1-1 By: Ellis S.C.R. No. 9 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 22, 1999; January 27, 1999, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development; 1-4 March 22, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, 1-5 Nays 0; March 22, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, In September, 1996, recognizing the increasing 1-8 importance of science and technology businesses in generating much 1-9 of the nation's economic growth and job creation, Governor George 1-10 W. Bush established the Texas Science and Technology Council to 1-11 review the state's science and technology industries, identify 1-12 factors critical to their growth, and develop a long-term plan to 1-13 encourage science and technology development in Texas; and 1-14 WHEREAS, The impact of science and technology on our economy 1-15 cannot be underestimated; while advancements in these fields have 1-16 helped create new industries in the state, from computer 1-17 manufacturing and software development to information services, 1-18 biotechnology, and aerospace, many of the state's traditional 1-19 industries, including the agriculture, chemicals, and petroleum 1-20 industries, also have become heavily dependent on new technologies 1-21 to boost and improve production; and 1-22 WHEREAS, These developments have allowed Texas' 1-23 technology-related industries to grow at about twice the rate of 1-24 the state's economy as a whole and made Texas the nation's leading 1-25 employer of high technology workers and the second largest employer 1-26 in the computer, microelectronics, and telecommunications 1-27 industries, with an economic impact spread out across the state, 1-28 from Lubbock and El Paso to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, 1-29 and San Antonio metropolitan areas; and 1-30 WHEREAS, While numerous public and private sector 1-31 organizations, task forces, and panels in Texas have promoted 1-32 science and technology development over the past decades, their 1-33 valuable efforts have been short-lived, and none has developed into 1-34 a long-term, sustainable organization capable of providing constant 1-35 leadership, advice, and direction for the legislature in particular 1-36 and for the state's economic development as a whole; and 1-37 WHEREAS, To fill this need for continuity, the Texas Science 1-38 and Technology Council has recommended the establishment of a 1-39 permanent, private sector driven, privately funded Texas Institute 1-40 of Science and Technology to provide this leadership, advice, and 1-41 direction and to identify, support, and promote science and 1-42 technology-based opportunities for Texas; and 1-43 WHEREAS, Envisioned by the Texas Science and Technology 1-44 Council as a nonprofit corporation with strong ties to industry, 1-45 government, and the education community, the proposed institute 1-46 would be a vital public-private collaborative effort receiving 1-47 input from the state's key technology industry sectors and economic 1-48 subregions to develop statewide technology initiatives addressing 1-49 every stage of the technology life cycle, from research to 1-50 commercialization, for the benefit of all Texans; now, therefore, 1-51 be it 1-52 RESOLVED, That the 76th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-53 hereby endorse the establishment of the Texas Institute of Science 1-54 and Technology as an appropriate vehicle for providing leadership 1-55 in the identification and promotion of science and technology-based 1-56 economic opportunities for the state; and, be it further 1-57 RESOLVED, That the legislature grant this endorsement with 1-58 the understanding that the institute will be wholly privately 1-59 funded and will not require the allocation of state resources or 1-60 assets such as facilities or infrastructure, except that the Texas 1-61 Higher Education Coordinating Board is hereby authorized to work 1-62 with the private sector participants in the institute's 1-63 establishment. 1-64 * * * * *