School of energy resources.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL SENATE

FILE

NO.
0037

ENROLLED ACT NO. 65, SENATE

FIFTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WYOMING
2006 BUDGET SESSION

AN ACT relating to the University of Wyoming; creating the school of energy resources; providing for the University of
Wyoming
energy resources council; requiring reports; providing an appropriation; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
17
‑
116 is created to read:

21
‑
17
‑
116.

School of energy resources; creation authorized;
University
of
Wyoming
energy resources council established; reports.

(a)

Subject to legislative appropriation, the
University
of
Wyoming
shall operate
the
school of energy resources.

(b)

The school of energy resources shall have the following objectives:

(i)

To provide nationally competitive undergraduate and graduate instruction in energy related disciplines, particularly those of importance to
develop
Wyoming
'
s e
nergy resources
;

(ii)

To advance the state-of-the-art in

Wyoming
energy related science, technology and economics research; and

(iii)

To support scientific
and
engineering outreach through dissemination of information to
Wyoming
'
s energy industries
, companies, community colleges
and governmental agencies.

(c)

The school of energy resources shall:

(i)

Establish
relationships
with
Wyoming
energy
companies
and coordinate with other energy
industry
organizations to sustain and optimize the development of
Wyoming
'
s energy portfolio.
For the purposes of this section,
Wyoming
's energy portfolio includes both nonrenewable and renewable resources;

(ii)

Establish relationships with the
Wyoming
community colleges creating local programs to enrich students' education in the
Wyoming
energy industry operations;

(i
i
i)

Maintain flexibility in its focus and structure to be capable of responding to the changing needs of
Wyoming
'
s energy
industries
with regard to instruction, research and outreach.

(d)

The
u
niversity
'
s board of trustees shall establish the structure and policies for operation of the school of energy resources consistent with this section, and shall engage as many academic departments and colleges as possible in support of the school.

(e)

The
University
of
Wyoming
energy resources council
is created and
shall provide
direction to the school of energy resources
regarding identifying and prioritizing issues which should be targeted for research and outreach. The
University
of
Wyoming
energy resources council shall consist of
eleven (11) members, including the president of the university and the director of the Ruckleshaus institute of environment and natural resources,
both
of whom are ex officio
nonvoting members. One (1) member of the house of representatives shall be appointed by the speaker of the house and one (1) member of the senate shall be appointed by the president of the senate. Each appointed legislative member shall serve a two (2) year term.
The remaining

seven
(
7
) members
shall be
appointed for terms of three (3) years, except
that
for the initial appointments t
wo
(
2
) members shall be appointed for one (1) year and t
wo
(
2
) members shall be appointed for two (2) years.

T
hese
seven
(
7
) members

shall represent to the greatest extent practicable the diverse components of
Wyoming
's energy industries, and
shall be appointed by the governor and approved

with the advice and consent of the senate, in accordance with W.S. 28
‑
12
‑
101 through 28
‑
12
‑
103
.
The council shall select a chairman and vice-chairman from among its members.

(f)

The
u
niversity shall report annually, not later than October 1, to the joint minerals, business and economic development interim committee
, the joint appropriations interim committee
and the joint education interim committee regarding
all revenues to and expenditures by the school of energy resources during the preceding fiscal year,
accomplishments of the school
of energy resources
and its benefits to Wyoming
'
s energy economy.

Section 2.

There is appropriated to the
University
of
Wyoming
from the general fund twelve million seventy-one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven dollars ($12,071,997.00) to establish the school of energy resources created under this act. Expenditures from this appropriation during the 2007-2008 biennium shall as near as practicable be consistent with the first two (2) years of the total budget needed to implement the school
'
s operations over a three (3) year period, as contained in the
u
niversity
'
s October 1, 2005, report to the joint mineral
s
, business and economic development interim committee as required under 2005 Wyoming session laws, chapter 191, section 337. This appropriation shall be included within the
u
niversity
'
s block grant but shall be
accounted for

separately with financial reports submitted as provided in W.S. 21
‑
17
‑
116(f) as created in section 1 of this act
.
Except for administrative expenses of the
University
of
Wyoming
energy resources council, no funds under this section shall be expended until an academic plan and any building plans and specifications have been submitted
to
and approved by
University
of
Wyoming
's energy resource council.

Section 3.

The annual report required under W.S. 21
‑
17
‑
116(
f
) on October 1, 2006, shall be a summary of progress toward development of the school through September 1, 2006.

Section 4.

This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.

Chief Clerk

1