1-1 By: Brown, Jackson S.B. No. 976 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 1999; March 9, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development; 1-4 April 28, 1999, reported adversely, with favorable Committee 1-5 Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 28, 1999, 1-6 sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 976 By: Fraser 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to the creation of a business technology outreach program 1-11 at the University of Houston. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 111, Education Code, is 1-14 amended by adding Section 111.42 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 111.42. BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY OUTREACH PROGRAM. (a) The 1-16 board shall develop and establish a business technology outreach 1-17 program to assist businesses in this state to make use of 1-18 technology developed by the National Aeronautics and Space 1-19 Administration. The board shall work with the National Aeronautics 1-20 and Space Administration, appropriate businesses, and economic 1-21 development organizations in this state to carry out the program. 1-22 (b) From money appropriated to or otherwise under the 1-23 control of the board, the board may award grants to economic 1-24 development organizations for use in recruiting appropriate 1-25 businesses for participation in the program and to provide other 1-26 appropriate assistance to program participants. 1-27 (c) The board shall appoint an advisory board of technical 1-28 advisors to evaluate requests from economic development 1-29 organizations and businesses for assistance under the program and 1-30 advise the board on distribution of the assistance. 1-31 (d) The board shall adopt rules to administer the program, 1-32 including rules relating to application and eligibility for grants. 1-33 The board may enter into agreements as necessary to carry out the 1-34 program. 1-35 SECTION 2. Before September 1, 2000, the board of regents of 1-36 the University of Houston System shall provide assistance under 1-37 Section 111.42, Education Code, as added by this Act, only in a 1-38 county with a population of more than 200,000 that contains, or is 1-39 contiguous to a county that contains, a National Aeronautics and 1-40 Space Administration facility. On and after September 1, 2000, the 1-41 board of regents may provide the assistance throughout the state. 1-42 SECTION 3. This Act does not make an appropriation. Section 1-43 1 of this Act does not require the board of regents of the 1-44 University of Houston System to establish a business technology 1-45 outreach program unless money is specifically appropriated to fund 1-46 the program. 1-47 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-48 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 1-49 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-50 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-51 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-52 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-53 * * * * *