1-1 By: Truan S.B. No. 811 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 26, 1997; March 4, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on International Relations, 1-4 Trade, and Technology; March 20, 1997, reported favorably by the 1-5 following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 0; March 20, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the use of certain telecommunications facilities of 1-9 institutions of higher education to assist small business. 1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-11 SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is 1-12 amended by adding Section 51.9125 to read as follows: 1-13 Sec. 51.9125. USE OF TELECONFERENCING FACILITIES TO ASSIST 1-14 SMALL BUSINESS. (a) Each institution of higher education that 1-15 includes or is affiliated with a small business development center 1-16 shall make its teleconferencing facilities available to the center 1-17 at reasonable times when those facilities are not in use for other 1-18 purposes of the institution. A small business development center 1-19 may use those teleconferencing facilities when available to assist 1-20 small businesses in this state to expand their trade links outside 1-21 this state. 1-22 (b) Each institution of higher education that operates 1-23 teleconferencing facilities shall, if requested to do so by the 1-24 District Export Council organized by the United States Department 1-25 of Commerce for the region in which the institution is located, 1-26 consult with that council to discuss the feasibility of permitting 1-27 the council to have access to those facilities to assist small 1-28 businesses in this state to expand their trade links outside this 1-29 state. 1-30 (c) A small business development center or District Export 1-31 Council that uses teleconferencing facilities under this section 1-32 must reimburse the institution of higher education for the use of 1-33 the facilities. The institution may not charge the center or 1-34 council a higher rate for use of those facilities than it charges 1-35 any other person. 1-36 (d) In this section, "institution of higher education" has 1-37 the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. 1-38 (e) This section expires September 1, 2002. 1-39 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 1-40 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-41 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-42 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-43 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-44 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-45 * * * * *