Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1816 Compare Versions

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Old	New	Differences
1	1	85R1976 CLG-D
2	2	By: Burton S.B. No. 1816
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to abolishing the spaceport trust fund and the disposition
8	8	of the balance of that fund.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Sections 481.0066(d) and (e-1), Government Code,
11	11	are amended to read as follows:
12	12	(d) The aerospace and aviation office shall:
13	13	(1) analyze space-related and aviation-related
14	14	research currently conducted in this state and may conduct
15	15	activities designed to further that research;
16	16	(2) analyze the state's economic position in the
17	17	aerospace and aviation industries;
18	18	(3) develop short-term and long-term business
19	19	strategies as part of an industry-specific strategic plan to
20	20	promote the retention, development, and expansion of aerospace and
21	21	aviation industry facilities in the state that is consistent with
22	22	and complementary of the office strategic plan;
23	23	(4) make specific recommendations to the legislature
24	24	and the governor regarding the promotion of those industries;
25	25	(5) as part of and to further the purposes of the
26	26	industry-specific strategic plan described by Subdivision (3),
27	27	develop short-term and long-term policy initiatives or recommend
28	28	reforms the state may undertake or implement to:
29	29	(A) increase investment in aerospace and
30	30	aviation activities;
31	31	(B) support the retention, development, and
32	32	expansion of spaceports in this state;
33	33	(C) identify and encourage educational,
34	34	economic, and defense-related opportunities for aerospace and
35	35	aviation activities;
36	36	(D) [determine the appropriate level of funding
37	37	for the spaceport trust fund created under Section 481.0069 and]
38	38	support ongoing projects that have been assisted by the former
39	39	spaceport trust fund [, including recommending to the legislature
40	40	an appropriate funding level for the fund];
41	41	(E) partner with the Texas Higher Education
42	42	Coordinating Board to foster technological advancement and
43	43	economic development for spaceport activities by strengthening
44	44	higher education programs and supporting aerospace activities; and
45	45	(F) partner with the Texas Workforce Commission
46	46	to support initiatives that address the high technology skills and
47	47	staff resources needed to better promote the state's efforts in
48	48	becoming the leading space exploration state in the nation;
49	49	(6) act as a liaison with other state and federal
50	50	entities with related economic, educational, and defense
51	51	responsibilities to support the marketing of the state's aerospace
52	52	and aviation capabilities;
53	53	(7) provide technical support and expertise to the
54	54	state and to local spaceport authorities regarding aerospace and
55	55	aviation business matters; and
56	56	(8) be responsible for the promotion and development
57	57	of spaceports in this state.
58	58	(e-1) The aerospace and aviation advisory committee shall:
59	59	(1) advise the governor on the recruitment and
60	60	retention of aerospace and aviation jobs and investment;
61	61	(2) assist the office and the aerospace and aviation
62	62	office in meeting the state's economic development efforts to
63	63	recruit and retain aerospace and aviation jobs and investment;
64	64	(3) [advise the office, the aerospace and aviation
65	65	office, and the governor on an appropriate funding level for the
66	66	spaceport trust fund;
67	67	[(4)] advise the office, the aerospace and aviation
68	68	office, and the governor on recruitment, retention, and expansion
69	69	of aerospace and aviation industry activities; and
70	70	(4) [(5)] collect and disseminate information on
71	71	federal, state, local, and private community economic development
72	72	programs that assist or provide loans, grants, or other funding to
73	73	aerospace and aviation industry activities.
74	74	SECTION 2. Section 481.0069, Government Code, is repealed.
75	75	SECTION 3. (a) In this section:
76	76	(1) "Office" means the Texas Economic Development and
77	77	Tourism Office.
78	78	(2) "Spaceport development corporation" has the
79	79	meaning assigned by Section 507.001, Local Government Code.
80	80	(b) On September 1, 2017, the spaceport trust fund is
81	81	abolished and the balance of the fund is transferred to the general
82	82	revenue fund for use in accordance with legislative appropriation,
83	83	except as provided by Subsections (d) and (e) of this section.
84	84	(c) The abolishment of the spaceport trust fund and the
85	85	repeal of Section 481.0069, Government Code, do not affect the
86	86	validity of a contract between the office and a spaceport
87	87	development corporation that is entered into under Section
88	88	481.0069(e), Government Code, before September 1, 2017.
89	89	(d) Money that was deposited in the spaceport trust fund as
90	90	a gift, grant, or donation under Section 481.0069(c)(1), Government
91	91	Code, shall be held in trust by the comptroller outside the state
92	92	treasury and shall be administered by the comptroller as trustee as
93	93	provided by this subsection. The comptroller may:
94	94	(1) spend money encumbered by the specific terms of
95	95	the gift, grant, or donation only in accordance with those terms;
96	96	(2) return to the donor or grantor, on request, any
97	97	portion of the amount of a gift, grant, or donation described by
98	98	this subsection that remains on deposit; or
99	99	(3) transfer to the general revenue fund for use in
100	100	accordance with legislative appropriation any other remaining
101	101	money deposited as a gift, grant, or donation under Section
102	102	481.0069(c)(1), Government Code.
103	103	(e) Money from the spaceport trust fund that is encumbered
104	104	because the money is obligated by contract before September 1,
105	105	2017, but under the terms of the contract will not be distributed
106	106	until a later date shall be held in trust by the comptroller as
107	107	trustee outside the state treasury and shall be administered by the
108	108	comptroller as trustee to ensure that the money is distributed in
109	109	accordance with the terms of the contract. If the office determines
110	110	that the money will not be distributed in accordance with the terms
111	111	of contract, the office shall certify that fact to the comptroller.
112	112	On that certification, the comptroller shall transfer that money to
113	113	the general revenue fund to be used in accordance with legislative
114	114	appropriation.
115	115	(f) On or after the effective date of this Act, the
116	116	following payments or other amounts shall be remitted to the
117	117	comptroller for deposit to the general revenue fund:
118	118	(1) any interest or income earned on the investment of
119	119	money in the spaceport trust fund;
120	120	(2) any money returned by a spaceport development
121	121	corporation pursuant to a contract entered into under Section
122	122	481.0069, Government Code; and
123	123	(3) any money received by a donor or grantor under
124	124	Subsection (d)(2) of this section that is subsequently returned to
125	125	the state.
126	126	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.