By: Truan S.B. No. 1518
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to the creation of the Texas High Technology Partnership
1-2 Center.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature finds
1-5 that:
1-6 (1) there is a need for increased collaboration
1-7 between the public and private sector to ensure that Texas is able
1-8 to attract and retain the top companies representing the emerging
1-9 energy, environmental, and information-based businesses of the
1-10 future;
1-11 (2) the economic well-being of the Texas energy,
1-12 environmental, and information-based industries is critical to the
1-13 State of Texas, the financing of state government, and adequate
1-14 energy for our citizens;
1-15 (3) at a time when competition for corporate locations
1-16 is increasing, it is extremely important that a public-private
1-17 partnership be formed to help assure the future stability of the
1-18 business economy of the State of Texas; such public-private
1-19 partnership is essential for Texas to maintain its position as a
1-20 world leader in the energy and environmental industries; and
1-21 (4) the creation of an entity with the specific
1-22 responsibility to develop or disseminate high technology products
1-23 or concepts originating in the state, including at Texas
2-1 institutions of higher education, is a benefit to the state.
2-2 SECTION 2. AMENDMENT. Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code,
2-3 is amended by adding Chapter 150 to read as follows:
2-4 CHAPTER 150. TEXAS HIGH TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
2-5 Sec. 150.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
2-6 (1) "Center" means the Houston Advanced Research
2-7 Center.
2-8 (2) "Partnership" means the Texas High Technology
2-9 Partnership.
2-10 Sec. 150.002. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. The Texas High
2-11 Technology Partnership is hereby established to provide assistance,
2-12 including funding, to partnerships between private and public
2-13 entities seeking to develop or disseminate high technology products
2-14 or concepts originating in this state, including at a Texas
2-15 institution of higher education.
2-16 Sec. 150.003. LOCATION. The partnership shall be located at
2-17 the center, a research consortium which includes the following
2-18 founding member institutions: The University of Texas at Austin,
2-19 Texas A&M University, Rice University, and the University of
2-20 Houston.
2-21 Sec. 150.004. ADMINISTRATION. The administration of the
2-22 partnership shall be by the board of directors of the center.
2-23 Sec. 150.005. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) If the governor
2-24 appoints an advisory committee on science and technology, the
2-25 committee may also serve as an advisory committee to the board of
3-1 directors of the center.
3-2 (b) The advisory committee may suggest to the partnership
3-3 areas that private and public high technology partnerships should
3-4 pursue and may be asked by the partnership or the board of
3-5 directors of the center to review or evaluate proposals submitted
3-6 to the partnership.
3-7 Sec. 150.006. FUNDING. (a) The partnership is authorized
3-8 to receive funds from the federal government in addition to any
3-9 amount appropriated by the legislature. The partnership is also
3-10 authorized to receive pledges, gifts, and endowments from private
3-11 sources.
3-12 (b) The board of directors of the center shall manage and
3-13 approve all disbursements of pledges, gifts, and endowments.
3-14 (c) The board of directors of the center may use funds
3-15 unless otherwise restricted to award grants or funding to private
3-16 and public partnerships or to provide matching funds to a private
3-17 and public partnership.
3-18 Sec. 150.007. AWARD OF FUNDING. (a) If the board of
3-19 directors of the center awards grants or funds to private and
3-20 public partnerships, the board of directors of the center shall,
3-21 not later than the 180th day before the date of the award of the
3-22 grant, publish a list of factors the center's board of directors
3-23 shall consider in awarding funds under this section.
3-24 (b) The board of directors of the center shall consider:
3-25 (1) whether members of the private and public
4-1 partnership are residents of this state; and
4-2 (2) whether the private and public partnership
4-3 promotes the use of a high technology item developed at a Texas
4-4 institution of higher education.
4-5 (c) The primary factor the board of directors of the center
4-6 shall consider is which award or grant is most likely to provide
4-7 the maximum return to any public entity participating in the
4-8 private and public partnership and to the Texas High Technology
4-9 Partnership.
4-10 Sec. 150.008. ANNUAL REPORTING. The partnership shall
4-11 provide to each member of the board of directors of the center an
4-12 annual audited financial statement and a status report of each
4-13 project undertaken by the partnership.
4-14 SECTION 3. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
4-15 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-19 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-20 passage, and it is so enacted.
4-21 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
4-22 Amend S.B. No. 1518 as follows:
4-23 (1) In SECTION 1(1) of the bill (Engrossed Version page 1,
4-24 line 9), before "energy", insert "biomedical,".
4-25 (2) In SECTION 1(2) of the bill (Engrossed Version page 1,
5-1 line 11), between "Texas" and "energy", insert "biomedical,".
5-2 (3) In SECTION 1(3) of the bill (Engrossed Version page 1,
5-3 line 20), strike "energy" and substitute "biomedical, energy,".
5-4 (4) In SECTION 2 of the bill, in proposed Section
5-5 150.006(c), Education Code (Engrossed Version page 3, line 14),
5-6 between "center" and "may", insert ", in consultation with the
5-7 center's affiliated institutions,".
5-8 75R12043 CAG-D Yarbrough