The bill would amend the Government Code to reduce the number of members of the Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee (committee) from 17 to 15, reduce the number of appointees by the governor to the committee from 13 to 5, and increase the number of appointees to the committee by the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of representatives (speaker) from 2 to 5 respectively, and allow for the lieutenant governor and the speaker to appoint a qualified individual to the committee if an insufficient number of qualified individuals have been nominated by a certain date set by the governor. The bill would allow for and provide provisions for the appointment of the presiding member of the committee by the governor, lieutenant governor, or the speaker, and change the term of service for members appointed by the lieutenant governor and the speaker from two-year terms to staggered two-year terms. The bill would require the committee to hire a fund manager to maintain the grants awarded for commercialization activities and, with the advice of regional centers of innovation and commercialization, make recommendations to the committee for the award of money from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF). The bill would also require for a final award from the TETF to be made by the committee.
The Governor's Office estimates there would be a cost associated with implementing the provisions of the bill. The Comptroller of Public Accounts and the Legislative Budget Board estimate the provisions of the bill could be implemented within existing resources.
This bill would take on September 1, 2013.
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.