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          A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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          AN ACT
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        relating to state support for general academic teaching  | 
      
      
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        institutions in this state. | 
      
      
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               BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
      
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               SECTION 1.  The heading to Subchapter C, Chapter 62,  | 
      
      
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        Education Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
      
      
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        SUBCHAPTER C.  TEXAS RESEARCH UNIVERSITY [COMPETITIVE KNOWLEDGE]  | 
      
      
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        FUND | 
      
      
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               SECTION 2.  Sections 62.051(1) and (2), Education Code, are  | 
      
      
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        amended to read as follows: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  "Eligible institution" means an institution of  | 
      
      
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        higher education that[:
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                           [(A)]  is designated as a research university  | 
      
      
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        under the coordinating board's accountability system and, for any  | 
      
      
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        three consecutive state fiscal years beginning on or after  | 
      
      
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        September 1, 2010, made total annual research expenditures in an  | 
      
      
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        average annual amount of not less than $450 million[; or
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                           [(B)
           
           
          is designated as an emerging research 
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          university under the coordinating board's accountability system 
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          and, for any three consecutive state fiscal years beginning on or 
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          after September 1, 2010, made total annual research expenditures in 
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          an average annual amount of not less than $50 million]. | 
      
      
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                     (2)  "Fund" means the Texas research university  | 
      
      
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        [competitive knowledge] fund. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 3.  Section 62.052, Education Code, is amended to  | 
      
      
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        read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.052.  PURPOSE. The purpose of this subchapter is to  | 
      
      
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        provide funding to eligible research universities [and emerging 
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          research universities] to support faculty to ensure excellence in  | 
      
      
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        instruction and research. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 4.  Section 62.053, Education Code, is amended to  | 
      
      
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        read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.053.  FUND.  (a) The Texas research university  | 
      
      
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        [competitive knowledge] fund consists of money appropriated by the  | 
      
      
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        legislature for the purposes of this subchapter to eligible  | 
      
      
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        institutions. | 
      
      
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               (b)  For purposes of this subchapter [section], the amount of  | 
      
      
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        total research funds expended by an eligible institution in a state  | 
      
      
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        fiscal year is the amount of those funds as reported to the  | 
      
      
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        coordinating board by the institution for that fiscal year, subject  | 
      
      
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        to any adjustment by the coordinating board in accordance with the  | 
      
      
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        standards and accounting methods the coordinating board prescribes  | 
      
      
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        for purposes of this section. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 5.  The heading to Subchapter E, Chapter 62,  | 
      
      
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        Education Code, is amended to read as follows: | 
      
      
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        SUBCHAPTER E.  TEXAS COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH [DEVELOPMENT] FUND | 
      
      
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               SECTION 6.  Section 62.091, Education Code, is amended to  | 
      
      
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        read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.091.  PURPOSE.  The Texas comprehensive research  | 
      
      
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        [development] fund is established to provide funding to promote  | 
      
      
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        increased research capacity at eligible general academic teaching  | 
      
      
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        institutions. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 7.  Section 62.092, Education Code, is amended by  | 
      
      
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        amending Subdivision (2) and adding Subdivision (3) to read as  | 
      
      
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        follows: | 
      
      
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                     (2)  "Eligible institution" means a general academic  | 
      
      
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        teaching institution[,] as defined by Section 61.003, other than  | 
      
      
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        The University of Texas at Austin or Texas A&M University or an  | 
      
      
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        institution of higher education described by Section 62.132(2). | 
      
      
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                     (3)  "Fund" means the Texas comprehensive research  | 
      
      
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        fund. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 8.  Section 62.093, Education Code, is amended to  | 
      
      
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        read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.093.  ADMINISTRATION.  (a)  The Texas comprehensive  | 
      
      
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        research [development] fund is a fund outside the state treasury in  | 
      
      
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        the custody of the comptroller. | 
      
      
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               (b)  The comptroller shall administer and invest the  | 
      
      
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        [research development] fund. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 9.  Section 62.094, Education Code, is amended to  | 
      
      
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        read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.094.  FUNDING.  (a)  The [research development] fund  | 
      
      
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        consists of the amounts appropriated or transferred to the credit  | 
      
      
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        of the fund under this section or other law. | 
      
      
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               (b)  The comptroller shall deposit all interest, dividends,  | 
      
      
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        and other income earned from investment of the [research 
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          development] fund to the credit of the fund. | 
      
      
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               (c)  The comptroller may accept gifts or grants from any  | 
      
      
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        public or private source for the [research development] fund. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 10.  Section 62.095(a), Education Code, is amended  | 
      
      
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        to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  In each state fiscal year, the comptroller shall  | 
      
      
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        distribute the total amount of all assets in the [research 
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          development] fund to eligible institutions.  The amount shall be  | 
      
      
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        apportioned among the eligible institutions based on the average  | 
      
      
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        amount of restricted research funds expended by each institution  | 
      
      
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        per year for the three preceding state fiscal years. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 11.  Section 62.096(a), Education Code, is amended  | 
      
      
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        to read as follows: | 
      
      
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               (a)  For purposes of this subchapter and Subchapter F-1, the  | 
      
      
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        coordinating board shall prescribe standards and accounting  | 
      
      
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        methods for determining the amount of restricted research funds  | 
      
      
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        expended [by an eligible institution] in a state fiscal year: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  under this subchapter by an eligible institution;   | 
      
      
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        or | 
      
      
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                     (2)  under Subchapter F-1 by an eligible institution,  | 
      
      
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        as that term is defined by Section 62.132(2). | 
      
      
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               SECTION 12.  Section 62.097, Education Code, is amended to  | 
      
      
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        read as follows: | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.097.  USE OF ALLOCATED AMOUNTS.  (a)  An eligible  | 
      
