Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1600 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R33713 JRJ-D
2	2	By: Watson S.B. No. 1600
3	3	Substitute the following for S.B. No. 1600:
4	4	By: Strama C.S.S.B. No. 1600
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to an interim study on the creation of a data collection to
10	10	track specialized technology research projects conducted by public
11	11	universities, public university research facilities, and other
12	12	state institutions.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH DATA
15	15	COLLECTION. (a) A select interim committee is created to study
16	16	the feasibility of collecting data and maintaining a searchable
17	17	electronic database, search engine, or other collection of data
18	18	(data collection) relating to specialized technology research
19	19	projects that are developed or conducted at public universities in
20	20	this state, research facilities of public universities in this
21	21	state, or other facilities operated by a state agency, in order to
22	22	facilitate coordination among the universities and facilities on
23	23	the projects and improve access to and awareness of the specialized
24	24	research and technologies developed at those institutions and
25	25	facilities.
26	26	(b) The study must consider:
27	27	(1) appropriate entities to administer the data
28	28	collection, including nonprofit organizations, public universities
29	29	in this state, or state agencies;
30	30	(2) the extent of legislative oversight required for
31	31	an entity that would maintain the data collection;
32	32	(3) compliance with state and federal laws regarding
33	33	access to public information; and
34	34	(4) the information the data collection would include,
35	35	such as:
36	36	(A) a list of projects involving one or more of
37	37	the following areas:
38	38	(i) energy research, including methods of
39	39	creation, storage, distribution, and conservation of energy;
40	40	(ii) biomedical science research,
41	41	including research that involves stem cells or human cloning;
42	42	(iii) nanotechnology research, including
43	43	nanomedicine; and
44	44	(iv) other specialized technology
45	45	research;
46	46	(B) for each project listed under Paragraph (A)
47	47	of this subdivision, a brief description of the project, including
48	48	the field of technology involved, the entity involved with the
49	49	project, and additional comments regarding the research the Texas
50	50	Higher Education Coordinating Board considers appropriate; and
51	51	(C) other relevant information and available
52	52	resources in this state relating to specialized technology
53	53	research, including:
54	54	(i) expert faculty or research personnel;
55	55	(ii) available technology and patents
56	56	obtained;
57	57	(iii) the location of and policies for the
58	58	use of available research equipment;
59	59	(iv) public grants or contracts awarded;
60	60	and
61	61	(v) the process through which any stem
62	62	cells and stem cell lines utilized were derived.
63	63	(c) The study shall examine the current state of access to
64	64	public information about specialized technology research projects
65	65	and shall assess the best methods of facilitating access to the
66	66	information. In addition, the study shall consider what
67	67	information should be accessible by the general public and what
68	68	information, if any, should have restricted access.
69	69	(d) The committee shall be composed of:
70	70	(1) representatives of the following university
71	71	systems, with one member named by each system: The University of
72	72	Texas System, The Texas A&M University System, the Texas Tech
73	73	University System, the University of Houston System, and the
74	74	University of North Texas System; and
75	75	(2) a number of members appointed by the Texas Higher
76	76	Education Coordinating Board as the coordinating board considers
77	77	appropriate to represent the coordinating board, data collection
78	78	providers, and the technology industry.
79	79	(e) On the request of the committee, a general academic
80	80	institution of higher education, research facility of a general
81	81	academic institution of higher education, or other facility
82	82	operated by a state agency shall provide to the Texas Higher
83	83	Education Coordinating Board or advisory committee any information
84	84	necessary for the board or advisory committee to perform its duties
85	85	under this section.
86	86	SECTION 2. COMMITTEE REPORT. Not later than December 1,
87	87	2010, the committee shall report the committee's findings and
88	88	recommendations to the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the
89	89	house of representatives, and the governor. The committee shall
90	90	include in its recommendations specific legislation that the
91	91	committee considers desirable to address the need for and
92	92	feasibility of establishing a data collection as determined by the
93	93	committee's findings.
94	94	SECTION 3. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The committee is
95	95	abolished and this Act expires January 16, 2011.
96	96	SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect
97	97	immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members
98	98	elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas
99	99	Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for
100	100	immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.