83R2859 MTB-F
By: Gonzales H.B. No. 664
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of an entrepreneur-in-residence program in
the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the
Entrepreneur-in-Residence Act of 2013.
SECTION 2. Chapter 481, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter Q to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER Q. ENTREPRENEUR-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Sec. 481.221. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Entrepreneur-in-residence" means an individual
appointed to a position under the program.
(2) "Program" means the entrepreneur-in-residence
program established under this subchapter.
(3) "State agency" means a board, commission,
department, office, or other agency in the executive branch of
state government created under the constitution or a statute of
this state, including an institution of higher education as defined
by Section 61.003, Education Code.
Sec. 481.222. ENTREPRENEUR-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM. (a) The
entrepreneur-in-residence program is established in the office.
(b) The purpose of the program is to:
(1) provide for better outreach by state government to
the private sector;
(2) strengthen coordination and interaction between
state government and the private sector on issues relevant to small
business concerns and entrepreneurs; and
(3) make state government programs simpler, easier to
access, more efficient, and more responsive to the needs of small
business concerns and entrepreneurs.
Sec. 481.223. APPOINTMENTS. (a) The governor or the
governor's designee may appoint not more than 10
entrepreneurs-in-residence to state agencies during each fiscal
year.
(b) A person appointed under this section may not serve more
than two years.
(c) To be eligible for appointment under the program, an
individual must:
(1) be successful in the individual's field;
(2) have demonstrated success in working with small
business concerns and entrepreneurs; or
(3) have successfully developed, invented, or created
a product and brought the product to the marketplace.
(d) Appointments under the program must be made in
conformance with the office's policy adopted under Section
481.010(f).
(e) In appointing entrepreneurs-in-residence, the governor
or the governor's designee shall:
(1) give priority to placing
entrepreneurs-in-residence across state government at separate
state agencies; and
(2) to the extent practicable, appoint not more than
two entrepreneurs-in-residence to the same state agency during the
same fiscal year.
(f) An entrepreneur-in-residence is a full-time employee of
the state agency to which the entrepreneur-in-residence is
appointed.
Sec. 481.224. DUTIES. (a) An entrepreneur-in-residence
shall:
(1) assist the office and state agencies in improving
outreach to small business concerns and entrepreneurs;
(2) provide recommendations to the office and the head
of the state agency employing the entrepreneur-in-residence on
inefficient or duplicative programs, if any, at the state agency;
(3) provide recommendations to the office and the head
of the state agency employing the entrepreneur-in-residence on
methods to improve program efficiency at the state agency or new
initiatives, if any, that may be instituted at the state agency;
(4) facilitate meetings and forums to educate small
business concerns and entrepreneurs on programs or initiatives of
the office and the state agency employing the
entrepreneur-in-residence;
(5) facilitate in-service sessions with employees of
the office and the state agency employing the
entrepreneur-in-residence on issues of concern to small business
concerns and entrepreneurs; and
(6) provide technical assistance or mentorship to
small business concerns and entrepreneurs in accessing programs at
the office and the state agency employing the
entrepreneur-in-residence.
(b) An entrepreneur-in-residence shall report directly to
the head of the state agency employing the
entrepreneur-in-residence.
Sec. 481.225. WORK GROUP. The governor or the governor's
designee may establish an informal work group of
entrepreneurs-in-residence to discuss best practices, experiences,
obstacles, opportunities, and recommendations relating to the
program.
Sec. 481.226. EXPIRATION. (a) The governor or the
governor's designee may not make an appointment under this
subchapter after September 30, 2016.
(b) This subchapter expires September 30, 2018.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013.