BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 486
80R5637 ATP-F By: Shapiro
S/C on Emerging Technologies & Economic Development
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
H.B. 1765, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, created the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (fund) as a way to help stimulate economic activity and development in Texas for emerging technologies. After a year-and-a-half of development and execution of the fund, revisions need to be made to help facilitate the operation of the fund.
As proposed, S.B. 486 enables additional investment vehicles such as equity, debt instruments, and grants to be used to provide awards. Additionally, the bill provides funding for the administration of the fund and assists in the development of regional centers of innovation.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 490.001, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, by amending Subdivision (1) to redefine "committee" and adding Subdivision (4) to define "award."
SECTION 2. Amends the heading to Subchapter B, Chapter 490, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER B. TEXAS EMERGING TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE
SECTION 3. Amends Section 490.051, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 4. Amends Section 490.052(b), Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to remove the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, a president of a public or private institution of higher education in this state, and the members of the Texas Workforce Commission from the list of persons who are authorized to nominate one or more individuals who are industry leaders in this state or who are nationally recognized leaders, rather than researchers, from public or private institutions of higher education in this state for appointment to the Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee (committee). Makes conforming changes.
SECTION 5. Amends Section 490.054, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, as follows:
Sec. 490.054. TERMS. Includes that the two-year terms that members of the committee serve, subject to the pleasure of the governor, are to be staggered.
SECTION 6. Amends Section 490.055, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, as follows:
Sec. 490.055. New heading: STAFF AND FUNDING. Requires necessary staffing and funding for the administration of the Texas emerging technology fund (fund), rather than the committee, to be provided by certain entities and are prohibited from exceeding the greater of 0.4 percent of the biennial appropriation for the fund for the biennium in which the money is used or $600,000 in any year, and are subject to the approval of the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 7. Amends Sections 490.101(c), (f), and (g), Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, as follows:
(c) Includes that the fund is authorized to be used for necessary staff, administration of the fund including administration by the office of the governor, and services related to the fund as provided for by Section 490.055.
(f) Authorizes the governor to negotiate on behalf of the state regarding awards, rather than awarding by grant, from the fund.
(g) Makes conforming changes.
SECTION 8. Amends Section 490.102(a), Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to include that the amounts necessary to administer the fund under Section 490.055 are not subject to the money appropriated to the fund by the legislature that is required to be allocated in a certain fashion. Decreases from 25 percent to 16.67 percent the amount of the fund that is allocated for research award, rather than grant, matching as provided by Subchapter E. Increases from 25 percent to 33.33 percent the amount of the fund that is allocated for acquisition of research superiority as provided by Subchapter F.
SECTION 9. Amends Section 490.103(a), Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to make conforming changes.
SECTION 10. Amends the heading to Subchapter D, Chapter 490, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER D. INCENTIVES FOR COMMERCIALIZATION ACTIVITIES
SECTION 11. Amends Section 490.151(a), Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to include entities considered appropriate by the committee among those that private or nonprofit entities collaborate with in order to receive monetary incentives allocated from the fund that are required to be reserved for such incentives.
SECTION 12. Amends Section 490.153, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, as follows:
Sec. 490.153. PRIORITY FOR FUNDING. (a) Requires priority to be given to certain proposals in allocating, rather than awarding, money from the fund.
(b) Authorizes an amount not to exceed 2.5 percent of the amount allocated for a fiscal biennium for incentives under this subchapter to be invested directly in a regional center of innovation and commercialization as recommended by the committee to support commercialization activities. Makes a conforming change.
SECTION 13. Amends Section 490.155, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 14. Amends Section 490.156(a), Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, by requiring a person receiving, rather than awarded, money from the fund to use the money in accordance with a contract between the person and the office of the governor, rather than the committee.
SECTION 15. Amends the heading to Subchapter E, Chapter 490, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER E. RESEARCH AWARD MATCHING
SECTION 16. Amends the heading to Section 490.201, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to read as follows:
Sec. 490.201. USE OF MONEY FOR RESEARCH AWARD MATCHING.
SECTION 17. Amends Section 490.202, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, as follows:
Sec. 490.202. PRIORITY FOR FUNDING. Requires priority to be given in allocating, rather than awarding, money from the fund under this subchapter to proposals that accelerate commercialization into production by targeting certain programs.
SECTION 18. Amends Section 490.253(a), Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, by requiring the committee to review and consider, rather than solicit and identify, proposals by public institutions of higher education for certain purposes.
SECTION 19. Amends Section 490.254, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, as follows:
Sec. 490.254. PRIORITY FOR FUNDING. Requires priority to be given to certain proposals in allocating, rather than awarding, money from the fund under this subchapter.
SECTION 20. Amends Section 490.255, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 21. Amends Section 490.303, Government Code, as added by Chapter 1097, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, to make a conforming change.
SECTION 22. (a) Provides that changes in law made by this Act to Sections 490.052 and 490.054, Government Code, as added by Chapter 280, Acts of the 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, apply only to a member of the committee for a term beginning on or after September 1, 2007.
(b) Requires the committee members, at the first meeting of the committee after September 1, 2007, to draw lots to determine which eight members will serve one-year terms beginning on the date on which the next term beginning on or after September 1, 2007, begins.
SECTION 23. Effective date: September 1, 2007.