Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.

      Line and page numbers may not match official copy.

         By:  Armbrister                              S.B. No. 1032

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to centers for technology development and transfer.

 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-3           SECTION 1.  Section 65.45, Texas Education Code, is amended

 1-4     to read as follows:

 1-5           Section 65.45.  CENTERS FOR TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND

 1-6     TRANSFER.

 1-7           (a)  The legislature finds that it is essential to the

 1-8     economic growth of the state that the potential for the development

 1-9     and growth of high technology industry be promoted and expanded.

1-10     As a means of accomplishing this purpose, the board is authorized

1-11     to establish, maintain, and support centers for technology

1-12     development and transfer [a Center for Technology Development and

1-13     Transfer at The University of Texas at Austin] and may accept and

1-14     administer, upon terms and conditions acceptable to the board,

1-15     gifts, grants, and donations to aid in the establishment,

1-16     maintenance, and operation of the centers.

1-17           (b)  Subject to the rules and regulations of the board, the

1-18     centers may solicit and submit for approval of the board agreements

1-19     with individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations, and

1-20     state or federal agencies for funding the discovery, development,

1-21     and commercialization of new products, technology, and scientific

1-22     information.  At the discretion of the board, research facilities

1-23     and personnel at the various component institutions of The

 2-1     University of Texas System may be utilized to achieve the purposes

 2-2     of this section.

 2-3           (c)  As a means of carrying out the purposes of the centers

 2-4     under this section, the board may, either through the centers or

 2-5     through one or more corporations incorporated by the board:

 2-6                 (1)  own and license rights to products, technology,

 2-7     and scientific information;

 2-8                 (2)  own shares in corporations engaged in the

 2-9     development, manufacture, or marketing of products, technology, or

2-10     scientific information under a license from the board, the centers,

2-11     or a corporation owned or controlled by the board;

2-12                 (3)  participate as the general partner or as a limited

2-13     partner, either directly or through a subsidiary corporation formed

2-14     for that purpose, in limited partnerships, general partnerships, or

2-15     joint ventures engaged in the development, manufacture, or

2-16     marketing of products, technology, or scientific information under

2-17     a license from the board, the centers, or a corporation owned or

2-18     controlled by the board; and

2-19                 (4)  carry on such other activities as the board may

2-20     deem appropriate for achieving the purposes of this section.

2-21           (d)  The centers [Center for Technology Development and

2-22     Transfer] established by this section shall not receive general

2-23     revenue funds through special item appropriation in the biennial

2-24     General Appropriations Act.

2-25           (e)  The centers [Center for Technology Development and

 3-1     Transfer] established by this section shall cooperate fully with

 3-2     similar programs operated by other state-supported institutions of

 3-3     higher education in this state.

 3-4           SECTION 2.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

 3-5     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-6     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-7     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-8     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-9     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-10     passage, and it is so enacted.