BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2013 STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA STATUS: ADOPTED DATE: 10/25/12

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1 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2013 STATE LEGISLATIVE AGENDA STATUS: ADOPTED DATE: 10/25/12 RECOMMENDATION: That the Board of Directors of The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce adopt the following statement as the 2013 State Legislative Agenda: A MESSAGE FROM OUR CHAIRMAN The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the business community s advocate for building and sustaining a prosperous economy, is pleased to present our legislative priorities for the 83rd Texas Legislative Session. We believe the issues identified in this agenda are critical to the continuing economic vitality of San Antonio and our region. We acknowledge that government programs at all levels have been impacted by the economic slowdown resulting in reductions in the revenue required to meet budget demands in a state with growing needs. We also recognize that while the State of Texas has weathered the recession better than any other state, we still face a deficit for the upcoming biennium. The Greater San Antonio Chamber believes that the State s responsible investments in education, infrastructure, and healthcare, combined with policies and programs that encourage job creation and capital investment, are the reasons why the downturn has had less impact across Texas, including the greater San Antonio area. In fact, as a result of our State s policies, since 2009 Texas jobs make up 47 percent of the national net job creation. We believe we must sustain these proven policies. Our Chamber s top priority for the 83rd Legislature is protecting the investments and programs that have helped sustain the Greater San Antonio area s diverse economic base. We support the measures identified in this brochure as well as other legislation that will help our area and the entire State move forward in spite of state budgetary constraints. On behalf of our nearly 2,000 members, who provide more than 400,000 jobs in our area, we look forward to working with members of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives on legislation that will benefit our community, our region, and the State of Texas. STATEMENT: AEROSPACE: The Chamber supports-- Programs and policies that will enable the community to attract commercial aviation manufacturing and production operations to complement our traditional military defense-based aerospace workload AIR QUALITY: The Chamber supports Equitable access and increased appropriations to the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) which has proven to be a successful incentive program aimed at improving air quality, enhancing public health, and promoting economic prosperity Continued state funding of local air quality analysis and education/public outreach in order to improve air quality and maintain compliance with federal and state clean air rules BUSINESS TAXES: The Chamber supports--

2 Maintaining the current $1 million gross revenue margins tax exemption for small business, and opposes any change in definition or rate that will result in higher effective tax collections from businesses Equitable treatment of technology-related revenues such as cloud computing by apportioning those revenues based on the location of the customers, not on the location of the servers used to provide service A competitive sales tax rate of 1% on computer and related equipment purchased for use in major data centers in order to compete with sites in other states CYBER SECURITY: The Chamber supports The recommendations of the Texas Cybersecurity, Education and Economic Development Council as effective mechanisms to improve the information security and information assurance of our State infrastructure and focus on growing a workforce capable of meeting the high tech jobs of the future ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The Chamber supports-- Extending the Texas Economic Development Act sunset date; Tax Code, Chapter 313 Efforts to explore ways to ensure Chapter 313 more broadly covers job creation in target industries including data centers and other technology or cloud computing activities Sales tax exemptions for purchased or leased computer equipment used in processing, storage, retrieval or communication of data, servers, routers, connections and other enabling hardware, and exemptions on electricity sales taxes similar to manufacturers should also be considered Appropriating the unexpended balances of the Texas Enterprise Fund and Texas Emerging Technology Fund and restoring funding to be consistent with FY09 levels at $225M and $200M respectively Continued appropriations for the Skill Development Fund, training programs for new and expanding businesses, and expanding the authorization of community colleges to work with multiple employers to better serve students and workforce needs ENERGY & SUSTAINABILITY: The Chamber supports-- CPS Energy s New Energy Economy and its strategic goals to diversify its electric generation portfolio with the use of clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives, while creating economic opportunity Maintaining provisions for CPS Energy within Texas statutes as they relate to municipally-owned electric utilities and local control, including preserving local authority to regulate the CPS Energy Board and its decision-making authority on all utility matters, including the local option to participate in retail competition Encouraging growth of cost-effective demand response resources as a valuable part of an integrated power supply resource portfolio Market solutions that provide for investment in sufficient energy resources at cost-effective prices such that Texas has available generation to support its growing business base and its economy despite shrinking reserve margins Support for alternative fuel to take advantage of shale gas developments and reduce dependence on foreign oil FINANCIAL SERVICES: The Chamber supports Adoption of a regulatory measure to prevent predatory lending HEALTHCARE & BIOSCIENCE: The Chamber supports-- Investing in healthcare funding to provide an adequate provider network and healthcare workforce, to include: 1)Ensuring the State takes advantage of the full federal funding to expand Medicaid coverage

