Tex. Natural Resources Code § 40.302

The commissioner by interagency contract shall enter into agreements with state institutions of higher education for research, testing, and development of oil discharge prevention and response technology, oil discharge response training, wildlife and natural resources rescue and rehabilitation, development of computer models to predict the movements and impacts of unauthorized discharges of oil, and other purposes consistent with and in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter. Contracts or agreements relating to wildlife and aquatic resources shall be made in coordination with the Parks and Wildlife Department. To the greatest extent possible, contracts shall be coordinated with studies being done by other state agencies, the federal government, or private industry to minimize duplication of efforts.