| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the establishment of the Texas Hurricane Center for |
|
|
Innovative Technology at the University of Houston. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Chapter 111, Education Code, is amended by |
|
|
adding Subchapter I to read as follows: |
|
|
SUBCHAPTER I. TEXAS HURRICANE CENTER FOR |
|
|
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY |
|
|
Sec. 111.121. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
|
|
(1) "Board" means the board of regents of the |
|
|
University of Houston System. |
|
|
(2) "Center" means the Texas Hurricane Center for |
|
|
Innovative Technology (THC-IT) established under this subchapter. |
|
|
Sec. 111.122. ESTABLISHMENT. (a) The Texas Hurricane |
|
|
Center for Innovative Technology is established at the University |
|
|
of Houston. |
|
|
(b) The organization, control, and management of the center |
|
|
are vested in the board. |
|
|
(c) The center shall be hosted by the university's College |
|
|
of Engineering. Participation in the center's activities shall be |
|
|
open to any faculty member of the university who is an active |
|
|
researcher in the field of materials, nanotechnology, structural |
|
|
engineering, designing of structures, or sensor technology, or in |
|
|
another relevant field as determined by the university. |
|
|
Sec. 111.123. PURPOSE. The center is created to: |
|
|
(1) promote interdisciplinary research, education, |
|
|
and training for the development of state-of-the-art products, |
|
|
materials, systems, and technologies designed to mitigate the wind, |
|
|
flooding, and storm surge damages in the built environment and |
|
|
offshore structures caused by hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) develop protocols for the fast and efficient |
|
|
recovery of the public and private sectors, including utilities, |
|
|
hospitals, petrochemical industries, transportation facilities, |
|
|
offshore platforms, and municipalities and other local communities |
|
|
following a hurricane. |
|
|
Sec. 111.124. POWERS AND DUTIES. The center shall: |
|
|
(1) collaborate with appropriate federal, state, and |
|
|
local agencies and private business or nonprofit entities as |
|
|
necessary to coordinate efforts before, during, and after a |
|
|
hurricane in the Gulf Coast region; |
|
|
(2) develop smart materials and devices for use in |
|
|
hurricane protection and mitigation systems for real-time |
|
|
monitoring; |
|
|
(3) develop anchor systems for window and door |
|
|
screens, dwellings and other buildings, pipelines, transportation |
|
|
facilities, and other onshore and offshore structures to withstand |
|
|
hurricanes; |
|
|
(4) develop test facilities for evaluating the |
|
|
performance of new products, materials, or techniques designed to |
|
|
protect against hurricane damage; |
|
|
(5) develop specifications and standards for products |
|
|
used for protecting against hurricane damage; |
|
|
(6) develop innovative protection systems to protect |
|
|
coastlines against storm surge and other related flooding; |
|
|
(7) design evacuation centers, houses, and other |
|
|
structures to withstand hurricanes; |
|
|
(8) address issues related to the evacuation of local |
|
|
municipalities, counties, and local neighborhoods and to traffic |
|
|
and transportation planning in the event of a hurricane or other |
|
|
disaster; and |
|
|
(9) provide hurricane-related educational programs, |
|
|
seminars, conferences, and workshops to the community designed to |
|
|
ensure safety, facilitate necessary evacuations, minimize loss of |
|
|
life, and mitigate the destruction of property associated with |
|
|
hurricanes. |
|
|
Sec. 111.125. COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ENTITIES. The |
|
|
University of Houston shall encourage public and private entities |
|
|
to participate in or support the operation of the center and may |
|
|
enter into an agreement with any public or private entity for that |
|
|
purpose. An agreement may allow the center to provide information, |
|
|
services, or other assistance to an entity in exchange for the |
|
|
entity's participation or support. |
|
|
Sec. 111.126. GIFTS AND GRANTS. The board may solicit, |
|
|
accept, and administer gifts and grants from any public or private |
|
|
source for the purposes of the center. |
|
|
Sec. 111.127. PERSONNEL. The board may employ personnel for |
|
|
the center as necessary. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |