By Williams H.B. No. 2548 76R7448 CAG-D A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation of the Texas High Technology Partnership 1-3 Center. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. The legislature finds that: 1-6 (1) there is a need for increased collaboration 1-7 between the public and private sectors 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) Texas industries and citizens need a healthy 1-16 environment in which to operate and live; 1-17 (4) at a time when federal regulations and associated 1-18 implementation plans could have an adverse impact on the state's 1-19 economy, it is critical that a public-private partnership be formed 1-20 to help assure the future stability of both the state's business 1-21 economy and its environment, allowing Texas to maintain its 1-22 position as a world leader; 1-23 (5) the creation of a public-private partnership with 1-24 the specific responsibility to develop or disseminate technologies 2-1 and services would support the state's industries and assure that 2-2 environmental and economic decisions are made from informed 2-3 perspectives; and 2-4 (6) a top priority and immediate role for this 2-5 partnership would be to fund the creation of the Environmental 2-6 Clearinghouse and Analysis Center that would serve Texas by 2-7 offering information technologies and tools and analytical and 2-8 modeling capabilities to focus on the short-term and long-term 2-9 regulatory, environmental, and economic impact of environmental 2-10 decisions. 2-11 SECTION 2. Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code, is amended 2-12 by adding Chapter 151 to read as follows: 2-13 CHAPTER 151. TEXAS HIGH TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP 2-14 Sec. 151.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: 2-15 (1) "Center" means the Houston Advanced Research 2-16 Center. 2-17 (2) "Partnership" means, unless the context indicates 2-18 otherwise, the Texas High Technology Partnership. 2-19 Sec. 151.002. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. (a) The Texas High 2-20 Technology Partnership is established to provide assistance, 2-21 including funding, to partnerships between private and public 2-22 entities seeking to develop or disseminate high technology products 2-23 or concepts originating in this state, including at a Texas 2-24 institution of higher education. 2-25 (b) The Environmental Clearinghouse and Analysis Center is 2-26 established to offer information technologies and tools and 2-27 analytical and modeling capabilities that focus on the short-term 3-1 and long-term regulatory, environmental, and economic impact of 3-2 environmental decisions. The clearinghouse is part of the 3-3 partnership. 3-4 Sec. 151.003. LOCATION. The partnership is located at the 3-5 center, a research consortium that includes as founding member 3-6 institutions The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M 3-7 University, Rice University, and the University of Houston. 3-8 Sec. 151.004. ADMINISTRATION. The board of directors of the 3-9 center shall administer the partnership. 3-10 Sec. 151.005. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) If the governor 3-11 appoints an advisory committee on science and technology, the 3-12 committee may also serve as an advisory committee to the board of 3-13 directors of the center. The center's collaborative institutions 3-14 and representatives of state agencies may also serve on the 3-15 advisory committee when serving as an advisory committee to the 3-16 board of directors of the center. 3-17 (b) The advisory committee may suggest to the partnership 3-18 areas that private and public high technology partnerships should 3-19 pursue and may be asked by the partnership or the board of 3-20 directors of the center to review or evaluate proposals submitted 3-21 to the partnership. 3-22 Sec. 151.006. FUNDING. (a) The partnership may apply for 3-23 and accept funds from the federal government in addition to any 3-24 amount appropriated by the legislature. The partnership may also 3-25 solicit and accept pledges, gifts, and endowments from private 3-26 sources. 3-27 (b) The board of directors of the center shall manage and 4-1 approve all disbursements of pledges, gifts, and endowments. 4-2 (c) The board of directors of the center may use funds 4-3 unless otherwise restricted to award grants or funding to private 4-4 and public partnerships or to provide matching funds to a private 4-5 and public partnership. 4-6 Sec. 151.007. AWARD OF FUNDING. (a) If the board of 4-7 directors of the center awards grants or funds to private and 4-8 public partnerships, the board of directors of the center shall, 4-9 not later than the 180th day before the date of the award of the 4-10 grant, publish a list of factors the center's board of directors 4-11 will consider in awarding the grants or funds. 4-12 (b) In awarding grants or funds, the board of directors of 4-13 the center shall consider: 4-14 (1) whether members of a private and public 4-15 partnership are residents of this state; and 4-16 (2) whether the private and public partnership 4-17 promotes the use of a high technology item developed at a Texas 4-18 institution of higher education. 4-19 (c) The primary factor the board of directors of the center 4-20 shall consider is which award or grant is most likely to provide 4-21 the maximum return to any public entity participating in the 4-22 private and public partnership and to the Texas High Technology 4-23 Partnership. 4-24 Sec. 151.008. ANNUAL REPORTING. The partnership shall 4-25 provide to each member of the board of directors of the center an 4-26 annual audited financial statement and a status report of each 4-27 project undertaken by the partnership. 5-1 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 5-2 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-3 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-4 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-5 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 5-6 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 5-7 passage, and it is so enacted.