By Brown of Brazos                                     H.R. No. 255
         77R6427 CCK-D                           
                                 R E S O L U T I O N
 1-1           WHEREAS, The Ocean Drilling Program, a project of the
 1-2     National Science Foundation, has contributed to significant
 1-3     advances in understanding the dynamic nature of the earth's crust,
 1-4     its relation to overlying oceans, and its connection to
 1-5     global-scale climate changes; and
 1-6           WHEREAS, Texas A&M University, through its College of
 1-7     Geosciences, has served in the role of Science Operator for the
 1-8     Ocean Drilling Program since 1984 and has had responsibility for an
 1-9     annual budget of over $38 million in National Science Foundation
1-10     funds; and
1-11           WHEREAS, The State of Texas has benefited directly from the
1-12     results of this program through their application to deep-sea
1-13     drilling technology, with immediate transfer value to the
1-14     exploration and development of petroleum resources in the deep
1-15     waters of the Gulf of Mexico; and
1-16           WHEREAS, The Ocean Drilling Program will be succeeded,
1-17     beginning September 1, 2003, by the Integrated Ocean Drilling
1-18     Program, an enterprise that is projected to have funding levels of
1-19     $100 million to $200 million a year; and
1-20           WHEREAS, Texas A&M University, which plays a leading role in
1-21     the oceanographic community through its memberships in the Joint
1-22     Oceanographic Institutions Incorporated (JOI) and the Consortium
1-23     for Ocean Research and Education (CORE), has expressed its
1-24     intention to compete for the role of Science Operator for the
 2-1     successor program; now, therefore, be it
 2-2           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
 2-3     Legislature hereby recognize the valuable scientific and economic
 2-4     contributions that the Ocean Drilling Program has made to the
 2-5     general body of scientific knowledge in the fields of oceanography
 2-6     and petroleum geology and other areas of geoscience; and, be it
 2-7     further
 2-8           RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives recognize
 2-9     that these contributions have and will continue to have great
2-10     economic and environmental impact toward the improvement of the
2-11     quality of life for Texans, the residents of other states, and the
2-12     many peoples of the world; and, be it further
2-13           RESOLVED, That the Texas House of Representatives express its
2-14     enthusiastic support for the efforts of Texas A&M University in
2-15     seeking designation as the Science Operator for the new Integrated
2-16     Ocean Drilling Program.