmospheric science,
   2-19  biological and behavioral sciences, chemistry, computer sciences,
   2-20  earth sciences, engineering, information science, mathematics,
   2-21  material sciences, oceanography, physics, the reduction of
   2-22  industrial, agricultural, and domestic water use, <and> social
   2-23  sciences, and related disciplines in eligible institutions.
   2-24        (2)  Strike SECTION 2 and insert a new SECTION 2 to read as
   2-25  follows:
   2-26        SECTION 2.  Section 143.003, Education Code, is amended to
   2-27  read as follows:
    3-1        Sec. 143.003.  PRIORITY RESEARCH AREAS.  The technology
    3-2  program may provide support for faculty members to conduct research
    3-3  in areas determined by an advisory panel appointed by the
    3-4  coordinating board.  Initial research areas shall
    3-5  include:  agriculture, biotechnology, biomedicine, energy,
    3-6  environment, materials science, microelectronics, aerospace, marine
    3-7  science, aquaculture, telecommunications, manufacturing science,
    3-8  the reduction of industrial, agricultural, and domestic water use,
    3-9  <and> recycling, and related disciplines.  The advisory panel may
   3-10  add or delete priority research areas as the panel considers
   3-11  warranted.
   3-12  73R10475 SOS-D                                               Earley