Amend CSSB 1547 by adding a new appropriately numbered 
SECTION to read as follows:
	"SECTION__.  Section 2170.003, Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	Section 2170.003.  OWNERSHIP OR LEASE OF NECESSARY 
EQUIPMENT.  (a)  The department may own, lease, or lease purchase in 
accordance with Chapters 2155, 2156, 2157, and 2158 any and all of 
the facilities or equipment necessary to provide 
telecommunications services.  The department may acquire 
telecommunications services without competitive bid from the 
Lonestar Education and Research Network (LEARN) or its successors 
for the purposes established in subsection (b).
	(b)  During an emergency, a single node failure or a system 
wide failure of the consolidated telecommunications system, the 
department may divert telecommunications services traffic to LEARN 
to avoid service interruption.  Upon resolution of the emergency 
and upon determination that the consolidated telecommunications 
system is operational, traffic will be diverted back to the 
consolidated telecommunications system.  The department may also 
use LEARN for the purposes of latency tolerant data transfer of 
files to or from a consolidated state data center established and 
operated by the department.  The LEARN shall be exclusively used by 
the department only for the purposes set out in this section."