1-1  By:  Lucio                                             S.B. No. 525
    1-2        (In the Senate - Filed February 10, 1995; February 14, 1995,
    1-3  read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources;
    1-4  April 5, 1995, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
    1-5  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 5, 1995,
    1-6  sent to printer.)
    1-7  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 525                    By:  Lucio
    1-8                         A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-9                                AN ACT
   1-10  relating to the purchase of agricultural products by a public
   1-11  institution of higher education.
   1-12        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
   1-13        SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is
   1-14  amended by adding Section 51.940 to read as follows:
   1-15        Sec. 51.940.  PURCHASE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.  (a)  An
   1-16  institution of higher education that purchases agricultural
   1-17  products shall give first preference to products grown, produced,
   1-18  or processed in this state if the cost to the institution and the
   1-19  quality of the products are equal to the cost and quality of other
   1-20  available products.
   1-21        (b)  An institution of higher education shall ensure that bid
   1-22  specifications used by the institution in connection with the
   1-23  purchase of agricultural products do not preclude or discourage the
   1-24  purchase of agricultural products grown, produced, or processed in
   1-25  this state.
   1-26        (c)  In this section, "institution of higher education" has
   1-27  the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
   1-28        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   1-29        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   1-30  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   1-31  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   1-32  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   1-33  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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