By: Truan S.B. No. 811 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the use of certain telecommunications facilities of 1-2 institutions of higher education to assist small business. 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 51.9125 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 51.9125. USE OF TELECONFERENCING FACILITIES TO ASSIST 1-7 SMALL BUSINESS. (a) Each institution of higher education that 1-8 includes or is affiliated with a small business development center 1-9 shall make its teleconferencing facilities available to the center 1-10 at reasonable times when those facilities are not in use for other 1-11 purposes of the institution. A small business development center 1-12 may use those teleconferencing facilities when available to assist 1-13 small businesses in this state to expand their trade links outside 1-14 this state. 1-15 (b) Each institution of higher education that operates 1-16 teleconferencing facilities shall, if requested to do so by the 1-17 District Export Council organized by the United States Department 1-18 of Commerce for the region in which the institution is located, 1-19 consult with that council to discuss the feasibility of permitting 1-20 the council to have access to those facilities to assist small 1-21 businesses in this state to expand their trade links outside this 1-22 state. 1-23 (c) A small business development center or District Export 2-1 Council that uses teleconferencing facilities under this section 2-2 must reimburse the institution of higher education for the use of 2-3 the facilities. The institution may not charge the center or 2-4 council a higher rate for use of those facilities than it charges 2-5 any other person. The institution may not charge a rate lower than 2-6 the average rate charged in the market area at the time services 2-7 are rendered. 2-8 (d) In this section, "institution of higher education" has 2-9 the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. 2-10 (e) This section expires September 1, 2002. 2-11 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-12 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-13 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-14 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-15 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-16 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.