1-1     By:  Hinojosa (Senate Sponsor - Lucio)                H.B. No. 1874
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1999;
 1-3     May 6, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Education; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the operation and administration of The University of
 1-9     Texas--Pan American.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Section 77.15(a), Education Code, is amended to
1-12     read as follows:
1-13           (a)  In addition to other powers conferred on the board, the
1-14     board on behalf of the university may acquire by purchase,
1-15     exchange, or otherwise any tract or parcel of land in Hidalgo
1-16     County [that is contiguous or adjacent to the main campus of the
1-17     university in Edinburg, Texas].
1-18           SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 77, Education Code, is
1-19     amended by adding Section 77.16 to read as follows:
1-20           Sec. 77.16.  SMALL BUSINESS VIDEO CONFERENCING PILOT PROJECT.
1-21     (a)  The International Trade and Technology Center at the
1-22     university shall develop and implement a video conferencing pilot
1-23     program designed to assist small businesses in establishing
1-24     international trade relationships by allowing the businesses access
1-25     to certain video conferencing facilities for a fee.
1-26           (b)  In developing the project, the center shall:
1-27                 (1)  work with small business development centers
1-28     affiliated with institutions of higher education, as defined by
1-29     Section 61.003, and the General Services Commission;
1-30                 (2)  ensure that the project allows a small business
1-31     with limited resources to explore trade possibilities with a
1-32     foreign country before traveling to that country;
1-33                 (3)  determine the amount of usage fees to be charged
1-34     participants so that the total amount of fees collected does not
1-35     exceed the cost of administering the project;
1-36                 (4)  use available mobile telecommunications
1-37     facilities; and
1-38                 (5)  set a timetable to complete the pilot program.
1-39           (c)  The center may solicit and accept gifts and grants from
1-40     any source to cover the cost of administering the project.
1-41           (d)  Not later than January 15, 2001, the International Trade
1-42     and Technology Center at the university shall submit to the
1-43     governor and the legislature an initial report on the effectiveness
1-44     of the project.  The center shall submit a final report on the
1-45     project to the governor and the legislature not later than January
1-46     15, 2003.
1-47           (e)  This section expires September 1, 2004.
1-48           SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-49           (b)  The International Trade and Technology Center at The
1-50     University of Texas--Pan American shall establish a pilot project
1-51     as described by Section 77.16, Education Code, as added by this
1-52     Act, not later than January 1, 2000.
1-53           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-54     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-55     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-56     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-57     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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