1-1     By:  Truan                                            S.B. No. 1518

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 1997; March 20, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on International Relations,

 1-4     Trade, and Technology; April 4, 1997, reported adversely, with

 1-5     favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays

 1-6     1; April 4, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1518                   By:  Truan

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to the creation of the Texas High Technology Partnership

1-11     Center.

1-12           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-13           SECTION 1.  LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.  The legislature finds

1-14     that:

1-15                 (1)  there is a need for increased collaboration

1-16     between the public and private sector to ensure that Texas is able

1-17     to attract and retain the top companies representing the emerging

1-18     energy, environmental, and information-based businesses of the

1-19     future;

1-20                 (2)  the economic well-being of the Texas energy,

1-21     environmental, and information-based industries is critical to the

1-22     State of Texas, the financing of state government, and adequate

1-23     energy for our citizens;

1-24                 (3)  at a time when competition for corporate locations

1-25     is increasing, it is extremely important that a public-private

1-26     partnership be formed to help assure the future stability of the

1-27     business economy of the State of Texas; such public-private

1-28     partnership is essential for Texas to maintain its position as a

1-29     world leader in the energy and environmental industries; and

1-30                 (4)  the creation of an entity with the specific

1-31     responsibility to develop or disseminate high technology products

1-32     or concepts originating in the state, including at Texas

1-33     institutions of higher education, is a benefit to the state.

1-34           SECTION 2.  AMENDMENT.  Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code,

1-35     is amended by adding Chapter 150 to read as follows:

1-36               CHAPTER 150.  TEXAS HIGH TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP

1-37           Sec. 150.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:

1-38                 (1)  "Center" means the Houston Advanced Research

1-39     Center.

1-40                 (2)  "Partnership" means the Texas High Technology

1-41     Partnership.

1-42           Sec. 150.002.  ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE.  The Texas High

1-43     Technology Partnership is hereby established to provide assistance,

1-44     including funding, to partnerships between private and public

1-45     entities seeking to develop or disseminate high technology products

1-46     or concepts originating in this state, including at a Texas

1-47     institution of higher education.

1-48           Sec. 150.003.  LOCATION.  The partnership shall be located at

1-49     the center, a research consortium which includes the following

1-50     founding member institutions:  The University of Texas at Austin,

1-51     Texas A&M University, Rice University, and the University of

1-52     Houston.

1-53           Sec. 150.004.  ADMINISTRATION.  The administration of the

1-54     partnership shall be by the board of directors of the center.

1-55           Sec. 150.005.  ADVISORY COMMITTEE.  (a)  If the governor

1-56     appoints an advisory committee on science and technology, the

1-57     committee may also serve as an advisory committee to the board of

1-58     directors of the center.

1-59           (b)  The advisory committee may suggest to the partnership

1-60     areas that private and public high technology partnerships should

1-61     pursue and may be asked by the partnership or the board of

1-62     directors of the center to review or evaluate proposals submitted

1-63     to the partnership.

1-64           Sec. 150.006.  FUNDING.  (a)  The partnership is authorized

 2-1     to receive funds from the federal government in addition to any

 2-2     amount appropriated by the legislature.  The partnership is also

 2-3     authorized to receive pledges, gifts, and endowments from private

 2-4     sources.

 2-5           (b)  The board of directors of the center shall manage and

 2-6     approve all disbursements of pledges, gifts, and endowments.

 2-7           (c)  The board of directors of the center may use funds

 2-8     unless otherwise restricted to award grants or funding to private

 2-9     and public partnerships or to provide matching funds to a private

2-10     and public partnership.

2-11           Sec. 150.007.  AWARD OF FUNDING.  (a)  If the board of

2-12     directors of the center awards grants or funds to private and

2-13     public partnerships, the board of directors of the center shall,

2-14     not later than the 180th day before the date of the award of the

2-15     grant, publish a list of factors the center's board of directors

2-16     shall consider in awarding funds under this section.

2-17           (b)  The board of directors of the center shall consider:

2-18                 (1)  whether members of the private and public

2-19     partnership are residents of this state; and

2-20                 (2)  whether the private and public partnership

2-21     promotes the use of a high technology item developed at a Texas

2-22     institution of higher education.

2-23           (c)  The primary factor the board of directors of the center

2-24     shall consider is which award or grant is most likely to provide

2-25     the maximum return to any public entity participating in the

2-26     private and public partnership and to the Texas High Technology

2-27     Partnership.

2-28           Sec. 150.008.  EXEMPTIONS FROM CERTAIN STATUTES.  The

2-29     purchasing requirements for goods and services of the General

2-30     Services Commission, including Subtitle D, Title 10, Government

2-31     Code, do not apply to the purchase of goods or services by the

2-32     partnership under this chapter.

2-33           SECTION 3.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

2-34     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-35     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-36     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-37     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

2-38     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

2-39     passage, and it is so enacted.

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