By: Lucio S.B. No. 525 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the purchase of agricultural products by a public 1-2 institution of higher education. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 1-5 amended by adding Section 51.940 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 51.940. PURCHASE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. (a) An 1-7 institution of higher education that purchases agricultural 1-8 products shall give first preference to products grown, produced, 1-9 or processed in this state if the cost to the institution and the 1-10 quality of the products are equal to the cost and quality of other 1-11 available products. 1-12 (b) An institution of higher education shall ensure that bid 1-13 specifications used by the institution in connection with the 1-14 purchase of agricultural products do not preclude or discourage the 1-15 purchase of agricultural products grown, produced, or processed in 1-16 this state. 1-17 (c) In this section, "institution of higher education" has 1-18 the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. 1-19 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 1-20 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.