Floor Packet Page No. 302                                                   

	
Article III-79                                                               
	Special Provisions Relating Only to State Agencies of Higher 
Education       
	_____. A&M Service Agencies' Infrastructure Outside Brazos 
County. Additional funding identified as Infrastructure Support 
Outside Brazos County for the Texas Agricultural Experiment 
Station, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas Forest Service, Texas 
Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory, Texas Engineering 
Experiment Station, Texas Transportation Institute, and Texas 
Engineering Extension Service is to be applied to each agency's 
infrastructure needs outside Brazos County as calculated under the 
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's recommended formulas 
for each of the A&M service agencies and funded based on additional 
available General Revenue funds.
	1 The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as directed 
by the 77th Legislature, developed a facilities model specifically 
for the A&M System service agencies.  The model is similar to the 
one used for general academics.
	2 The above rider is no cost to the Appropriations Bill.  
However, it would establish a funding mechanism using the 
Coordinating Board's facilities model should additional General 
Revenue funds become available.  The intent is not to re-direct 
existing appropriations within the agencies' budgets, but rather 
adopt the facilities model recommended by the Coordinating Board.
	3 Although headquartered in College Station, these agencies 
have facilities throughout the state.  Most of these facilities are 
state-owned and more than 25 years old.  The agencies receive no 
direct appropriation to maintain and operate these facilities.