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HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, The United States Department of Homeland Security |
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(DHS) has initiated a competitive process to select a site for the |
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National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), a |
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first-in-the-nation integrated research endeavor designed to |
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support the complementary missions of the DHS, the Department of |
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Health and Human Services, and the United States Department of |
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Agriculture by assessing national security risks from emerging |
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diseases that threaten animal and human health in the United |
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States; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas Bio- and Agro-Defense Consortium (TBAC), |
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comprising three San Antonio research institutions, and the Texas |
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A&M NBAF Consortium led by Texas A&M University have each submitted |
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bids to locate the NBAF center in Texas with proposed sites at |
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Brooks City-Base, the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical |
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Research, and Texas Research Park in San Antonio and Research |
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Valley centered around College Station; and |
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WHEREAS, The only city in the nation with three NBAF sites |
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under consideration, the City of San Antonio offers a |
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well-established, $14 billion biomedical industry, a related |
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workforce of more than 100,000, and an outstanding national |
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reputation for scientific research; the city currently supports |
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multiple Bio Safety Level-3 laboratories and is home to the |
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nation's only privately owned Bio Safety Level-4 laboratory; and |
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WHEREAS, The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research is |
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one of the leading independent biomedical research institutions in |
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the nation, partnering with hundreds of researchers and |
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institutions around the world in the fight against cancer, AIDS, |
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heart disease, and diabetes; similarly, The University of Texas |
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Health Science Center at San Antonio is home to esteemed |
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researchers who study established and emerging infectious diseases |
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and potential bioterror threats, often in collaboration with |
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scientists at The University of Texas at San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, The Texas A&M proposal benefits from the |
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university's strong leadership in biotechnology research, |
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including two world-class facilities in the National Center for |
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Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense and the Institute for |
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Plant Genomics and Biotechnology; the school also features the |
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state's only College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical |
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Sciences; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition, Texas A&M University and its consortium |
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partners have extensive experience in conducting research in Bio |
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Safety Level-3 and Level-4 environments, feature education and |
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training programs that can provide technical and professional |
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staffing for the NBAF, and have significant expertise in bringing |
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together the nation's best scientific talent; and |
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WHEREAS, Both Texas proposals explicitly address Department |
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of Homeland Security requirements relating to detection, |
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diagnosis, prevention, and recovery, and the state's leadership has |
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long supported the department's national security priorities; |
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given the quality of the two bids for the NBAF and the state's |
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long-standing dedication to national security issues, Texas is a |
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clear choice for this research endeavor; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 80th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby express support for bids by the Texas Bio- and Agro-Defense |
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Consortium and the Texas A&M NBAF Consortium to locate the United |
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States Department of Homeland Security's National Bio and |
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Agro-Defense Facility in Texas; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature commend the City of San |
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Antonio and Texas A&M University for their leadership and support |
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of the biomedical and biotechnology industries and recognize the |
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state's continued support for national defense and the mission of |
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the United States Department of Homeland Security; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward an |
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official copy of this resolution to the United States secretary of |
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homeland security. |
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