      
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        institution may use money received from the [research development]  | 
      
      
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        fund only for the support and maintenance of educational and  | 
      
      
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        general activities, including research and student services, that  | 
      
      
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        promote increased research capacity at the institution. | 
      
      
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               (b)  Money received by an institution from the [research 
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          development] fund in a fiscal year that is not used by the  | 
      
      
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        institution in that fiscal year may be held and used by the  | 
      
      
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        institution in subsequent fiscal years. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 13.  Chapter 62, Education Code, is amended by  | 
      
      
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        adding Subchapter F-1 to read as follows: | 
      
      
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        SUBCHAPTER F-1.  CORE RESEARCH SUPPORT FUND | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.131.  PURPOSE.  The core research support fund is  | 
      
      
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        established to provide funding to promote increased research  | 
      
      
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        capacity at emerging research universities. | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.132.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter: | 
      
      
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                     (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher  | 
      
      
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        Education Coordinating Board. | 
      
      
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                     (2)  "Eligible institution" means an institution of  | 
      
      
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        higher education that is designated as an emerging research  | 
      
      
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        university under the coordinating board's accountability system. | 
      
      
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                     (3)  "Fund" means the core research support fund. | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.133.  ADMINISTRATION.  (a)  The core research  | 
      
      
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        support fund is a fund outside the state treasury in the custody of  | 
      
      
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        the comptroller. | 
      
      
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               (b)  The comptroller shall administer and invest the fund. | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.134.  FUNDING.  (a)  The fund consists of the amounts  | 
      
      
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        appropriated or transferred to the credit of the fund under this  | 
      
      
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        section or other law. | 
      
      
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               (b)  The comptroller shall deposit all interest, dividends,  | 
      
      
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        and other income earned from investment of the fund to the credit of  | 
      
      
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        the fund. | 
      
      
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               (c)  The comptroller may accept gifts or grants from any  | 
      
      
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        public or private source for the fund. | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.135.  APPORTIONMENT OF FUND TO ELIGIBLE  | 
      
      
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        INSTITUTIONS.  (a)  In each state fiscal year, the comptroller shall  | 
      
      
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        distribute the total amount of all assets in the fund to eligible  | 
      
      
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        institutions.  The amount shall be apportioned among the eligible  | 
      
      
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        institutions based on the average amount of restricted research  | 
      
      
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        funds expended by each institution per year for the three preceding  | 
      
      
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        state fiscal years. | 
      
      
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               (b)  For purposes of Subsection (a), the amount of restricted  | 
      
      
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        research funds expended by an institution in a fiscal year is the  | 
      
      
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        amount of those funds as reported to the coordinating board by the  | 
      
      
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        institution for that fiscal year, subject to any adjustment by the  | 
      
      
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        coordinating board in accordance with the standards and accounting  | 
      
      
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        methods the coordinating board prescribes under Section 62.096. | 
      
      
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               (c)  Beginning with the first distributions from the fund  | 
      
      
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        under this subchapter, an eligible institution that previously  | 
      
      
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        incurred an appropriation reduction under Section 62.0535 is  | 
      
      
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        entitled to an amount from the fund in addition to the amount  | 
      
      
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        apportioned under Subsection (a) until the institution receives a  | 
      
      
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        total additional amount under this subsection equal to the amount  | 
      
      
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        of the previous appropriation reduction.  Amounts distributed under  | 
      
      
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        this subsection must be specifically appropriated for this purpose. | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.136.  VERIFICATION OF ALLOCATION FACTORS.  (a)  The  | 
      
      
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        coordinating board may audit the appropriate records of an eligible  | 
      
      
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        institution to verify information for purposes of this subchapter. | 
      
      
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               (b)  For final determination of eligibility, an eligible  | 
      
      
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        institution may appeal to the advisory committee described by  | 
      
      
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        Section 62.096 the coordinating board's decision regarding the  | 
      
      
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        institution's verified information relating to the amounts of  | 
      
      
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        restricted research expended. | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.137.  USE OF ALLOCATED AMOUNTS.  (a)  An eligible  | 
      
      
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        institution may use money received from the fund only for the  | 
      
      
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        support and maintenance of educational and general activities,  | 
      
      
        | 
           
			 | 
        including research and student services, that promote increased  | 
      
      
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        research capacity at the institution. | 
      
      
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               (b)  Money received by an institution from the fund in a  | 
      
      
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        fiscal year that is not used by the institution in that fiscal year  | 
      
      
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        may be held and used by the institution in subsequent fiscal years. | 
      
      
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               Sec. 62.138.  ANNUAL REPORT.  (a)  Each eligible institution  | 
      
      
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        that receives money under this subchapter in a state fiscal year  | 
      
      
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        shall prepare a report at the end of that fiscal year describing the  | 
      
      
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        manner in which the institution used the money.  The institution  | 
      
      
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        shall include in the report information regarding the use of money  | 
      
      
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        spent in that fiscal year that was received under this subchapter in  | 
      
      
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        a preceding fiscal year. | 
      
      
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               (b)  The institution shall deliver a copy of the report to  | 
      
      
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        the coordinating board and the Legislative Budget Board not later  | 
      
      
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        than December 1 after the end of the fiscal year.  The Legislative  | 
      
      
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        Budget Board may establish requirements for the form and content of  | 
      
      
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        the report. | 
      
      
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               (c)  The institution shall include in the report information  | 
      
      
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        on the use or other disposition of money the institution previously  | 
      
      
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        received from the Texas excellence fund or the university research  | 
      
      
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        fund, if the institution spent money from either of those funds in  | 
      
      
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        the fiscal year of the report. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 14.  Sections 62.0925 and 62.096(b), Education Code,  | 
      
      
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        are repealed. | 
      
      
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               SECTION 15.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |