By Sibley                                        S.B. No. 749

      75R3188 JRD-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to use of the state government telecommunications system

 1-3     by private colleges and universities.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 2170, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 2170.061 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 2170.061.  USE OF SYSTEM BY PRIVATE COLLEGES AND

 1-8     UNIVERSITIES.  (a)  The commission on request shall contract with

 1-9     a private or independent institution of higher education, as

1-10     defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, to use the system of

1-11     telecommunications services established under this chapter.  The

1-12     commission shall recover from the institution under the contract

1-13     the full pro rata cost attributable to the institution's use,

1-14     including costs identifiable for interconnection to and use of the

1-15     local publicly switched network.

1-16           (b)  The authorization to contract with a private or

1-17     independent institution of higher education under Subsection (a)

1-18     constitutes a finding that a contract executed in accordance with

1-19     Subsection (a) is in the public interest and does not alter the

1-20     policy of this state that a state agency or unit of state

1-21     government may not provide telecommunications products or services

1-22     to the general public in competition with private enterprise unless

1-23     there is a finding that providing the products or services is in

1-24     the public interest.

 2-1           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

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

 2-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 2-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 2-6     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 2-7     passage, and it is so enacted.