84R5519 JSC-D

By: Springer H.B. No. 1952

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to grants awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 102.251, Health and Safety Code, is amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

(a) The oversight committee shall issue rules regarding the procedure for awarding grants to an applicant under this chapter. The rules must include the following procedures:

(1) a research and prevention programs committee shall score grant applications and make recommendations to the program integration committee, established under Section 102.264, and the oversight committee regarding the award of cancer research and prevention grants, including a prioritized list that:

(A) ranks the grant applications in the order the committee determines applications should be funded; and

(B) includes information explaining how each grant application on the list meets the research and prevention programs committee's standards for recommendation;

(2) the program integration committee shall submit to the oversight committee a list of grant applications the program integration committee by majority vote approved for recommendation that:

(A) includes documentation on the factors the program integration committee considered in making the grant recommendations;

(B) is substantially based on the list submitted by the research and prevention programs committee under Subdivision (1); and

(C) to the extent possible, gives priority to proposals that:

(i) could lead to immediate or long-term medical and scientific breakthroughs in the area of cancer prevention or cures for cancer;

(ii) strengthen and enhance fundamental science in cancer research;

(iii) ensure a comprehensive coordinated approach to cancer research;

(iv) are interdisciplinary or interinstitutional;

(v) address federal or other major research sponsors' priorities in emerging scientific or technology fields in the area of cancer prevention or cures for cancer;

(vi) are matched with funds available by a private or nonprofit entity and institution or institutions of higher education;

(vii) are collaborative between any combination of private and nonprofit entities, public or private agencies or institutions in this state, and public or private institutions outside this state;

(viii) have a demonstrable economic development benefit to this state;

(ix) enhance research superiority at institutions of higher education in this state by creating new research superiority, attracting existing research superiority from institutions not located in this state and other research entities, or enhancing existing research superiority by attracting from outside this state additional researchers and resources;

(x) [expedite innovation and product development, attract, create, or expand private sector entities that will drive a substantial increase in high-quality jobs, and] increase higher education applied science or technology research capabilities; and

(xi) address the goals of the Texas Cancer Plan; and

(3) the institute's chief compliance officer shall compare each grant application submitted to the institute to a list of donors from any nonprofit organization established to provide support to the institute compiled from information made available under Section 102.262(c) before the application is submitted to a research and prevention programs committee for review and again before any grant is awarded to the applicant.

(f) The institute may not award a grant for the purpose of expediting innovation and product development of a private sector entity, or to attract, create, or expand a private sector entity.

SECTION 2. (a) As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Oversight Committee shall adopt the rules necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act.

(b) The changes in law made by this Act apply to a grant awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas on or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the grant application was submitted before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. 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, 2015.