3 under the ACA or other potential alternatives to expand healthcare coverage 2) Ensuring Medicaid/CHIP provider reimbursement is not reduced 3) Encouraging expeditious implementation of the 1115 waiver that protects Medicaid provider supplemental payments and to identify and allow for additional sources of matching funds (IGT) for these funds 4) Restoring the budget cuts that eliminated the majority of state payment for acute care services to dual-eligible patients those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid 5) Restoring the cuts made to funding for healthcare workforce programs, including Medicaid Graduate Medical Education to designated teaching hospitals, and to newly fund an increased number of medical residencies with emphasis on the primary care workforce 6) Continuing the Driver Responsibility Program (DRP) and appropriately distributing these funds to designated trauma centers Creating a healthy and sustainable workforce by making healthcare more affordable and accessible through quality improvement and development of an efficient network and a strong infrastructure Promoting programs which: 1) reduce the disease burden and increase disease surveillance 2) ensure comprehensive community-based mental health services and 3) affect the health and well-being of women and children HIGHER EDUCATION: The Chamber supports For the ALAMO COLLEGES Guaranteed admission for students with Associate Degrees to any Texas public university and incentives for the completion of the Associate Degree Developing a rating system called Student Success Points measuring students academic achievement in the community college system and includes a separate workforce metric to allow for success measures such as meeting high demand workforce needs or measures success in Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs Funding community colleges by 1) Core college operations: all colleges have basic operating costs regardless of geographic location or institutional size; 2) Student Success Points metric system: 10% of funding (less core operations) based on the metric system; and 3) Contact hour: 90% of state funding (less core operations) based on the number of instructional contact hours each college district generates and provide adequate funds for enrollment growth Allowing the Alamo Colleges to offer a bachelor s of applied technology (BAT) in Fire Science and Culinary Arts Requesting the restoration of employee Health Insurance Funding to 60% of costs For Texas A&M University - San Antonio Tuition Revenue Bonds request for $70M, for the construction of a second general academic building and $16.5M for infrastructure development construction of a Central Plant $11M exceptional item funding to support downward expansion to a four year (4) comprehensive university, $8M for student retention and success program and re-integration of wounded warriors and veterans and $2M to Partnership for the Advancement of First Generation and Underserved students $3,865,789 for restoration of 25% special item Transition Funding Support reduction in the 82nd Legislative Session as well as $5,269,676 in continued biennium debt service funding For The University of Texas at San Antonio $92M in Tuition Revenue Bonds for Experimental Science Instructional Building $30,346,636 in Special Items Funding which include the following: Institutional Enhancement, Downtown Campus Phase 2, and Institute for Texan Cultures, Texas Pre-Engineering Program, Small Business Development Center, South-West Texas Border Region SBDC Network $8M for the San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI), collaboration between UTSA ($4M) and UTHSCSA ($4M) to support Ph.D. programs and research For The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Support enhanced formula (and non-formula, i.e., special items) funding for health related institutions (HRIs), and Graduate Medical Education (GME) San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI): $4M

