By Truan                                        S.B. No. 1518

      75R8643 CAG-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the creation of a Texas High Technology Partnership

 1-3     Center at the Geo-Technology Research Institute.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 149, Education Code, is amended by adding

 1-6     Section 149.006 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 149.006.  HIGH TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP CENTER.  (a)  The

 1-8     institute shall establish and operate a Texas High Technology

 1-9     Partnership Center. The operating budget, staffing,  and activities

1-10     of the Texas High Technology Partnership Center must be approved by

1-11     the board of directors of the center.

1-12           (b)  The purpose of the center is to provide assistance,

1-13     including  funding, to partnerships between private and public

1-14     entities seeking to develop or disseminate high technology products

1-15     or concepts originating in this state, including at a Texas

1-16     institution of higher education.

1-17           (c)  If the governor appoints an advisory committee on

1-18     science and technology, the committee shall also serve as an

1-19     advisory committee to the  center.  The advisory committee may

1-20     suggest to the center areas  that private and public high

1-21     technology partnerships should pursue and may be asked by the

1-22     center to review or evaluate proposals submitted to the center.

1-23           (d)  The institute may accept funding for the center under

1-24     Section 149.005.

 2-1           (e)  The center may use funds, unless otherwise restricted,

 2-2     to award grants or funding to private and public partnerships or to

 2-3     provide matching funds to a private and public partnership.

 2-4           (f)  If the center awards grants or funds to private and

 2-5     public partnerships, the center shall, not later than the 180th day

 2-6     before the date of the award of the grant, publish a list of

 2-7     factors the center shall consider in awarding funds under this

 2-8     section.  The center shall consider:

 2-9                 (1)  whether members of the private and public

2-10     partnership are residents of this state; and

2-11                 (2)  whether the partnership promotes the use of a high

2-12     technology item developed at a Texas institution of higher

2-13     education.

2-14           (g)  The primary factor the center shall consider is which

2-15     award or grant is most likely to provide the maximum  return to any

2-16     public entity participating in the partnership and the center.

2-17           (h)  The purchasing requirements for goods and services of

2-18     the General Services Commission, including Subtitle D, Title 10,

2-19     Government Code, do not apply to the purchase of goods or services

2-20     by the center under this section.

2-21           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-25     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-26     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-27     passage, and it is so enacted.