| |
| |
| |
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to the aerospace and aviation office of the Texas Economic |
|
|
Development and Tourism Office and to the aerospace and aviation |
|
|
advisory committee. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 481.0066, Government Code, is amended by |
|
|
amending Subsections (d) and (e) and adding Subsections (d-1), |
|
|
(d-2), (e-1), and (e-2) to read as follows: |
|
|
(d) The aerospace and aviation office shall: |
|
|
(1) analyze space-related and aviation-related |
|
|
research currently conducted in this state and may conduct |
|
|
activities designed to further that research; |
|
|
(2) analyze the state's economic position in the |
|
|
aerospace and aviation industries; |
|
|
(3) develop short-term and long-term business |
|
|
strategies as part of an industry-specific strategic plan to |
|
|
promote the retention, development, and expansion of aerospace and |
|
|
aviation industry facilities in the state that is consistent with |
|
|
and complementary of the office strategic plan; |
|
|
(4) make specific recommendations to the legislature |
|
|
and the governor regarding the promotion of those industries; |
|
|
(5) as part of and to further the purposes of the |
|
|
industry-specific strategic plan described by Subdivision (3), |
|
|
develop short-term and long-term policy initiatives or recommend |
|
|
reforms the state may undertake or implement to: |
|
|
(A) increase investment in aerospace and |
|
|
aviation activities; |
|
|
(B) support the retention, development, and |
|
|
expansion of spaceports in this state; |
|
|
(C) identify and encourage educational, |
|
|
economic, and defense-related opportunities for aerospace and |
|
|
aviation activities; |
|
|
(D) determine the appropriate level of funding |
|
|
for the spaceport trust fund created under Section 481.0069 and |
|
|
support ongoing projects that have been assisted by the fund, |
|
|
including recommending to the legislature an appropriate funding |
|
|
level for the fund; |
|
|
(E) partner with the Texas Higher Education |
|
|
Coordinating Board to foster technological advancement and |
|
|
economic development for spaceport activities by strengthening |
|
|
higher education programs and supporting aerospace activities; and |
|
|
(F) partner with the Texas Workforce Commission |
|
|
to support initiatives that address the high technology skills and |
|
|
staff resources needed to better promote the state's efforts in |
|
|
becoming the leading space exploration state in the nation; |
|
|
(6) act as a liaison with other state and federal |
|
|
entities with related economic, educational, and defense |
|
|
responsibilities to support the marketing of the state's aerospace |
|
|
and aviation capabilities; |
|
|
(7) [(6)] provide technical support and expertise to |
|
|
the state and to local spaceport authorities regarding aerospace |
|
|
and aviation business matters; and |
|
|
(8) [(7)] be responsible for the promotion and |
|
|
development of spaceports in this state. |
|
|
(d-1) The aerospace and aviation office shall make specific |
|
|
short-term and long-term statutory, administrative, and |
|
|
budget-related recommendations to the legislature and the governor |
|
|
regarding the policy initiatives and reforms described by |
|
|
Subsection (d)(5) that may be implemented by the state. The |
|
|
short-term recommendations must include a plan for state action for |
|
|
implementation beginning not later than September 1, 2017. The |
|
|
initiatives and reforms in the short-term plan must be fully |
|
|
implemented by September 1, 2020. The long-term recommendations |
|
|
must include a plan for state action for implementation beginning |
|
|
not later than September 1, 2020. The initiatives and reforms in |
|
|
the long-term plan must be fully implemented by September 1, 2025. |
|
|
The aerospace and aviation office shall submit these |
|
|
recommendations to the legislature and governor with the biennial |
|
|
report required by Subsection (d-2) not later than December 1, |
|
|
2016. This subsection expires September 1, 2017. |
|
|
(d-2) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, |
|
|
the aerospace and aviation office shall submit to the legislature |
|
|
and governor, in printed or electronic form, a report detailing the |
|
|
actions taken by the aerospace and aviation office in carrying out |
|
|
the policy initiatives and reforms under Subsection (d)(5) to |
|
|
further the purposes of the industry-specific strategic plan as |
|
|
specified in the recommendations required by Subsection (d-1), |
|
|
including: |
|
|
(1) the status of all projects and activities; |
|
|
(2) the funding of expenditures; |
|
|
(3) a summary of work performed as part of the |
|
|
aerospace and aviation office's partnership with the Texas Higher |
|
|
Education Coordinating Board, including a summary prepared by the |
|
|
board of the research conducted by public senior colleges or |
|
|
universities, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; |
|
|
(4) a summary of work performed as part of the |
|
|
aerospace and aviation office's partnership with the Texas |
|
|
Workforce Commission; and |
|
|
(5) an explanation of the ways in which the aerospace |
|
|
and aviation office has promoted the state's economic development |
|
|
goals through increased space exploration activities. |
|
|
(e) The governor shall appoint an aerospace and aviation |
|
|
advisory committee consisting of: |
|
|
(1) seven qualified members to assist in the state's |
|
|
economic development efforts to recruit and retain aerospace and |
|
|
aviation jobs and investment; and |
|
|
(2) one member for each active spaceport development |
|
|
corporation in the state who represents the interests of each |
|
|
respective spaceport development corporation. |
|
|
(e-1) The aerospace and aviation advisory committee shall: |
|
|
(1) advise the governor on the recruitment and |
|
|
retention of aerospace and aviation jobs and investment; |
|
|
(2) assist the office and the aerospace and aviation |
|
|
office in meeting the state's economic development efforts to |
|
|
recruit and retain aerospace and aviation jobs and investment; |
|
|
(3) advise the office, the aerospace and aviation |
|
|
office, and the governor on an appropriate funding level for the |
|
|
spaceport trust fund; |
|
|
(4) advise the office, the aerospace and aviation |
|
|
office, and the governor on recruitment, retention, and expansion |
|
|
of aerospace and aviation industry activities; and |
|
|
(5) collect and disseminate information on federal, |
|
|
state, local, and private community economic development programs |
|
|
that assist or provide loans, grants, or other funding to aerospace |
|
|
and aviation industry activities. |
|
|
(e-2) Members of the aerospace and aviation advisory |
|
|
committee: |
|
|
(1) shall serve staggered four-year terms; and |
|
|
(2) may not receive compensation for serving on the |
|
|
committee. |
|
|
SECTION 2. (a) The terms of the current members of the |
|
|
aerospace and aviation advisory committee expire on the effective |
|
|
date of this Act. On that date or as soon as possible after that |
|
|
date, the governor shall appoint new members to the aerospace and |
|
|
aviation advisory committee in accordance with the requirements of |
|
|
Section 481.0066(e), Government Code, as amended by this Act. |
|
|
(b) A member of the aerospace and aviation advisory |
|
|
committee serving immediately before the effective date of this Act |
|
|
is eligible for reappointment to the committee if the person has the |
|
|
qualifications for a member under Section 481.0066(e), Government |
|
|
Code, as amended by this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
______________________________ |
______________________________ |
| |
President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
| |
|
|
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 458 passed the Senate on |
|
|
April 16, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 4. |
|
|
|
| |
| |
______________________________ |
| |
Secretary of the Senate |
| |
|
|
I hereby certify that S.B. No. 458 passed the House on |
|
|
May 8, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 124, Nays 10, two |
|
|
present not voting. |
|
|
|
| |
| |
______________________________ |
| |
Chief Clerk of the House |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Approved: |
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Date |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
______________________________ |
|
|
Governor |