The commission may run the Business Enterprises Program and a related retirement program, manage the trust fund, and use a custodian or management service under stated conditions.
Sec. 355.016. BUSINESS ENTERPRISES PROGRAM. (a) The commission is authorized to administer the Business Enterprises Program in accordance with the provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act (20 U.S.C. Section 107 et seq.). (b) The commission is authorized to administer a retirement program for individuals licensed to operate vending facilities in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. (c) A trust fund for a retirement program for individuals licensed to operate vending facilities under the Business Enterprises Program is established with the comptroller. This trust fund will be set up in the state treasury. (d) All federal vending machine income shall be credited to this Business Enterprises Program trust fund. Vending machine income, as defined by 34 C.F.R. Section 395.1(z), means receipts (other than those of a blind vendor) from vending machine operations on federal property, after deducting the cost of goods sold (including reasonable service and maintenance costs) in accordance with customary business practices of commercial vending concerns, where the machines are operated, serviced, or maintained by, or with the approval of, a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States, or commissions paid (other than to a blind vendor) by a commercial vending concern which operates, services, and maintains vending machines on federal property for, or with the approval of, a department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States. (e) All expenditures authorized by the Randolph-Sheppard Act from federal vending revenue funds shall be paid from the Business Enterprises Program trust fund. (f) The commission may contract with a professional management service to administer the Business Enterprises Program trust fund. In administering the trust fund, the professional management service may acquire, exchange, sell, or retain any kind of investment that a prudent investor, exercising reasonable care, skill, and caution, would acquire, exchange, sell, or retain under the circumstances, taking into consideration the investment of all the assets of the trust fund. (g) With the approval of the comptroller, the commission may select a commercial bank, depository trust company, or other entity to serve as a custodian of the Business Enterprises Program trust fund's securities, and money realized from those securities, pending completion of an investment transaction. Money realized from those securities must be: (1) reinvested not later than one business day after the date it is received; or (2) deposited in the treasury not later than the fifth business day after the date it is received. Transferred, redesignated and amended from Human Resources Code, Chapter 94 by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1138 (S.B. 208), Sec. 28, eff. September 1, 2015.