Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1984 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R12292 DDT-D
2	2	By: Bonnen of Galveston, Craddick, Oliveira, H.B. No. 1984
3	3	Turner of Harris, Anderson of McLennan,
4	4	et al.
5	5	Substitute the following for H.B.
6	6
7	7
8	8	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
9	9	AN ACT
10	10	relating to the aerospace and aviation office of the Texas Economic
11	11	Development and Tourism Office and to the aerospace and aviation
12	12	advisory committee.
13	13	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	14	SECTION 1. Section 481.0066, Government Code, is amended by
15	15	amending Subsections (d) and (e) and adding Subsections (d-1),
16	16	(d-2), (e-1), and (e-2) to read as follows:
17	17	(d) The aerospace and aviation office shall:
18	18	(1) analyze space-related and aviation-related
19	19	research currently conducted in this state and may conduct
20	20	activities designed to further that research;
21	21	(2) analyze the state's economic position in the
22	22	aerospace and aviation industries;
23	23	(3) develop short-term and long-term business
24	24	strategies as part of an industry-specific strategic plan to
25	25	promote the retention, development, and expansion of aerospace and
26	26	aviation industry facilities in the state that is consistent with
27	27	and complementary of the office strategic plan;
28	28	(4) make specific recommendations to the legislature
29	29	and the governor regarding the promotion of those industries;
30	30	(5) as part of and to further the purposes of the
31	31	industry-specific strategic plan described by Subdivision (3),
32	32	develop short-term and long-term policy initiatives or recommend
33	33	reforms the state may undertake or implement to:
34	34	(A) increase investment in aerospace and
35	35	aviation activities;
36	36	(B) support the retention, development, and
37	37	expansion of spaceports in this state;
38	38	(C) identify and encourage educational,
39	39	economic, and defense-related opportunities for aerospace and
40	40	aviation activities;
41	41	(D) increase funding for the spaceport trust fund
42	42	created under Section 481.0069 and support ongoing projects that
43	43	have been assisted by the fund, including recommending to the
44	44	legislature an appropriate funding level for the fund;
45	45	(E) partner with the Texas Higher Education
46	46	Coordinating Board to foster technological advancement and
47	47	economic development for spaceport activities by strengthening
48	48	higher education programs and supporting aerospace activities; and
49	49	(F) partner with the Texas Workforce Commission
50	50	to support initiatives that address the high-technology skills and
51	51	staff resources needed to better promote the state's efforts in
52	52	becoming the leading space exploration state in the nation;
53	53	(6) act as a liaison with other state and federal
54	54	entities with related economic, educational, and defense
55	55	responsibilities to support the marketing of the state's aerospace
56	56	and aviation capabilities;
57	57	(7) [(6)] provide technical support and expertise to
58	58	the state and to local spaceport authorities regarding aerospace
59	59	and aviation business matters; and
60	60	(8) [(7)] be responsible for the promotion and
61	61	development of spaceports in this state.
62	62	(d-1) The aerospace and aviation office shall make specific
63	63	short-term and long-term statutory, administrative, and
64	64	budget-related recommendations to the legislature and the governor
65	65	regarding the policy initiatives and reforms described by
66	66	Subsection (d)(5) that may be implemented by the state. The
67	67	short-term recommendations must include a plan for state action for
68	68	implementation beginning not later than September 1, 2017. The
69	69	initiatives and reforms in the short-term plan must be fully
70	70	implemented by September 1, 2020. The long-term recommendations
71	71	must include a plan for state action for implementation beginning
72	72	not later than September 1, 2020. The initiatives and reforms in
73	73	the long-term plan must be fully implemented by September 1, 2025.
74	74	The aerospace and aviation office shall submit these
75	75	recommendations to the legislature and governor with the biennial
76	76	report required by Subsection (d-2) not later than December 1,
77	77	2016. This subsection expires September 1, 2017.
78	78	(d-2) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year,
79	79	the aerospace and aviation office shall submit to the legislature
80	80	and governor, in printed or electronic form, a report detailing the
81	81	actions taken by the aerospace and aviation office in carrying out
82	82	the policy initiatives and reforms under Subsection (d)(5) to
83	83	further the purposes of the industry-specific strategic plan as
84	84	specified in the recommendations required by Subsection (d-1),
85	85	including:
86	86	(1) the status of all projects and activities;
87	87	(2) the funding of expenditures;
88	88	(3) a summary of work performed as part of the
89	89	aerospace and aviation office's partnership with the Texas Higher
90	90	Education Coordinating Board, including a summary prepared by the
91	91	board of the research conducted by public senior colleges or
92	92	universities, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code;
93	93	(4) a summary of work performed as part of the
94	94	aerospace and aviation office's partnership with the Texas
95	95	Workforce Commission; and
96	96	(5) an explanation of the ways in which the aerospace
97	97	and aviation office has promoted the state's economic development
98	98	goals through increased space exploration activities.
99	99	(e) The governor shall appoint an aerospace and aviation
100	100	advisory committee consisting of:
101	101	(1) seven qualified members to assist in the state's
102	102	economic development efforts to recruit and retain aerospace and
103	103	aviation jobs and investment; and
104	104	(2) one member for each active spaceport development
105	105	corporation in the state who represents the interests of each
106	106	respective spaceport development corporation.
107	107	(e-1) The aerospace and aviation advisory committee shall:
108	108	(1) advise the governor on the recruitment and
109	109	retention of aerospace and aviation jobs and investment;
110	110	(2) assist the office and the aerospace and aviation
111	111	office in meeting the state's economic development efforts to
112	112	recruit and retain aerospace and aviation jobs and investment;
113	113	(3) advise the office, the aerospace and aviation
114	114	office, and the governor on an appropriate funding level for the
115	115	spaceport trust fund;
116	116	(4) advise the office, the aerospace and aviation
117	117	office, and the governor on recruitment, retention, and expansion
118	118	of aerospace and aviation industry activities; and
119	119	(5) collect and disseminate information on federal,
120	120	state, local, and private community economic development programs
121	121	that assist or provide loans, grants, or other funding to aerospace
122	122	and aviation industry activities.
123	123	(e-2) Members of the aerospace and aviation advisory
124	124	committee:
125	125	(1) shall serve staggered four-year terms; and
126	126	(2) may not receive compensation for serving on the
127	127	committee.
128	128	SECTION 2. (a) The terms of the current members of the
129	129	aerospace and aviation advisory committee expire on the effective
130	130	date of this Act. On that date or as soon as possible after that
131	131	date, the governor shall appoint new members to the aerospace and
132	132	aviation advisory committee in accordance with the requirements of
133	133	Section 481.0066(e), Government Code, as amended by this Act.
134	134	(b) A member of the aerospace and aviation advisory
135	135	committee serving immediately before the effective date of this Act
136	136	is eligible for reappointment to the committee if the person has the
137	137	qualifications for a member under Section 481.0066(e), Government
138	138	Code, as amended by this Act.
139	139	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.