By Ramsay                                       H.B. No. 3500

      75R6374 CLG-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the establishment of a video teleconferencing pilot

 1-3     program to assist certain businesses in establishing international

 1-4     trade relationships.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The Texas Department of

 1-7     Commerce by rule shall develop a video teleconferencing pilot

 1-8     program designed to assist small businesses in establishing

 1-9     international trade relationships by allowing the businesses access

1-10     to certain video conferencing facilities for a fee.

1-11           (b)  In adopting rules under this section, the department

1-12     shall:

1-13                 (1)  work in conjunction with small business

1-14     development centers affiliated with institutions of higher

1-15     education, as that term is defined by Section 61.003, Education

1-16     Code, to develop the pilot program;

1-17                 (2)  ensure that the pilot program is designed to allow

1-18     small businesses with limited resources to explore trade

1-19     possibilities with foreign countries before actually traveling to

1-20     those countries;

1-21                 (3)  determine the amount of the usage fees to be

1-22     charged to participants of the pilot program, which in the

1-23     aggregate may not be more than the amount necessary to cover the

1-24     cost of administering and implementing the pilot program;

 2-1                 (4)  establish the pilot program in three counties with

 2-2     a population of 590,000 or more, at least one of which borders the

 2-3     Republic of Mexico; and

 2-4                 (5)  set a timetable to implement and complete the

 2-5     pilot program.

 2-6           SECTION 2.  REPORT.  Not later than January 15, 2001, the

 2-7     Texas Department of Commerce shall submit to the governor and the

 2-8     legislature a report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot

 2-9     program.

2-10           SECTION 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE AND DEADLINES.  (a)  This Act

2-11     takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-12           (b)  The Texas Department of Commerce shall establish the

2-13     pilot program required by this Act not later than January 1, 1998.

2-14           SECTION 4.  EXPIRATION DATE.  This Act expires September 1,

2-15     2001.

2-16           SECTION 5.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

2-17     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-18     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-19     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-20     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.