| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 463 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, Texas Technology Week is being celebrated February |
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| 6 | 6 | | 16-20, 2009, in an effort to raise awareness of the extraordinary |
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| 7 | 7 | | achievements of the technology and life sciences industries and the |
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| 8 | 8 | | vital role they play in the prosperity of the Lone Star State; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The occasion is sponsored by TechAmerica, the Texas |
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| 10 | 10 | | Healthcare and Bioscience Institute, TechNet Texas, the Metroplex |
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| 11 | 11 | | Technology Business Council, the Texas Association of Business, the |
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| 12 | 12 | | Texas Coalition for Capital, and the Solar Alliance; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | WHEREAS, The state's technology and life sciences |
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| 14 | 14 | | industries, as well as its research institutions, are |
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| 15 | 15 | | revolutionizing the world we live in through cutting-edge advances |
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| 16 | 16 | | in medicine, space exploration, computing, communications, energy, |
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| 17 | 17 | | and transportation; these industries employ more residents of Texas |
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| 18 | 18 | | than the oil, natural gas, and agricultural industries combined, |
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| 19 | 19 | | and their high-wage, highly skilled jobs contribute to a diverse |
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| 20 | 20 | | and growing statewide economy; and |
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| 21 | 21 | | WHEREAS, People around the globe have benefited immeasurably |
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| 22 | 22 | | from medical treatments and devices developed by Texas companies; |
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| 23 | 23 | | in fact, the life sciences industry employs more than 85,400 Texans |
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| 24 | 24 | | at some 3,200 establishments, and continued job growth is expected |
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| 25 | 25 | | for years to come; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | WHEREAS, According to the Texas Healthcare and Bioscience |
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| 27 | 27 | | Institute, whose members include research institutions, regional |
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| 28 | 28 | | economic development entities, and biotechnology, medical device, |
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| 29 | 29 | | and pharmaceutical companies, one of nearly every 23 U.S. |
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| 30 | 30 | | biotechnology employees worked in Texas in 2006; the institute also |
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| 31 | 31 | | reports that the state's biotechnology-related patent growth is |
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| 32 | 32 | | outpacing the national average; in addition, nine recipients of |
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| 33 | 33 | | biotechnology-related Nobel Prizes, National Medals of Science, |
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| 34 | 34 | | and National Medals of Technology and Innovation are based in |
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| 35 | 35 | | Texas, and in 2007, the National Institutes of Health awarded more |
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| 36 | 36 | | than $1 billion in grants to organizations in Texas; and |
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| 37 | 37 | | WHEREAS, TechAmerica, the nation's largest high-technology |
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| 38 | 38 | | trade group, reports that Texas ranks second in the country in |
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| 39 | 39 | | high-tech employment, with approximately 459,000 jobs; moreover, |
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| 40 | 40 | | 56 out of every 1,000 private sector workers in Texas are employed |
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| 41 | 41 | | by high-tech firms; the state ranks ninth among all states in terms |
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| 42 | 42 | | of high-tech average wage, and the industry provides an aggregate |
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| 43 | 43 | | high-tech payroll of $37.5 billion; the importance of this industry |
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| 44 | 44 | | to Texans is further underscored by the fact that high-tech product |
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| 45 | 45 | | exports exceed $35.9 billion and account for 21 percent of the |
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| 46 | 46 | | state's international exports; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | WHEREAS, All sectors of the high-technology and life sciences |
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| 48 | 48 | | community are joining together this week to discuss the major |
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| 49 | 49 | | issues facing their industries and to affirm their support for a |
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| 50 | 50 | | strong system of public and higher education, a critical factor in |
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| 51 | 51 | | providing the highly skilled workforce on which these industries |
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| 52 | 52 | | depend; and |
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| 53 | 53 | | WHEREAS, The technology and life sciences industries have |
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| 54 | 54 | | become a tremendous engine of economic growth in the State of Texas, |
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| 55 | 55 | | and the benefits of their research and production enhance the lives |
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| 56 | 56 | | of people the world over; now, therefore, be it |
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| 57 | 57 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 58 | 58 | | Legislature hereby recognize February 16-20, 2009, as Texas |
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| 59 | 59 | | Technology Week and commend its sponsors for their outstanding |
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| 60 | 60 | | efforts in promoting research, development, products, services, |
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| 61 | 61 | | and manufacturing in the State of Texas. |
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| 62 | 62 | | McCall |
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| 63 | 63 | | ______________________________ |
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| 64 | 64 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 65 | 65 | | I certify that H.R. No. 463 was adopted by the House on |
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| 66 | 66 | | February 18, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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| 67 | 67 | | ______________________________ |
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| 68 | 68 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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