1-1     By:  Oliveira, Solis (Senate Sponsor - Lucio)          H.B. No. 323
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House April 25, 2001;
 1-3     April 26, 2001, read first time and referred to Committee on
 1-4     Education; May 8, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 8, 2001, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to establishing a center for border economic and
 1-9     enterprise development at The University of Texas at Brownsville.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Chapter 78, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-12     Section 78.09 to read as follows:
1-13           Sec. 78.09.  CENTER FOR BORDER ECONOMIC AND ENTERPRISE
1-14     DEVELOPMENT. (a) The board shall establish a center for border
1-15     economic and enterprise development at The University of Texas at
1-16     Brownsville.
1-17           (b)  The center established under this section may:
1-18                 (1)  develop and manage an economic database concerning
1-19     the Texas-Mexico border;
1-20                 (2)  perform economic development planning and
1-21     research;
1-22                 (3)  provide technical assistance to industrial and
1-23     governmental entities; and
1-24                 (4)  in cooperation with other state agencies,
1-25     coordinate economic and enterprise development planning activities
1-26     of state agencies to ensure that the economic needs of the
1-27     Texas-Mexico border are integrated within a comprehensive state
1-28     economic development plan.
1-29           (c)  The center may offer seminars and conduct conferences
1-30     and other educational programs concerning the Texas-Mexico border
1-31     economy and economic and enterprise development within the state.
1-32           (d)  The board may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and
1-33     donations to aid in the establishment, maintenance, and operation
1-34     of the center.
1-35           (e)  The center established under this section shall
1-36     cooperate fully with similar programs operated by Texas A&M
1-37     International University, The University of Texas--Pan American,
1-38     The University of Texas at El Paso, and other institutions of
1-39     higher education.
1-40           SECTION 2.  Section 69.22(e), Education Code, is amended to
1-41     read as follows:
1-42           (e)  The center established under this section shall
1-43     cooperate fully with similar programs operated by Texas A&M
1-44     International University, The University of Texas--Pan American,
1-45     The University of Texas at Brownsville, and other institutions of
1-46     higher education.
1-47           SECTION 3.  Section 77.36(e), Education Code, is amended to
1-48     read as follows:
1-49           (e)  The center established under this section shall
1-50     cooperate fully with similar programs operated by The University of
1-51     Texas at El Paso, Texas A&M International University, The
1-52     University of Texas at Brownsville, and other institutions of
1-53     higher education.
1-54           SECTION 4.  Section 87.504(e), Education Code, is amended to
1-55     read as follows:
1-56           (e)  The center established under this section shall
1-57     cooperate fully with similar programs operated by The University of
1-58     Texas at El Paso, The University of Texas--Pan American  [Pan
1-59     American University], The University of Texas at Brownsville, and
1-60     other institutions of higher education.
1-61           SECTION 5.  The board of regents of The University of Texas
1-62     System shall establish a center for border economic and enterprise
1-63     development at The University of Texas at Brownsville under Section
1-64     78.09, Education Code, as added by this Act, at the time determined
 2-1     appropriate by the board of regents considering the money available
 2-2     for that purpose and the best interests of the university.  The
 2-3     board of regents may, but is not required to, establish the center
 2-4     using appropriations or money available for that purpose, including
 2-5     gifts, grants, and donations.
 2-6           SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-7     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-8     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-9     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-10     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
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