AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
S.B. 1175 implements a timeline for Texas Enterprise Fund and emerging technology fund applications to be approved by the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives.
This bill requires approval of applications within 90 days of receipt by the lieutenant governor or speaker. If this time limit cannot be met, then the officeholder can submit a letter to the governor for a 14-day extension. If a decision has not been made by one of the three officeholders within this time period and the two week extension, then two out of three signatures will suffice for final approval of the application.
As proposed, S.B. 1175 amends current law relating to the prior approval of an award of money from the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas emerging technology fund.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 481.078(e), Government Code, as follows:
(e) Provides that the administration of the Texas Enterprise Fund (enterprise fund) is considered to be a trusteed program within the office of the governor. Authorizes the governor to negotiate on behalf of the state regarding awarding, by grant, money appropriated from the enterprise fund only with the prior approval, rather than the express written prior approval, of the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives. Provides that, for the purposes of this subsection, an award of money appropriated from the enterprise fund is considered approved by the lieutenant governor or speaker of the house of representatives if that officer does not disapprove the proposal to award the grant before the 91st day after the date of receipt of the proposal from the governor. Authorizes the lieutenant governor or the speaker of the house of representatives to extend the review deadline applicable to that officer for an additional 14 days by submitting a written notice to that effect to the governor before the expiration of the initial review period.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 490.101, Government Code, by amending Subsection (f) and adding Subsection (f-1), as follows:
(f) Provides that the administration of the Texas emerging technology fund (emerging technology fund) is considered to be a trusteed program within the office of the governor. Authorizes the governor to negotiate on behalf of the state regarding awards from the emerging technology fund. Authorizes the governor to award money appropriated from the emerging technology fund only with the prior approval, rather than the express written prior approval, of the lieutenant governor and speaker of the house of representatives.
(f-1) Provides that for purposes of Subsection (f), an award of money appropriated from the emerging technology fund is considered approved by the lieutenant governor or speaker of the house of representatives if that officer does not disapprove the proposal to award the grant before the 91st day after the date of receipt of the proposal from the governor. Authorizes the lieutenant governor or the speaker of the house of representatives to extend the review deadline applicable to that officer for an additional 14 days by submitting a written notice to that effect to the governor before the expiration of the initial review period.
SECTION 3. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.