By: Ratliff S.B. No. 1489
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to research conducted by public senior colleges and
1-2 universities on behalf of the Texas Department of Transportation.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 67.24, Education Code is amended to read
1-5 as follows:
1-6 Sec. 67.24. (a) The state comptroller of public accounts
1-7 may draw proper warrants in favor of the university based on
1-8 vouchers or claims submitted by the university through the Texas
1-9 <State Highway> Department of Transportation covering reasonable
1-10 fees and charges for services rendered by members of the staff of
1-11 the university system to the Texas <State Highway> Department of
1-12 Transportation and for equipment and materials necessary for
1-13 research and experimentation in all phases of transportation
1-14 <highway> activity, economics, materials, specifications, design of
1-15 transportation facilities, including, but not limited to, roadways
1-16 and airports, construction, maintenance, pavement and structures,
1-17 drainage, traffic control, safety, the economics of transportation
1-18 facility <highway> design and construction, and other fields of
1-19 transportation system and facility <highway> planning, design,
1-20 construction, maintenance, or operation, based on an agreement
1-21 between the Texas <State Highway> Department of Transportation and
1-22 the university <in accordance with the provisions of Texas Highway
1-23 Department Minute Order Number 52742, dated May 24, 1963>; and the
2-1 state treasurer shall pay warrants so issued against any funds
2-2 appropriated by the legislature to the Texas <State Highway>
2-3 Department of Transportation <for the construction and maintenance
2-4 of highways, roads, and bridges>. The payments made to the
2-5 university shall be credited and deposited to local institutional
2-6 funds under its control.
2-7 (b) For purposes of this section, the term "transportation
2-8 facilities" means highways and turnpikes, airports, railroads,
2-9 including high-speed railroads, bicycle and pedestrian facilities,
2-10 waterways, pipelines, electric utility facilities, communication
2-11 lines and facilities, public transportation facilities, port
2-12 facilities, and all facilities appurtenant thereto.
2-13 (c) The Texas Department of Transportation may contract with
2-14 the university for research conducted by the university as
2-15 authorized by this section.
2-16 (d) An agreement entered into under this chapter is not
2-17 subject to the Interagency Cooperation Act, Government Code,
2-18 Chapter 771.
2-19 SECTION 2. Section 85.29, Education Code is amended to read
2-20 as follows:
2-21 Sec. 85.29. (a) The state comptroller of public accounts
2-22 may draw proper warrants in favor of the university system based on
2-23 vouchers or claims submitted by the system through the Texas <State
2-24 Highway> Department of Transportation covering reasonable fees and
2-25 charges for services rendered by members of the staff of the system
3-1 to the Texas <State Highway> Department of Transportation and for
3-2 equipment and materials necessary for research and experimentation
3-3 in all phases of transportation <highway> activity, economics,
3-4 materials, specifications, design of transportation facilities,
3-5 including, but not limited to, roadways and airports, construction,
3-6 maintenance, pavement and structures, drainage, traffic control,
3-7 safety, the economics of transportation facility <highway> design
3-8 and construction, and other fields of transportation system and
3-9 facility <highway> planning, design, construction, maintenance, or
3-10 operation, based on an agreement between the Texas <State Highway>
3-11 Department of Transportation and the Texas A & M University
3-12 <Agricultural and Mechanical College> System <as passed by the
3-13 State Highway Department on September 29, 1948, and recorded by the
3-14 State Highway Department as Minute Order Number 25396>; and the
3-15 state treasurer shall pay warrants so issued against any funds
3-16 appropriated by the legislature to the Texas <State Highway>
3-17 Department of Transportation <for the construction and maintenance
3-18 of highways, roads, and bridges>. The payments made to the system
3-19 shall be credited and deposited to local institutional funds under
3-20 its control.
3-21 (b) For purposes of this section, the term "transportation
3-22 facilities" means highways and turnpikes, airports, railroads,
3-23 including high-speed railroads, bicycle and pedestrian facilities,
3-24 waterways, pipelines, electric utility facilities, communication
3-25 lines and facilities, public transportation facilities, port
4-1 facilities, and all facilities appurtenant thereto.
4-2 (c) The Texas Department of Transportation may contract with
4-3 the system for research conducted by any part of the university
4-4 system as authorized by this section.
4-5 (d) An agreement entered into under this chapter is not
4-6 subject to the Interagency Cooperation Act, Government Code,
4-7 Chapter 771.
4-8 SECTION 3. Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code is amended by
4-9 adding Chapter 150 to read as follows:
4-10 CHAPTER 150. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH
4-11 Sec. 150.001. In this chapter:
4-12 (1) "Department" means the Texas Department of
4-13 Transportation.
4-14 (2) "Public senior college or university" has the
4-15 meaning assigned by Section 61.003(4) of this code.
4-16 (3) "Transportation facilities" means highways and
4-17 turnpikes, airports, railroads, including high-speed railroads,
4-18 bicycle and pedestrian facilities, waterways, pipelines, electric
4-19 utility facilities, communication lines and facilities, public
4-20 transportation facilities, port facilities, and all facilities
4-21 appurtenant thereto.
4-22 Sec. 150.003. The state comptroller of public accounts may
4-23 draw proper warrants in favor of any public senior college or
4-24 university based on vouchers or claims submitted by the university
4-25 or college through the department covering reasonable system
5-1 charges for services rendered by members of the staff of the
5-2 university or college to the department and for equipment and
5-3 materials necessary for research and experimentation in all phases
5-4 of transportation activity, economics, materials, specifications,
5-5 design of transportation facilities roadways, construction,
5-6 maintenance, pavement and structures, drainage, traffic control,
5-7 safety, the economics of transportation facility highway design and
5-8 construction, and other fields of transportation system and
5-9 facility planning, design, construction, maintenance, or operation,
5-10 based on an agreement between the department and the university or
5-11 college.
5-12 Sec. 150.005. The state treasurer shall pay warrants so
5-13 issued against any funds appropriated by the legislature to the
5-14 department. The payments made to the university or college shall
5-15 be credited and deposited to local institutional funds under its
5-16 control.
5-17 Sec. 150.007. The department may contract with a public
5-18 senior college or university for research conducted by an
5-19 institution as authorized by this chapter.
5-20 Sec. 150.009. An agreement entered into under this chapter
5-21 is not subject to the Interagency Cooperation Act, Government Code,
5-22 Chapter 771.
5-23 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
5-24 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-25 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.