4 Regional Academic Health Science Center (RAHC): $61.5M to increase the number of students, residents, and physicians ultimately practicing in South Texas to address health disparities and the eventual transition into a stand-alone medical school, pursuant to SB 98 (81st Legislature) Regional Campus Laredo (RCL): $12.8M to provide for effective academic programs and research in diabetes and obesity programs, including dental school educational/clinical training programs to improve oral healthcare in Laredo and other communities Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies: $4M promoting scientific inquiry into the processes of aging, age-related disease, and healthy aging Tuition Revenue Bonds (TRBs): $8M to construct an Enhanced Performance Laboratory and $6M to construct the Diabetes Institute of South Texas for diabetes, obesity and nutritional programs MANUFACTURING: The Chamber supports-- Establishing and maintaining policies and practices that promote the retention and growth of manufacturing and small businesses Preserving existing sales tax exemptions for manufacturing equipment Establishing a sales tax exemption for equipment purchased for research and development (R&D) MILITARY MISSIONS: The Chamber supports-- Land use regulations to protect military missions Funding the Texas Military Preparedness Commission s Defense Adjustment Assistance Grant Program (DEAAG) for $20 Million and strengthening their Military Value Revolving Loan Program to assist military communities impacted by significant job loss or significant growth due to military base closures PUBLIC EDUCATION: The Chamber supports-- A public education finance system that is sufficient to support equitable and excellent educational opportunities for all students and should be inclusive of the following elements: create a permanent source of funding that meets inflationary cost pressures and student enrollment growth; update the formula funding system to distribute money according to the specific needs of children; increase amount in Foundation School Program; increase career tech education funding to meet industry demands; and focus on fully funding the public education finance system An accountability system that provides information about school performance to parents, community members and other stakeholders that is transparent, useful and accurate; and measurements that evaluate growth or improvement in student performance annually Restoring funding to pre-2011 levels of $20,973,318 to Communities In Schools TOURISM & HOSPITALITY: The Chamber supports-- Expanding the Visa Waiver Program which includes enhanced security information sharing between the U.S. and visa waiver countries, is critical to increasing foreign travel to the United States Continued dialogue on school calendar issues. Enumerate not only the continuation of public school beginning after the 4th Monday of August, but also solidify a school year-end date near Memorial Day. Both allow Texans a traditional summer vacation period bringing millions of dollars in sales tax and other revenues to communities throughout Texas TRANSPORTATION: The Chamber supports-- Revenue enhancement options to provide adequate and sustained funding for maintenance and expansion of our highway, transit, and rail infrastructure to include: - Phasing out Fund 6 (motor fuels tax) legislative diversions - Increasing and/or indexing the motor fuels tax - Increasing and/or indexing the vehicle registration fee

5 - Increasing and/or indexing the oversize and overweight permits and fees - Authorize spending the State Rail Relocation & Improvement Fund - Designate $3B Infrastructure Fund from Rainy Day Funds - Gradual Dedication of Vehicle Sales Tax to State Highway Fund - Local option registration fee or other funding option to support local transportation projects VIA Metropolitan Transit s request for the following: 1) Preserving the existing VIA Board governance; 2) Increasing funding opportunities for multimodal transit projects; 3)Increasing services with dedicated transit lanes WATER: The Chamber supports-- Additional checks and balances in local groundwater district regulations, including long-term consistency and stability in permitting and a meaningful development and appeals process for desired future conditions (DFCs) Creating favorable and distinct rules and regulations for the development of brackish groundwater that will incentivize its use A long-term, affordable, and sustainable method to fully fund the 2012 State Water Plan Development of a diverse water supply including conservation, desalination, graywater and rainwater collection, wastewater recycling; and technological improvements in water conservation Funding for expert science teams and clarification regarding details (ie stakeholder committees and interagency cooperation) of the Adaptive Management phase within the State s Environmental Flows Program, validating or amending the TCEQ rules for maintaining the ecological soundness of rivers, bays and estuaries WORKFORCE: The Chamber supports-- Modifying graduation requirements for students pursuing a Career and Technological Education (CTE) course sequence that is rigorous, high quality and targets filling the needs of high demand occupations. The modification would allow additional CTE courses to substitute required upper level math and science graduation courses in the recommended or distinguished. The CTE course sequence should result in industry recognized certifications or professional licenses in those high demand occupations Defining a clear pathway for dual-credit courses from high school career and technical education and community college/university career and technical programs that meet industry-related demands and emphasize industry-certification GENERAL BUSINESS ISSUES: The Chamber supports-- Approaches to government regulation of industries such as insurance, energy and telecommunications in ways that encourage businesses to do business and create and maintain jobs The current process of negotiation between the City and its employees and will not support any meet and confer legislation that might impose requirements or conditions on collective bargaining