Texas Tech leaders traveled to Austin to testify at the hearing of HB 5092, aiming to expand Reese Technology Center for national security and infrastructure research.

Texas House Bill 5092, introduced by State Representative Carl H. Tepper, was scheduled for a public hearing in the House Higher Education Committee. This bill proposes significant changes to the Reese Technology Center in collaboration with Texas Tech University and supports national security and critical infrastructure research.​

HB 5092 seeks to expand the Reese Technology Center by incorporating the development of "national security-related technology" and "critical infrastructure" into its mission. The bill defines these terms to include technologies developed in partnership with Texas Tech University for use by federal agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. ​

Stephen Bayne, Vice Chancellor for Innovation & Collaboration and Executive Director of the Critical Infrastructure Security Institute, and Murvat Musa, Executive Director of Reese Technology Center, have advocated for the bill. Dr. Bayne emphasized the strategic importance of expanding the Reese Technology Center to support national defense and infrastructure resilience.​

“Strengthening our research capabilities at Reese equips Texas Tech and the broader region to lead in safeguarding the systems our nation relies on every day,” said Stephen Bayne.

Texas Tech's initiatives at the Reese campus are already paving the way. Projects include:

• Electromagnetic Pulse Test Site: The largest and most comprehensive public institution focused on EMP research, Texas Tech is exploring how to safeguard critical systems like energy, water, transportation, and communication from devastating EMP disruptions.
• Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF): Plans are underway for a secure, classified research space enabling Texas Tech to conduct perform classified research with the military and defense industrial base.
• Critical Infrastructure Systems: The Critical Infrastructure Security Institute (CISI) brings together cross-campus expertise to address essential national systems' cyber-physical security challenges.
• Pulsed Power: To support export-sensitive research, CISI is seeking a secure, clean room and anechoic chamber to drive innovation in pulsed power, radar, microwave systems, and directed energy.

As HB 5092 moves through the legislative process, Texas Tech remains committed to advancing research that protects the nation’s most vital systems and positioning Texas Tech as a national leader in defense and infrastructure research.