By:  Truan                                             S.B. No. 814

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

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

 1-2     program to assist certain businesses in establishing international

 1-3     trade relationships.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The International Trade and

 1-6     Technology Center at The University of Texas-Pan American shall

 1-7     develop a video teleconferencing pilot program designed to assist

 1-8     small businesses in establishing international trade relationships

 1-9     by allowing the businesses access to certain video conferencing

1-10     facilities for a fee.

1-11           (b)  In implementing this pilot program, the International

1-12     Trade and Technology Center at The University of Texas-Pan American

1-13     shall:

1-14                 (1)  work in conjunction with small business

1-15     development centers affiliated with institutions of higher

1-16     education, as that term is defined by Section 61.003, Education

1-17     Code, and with the General Services Commission to develop the pilot

1-18     program;

1-19                 (2)  ensure that the pilot program is designed to allow

1-20     small businesses with limited resources to explore trade

1-21     possibilities with foreign countries before actually traveling to

1-22     those countries;

1-23                 (3)  determine the amount of the usage fees to be

 2-1     charged to participants of the pilot program, which in the

 2-2     aggregate may not be more than the amount necessary to cover the

 2-3     cost of administering and implementing the pilot program;

 2-4                 (4)  utilize mobile telecommunications facilities, if

 2-5     available; and

 2-6                 (5)  set a timetable for implementing and completing

 2-7     the pilot program.

 2-8           (c)  To cover the cost of administering and implementing this

 2-9     pilot program, the International Trade and Technology Center at The

2-10     University of Texas-Pan American may attempt to obtain any

2-11     available federal foundation or private funding from any legal

2-12     source.

2-13           SECTION 2.  REPORTS. Not later than January 15, 1999, the

2-14     International Trade and Technology Center at The University of

2-15     Texas-Pan American shall submit to the governor and the legislature

2-16     an initial report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot

2-17     program.  The center shall submit to the governor and the

2-18     legislature a subsequent report not later than January 15, 2001.

2-19           SECTION 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE AND DEADLINES.  (a)  This Act

2-20     takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-21           (b)  The International Trade and Technology Center at The

2-22     University of Texas-Pan American should establish the pilot program

2-23     required by this Act not later than January 1, 1998.

2-24           SECTION 4.  EXPIRATION DATE. This Act expires September 1,

2-25     2002.

 3-1           SECTION 5.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

 3-2     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-3     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-4     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-5     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.