By Junell                                       H.B. No. 2778

      75R8474 GCH-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to directing payment, after approval, of certain

 1-3     miscellaneous claims and judgments against the state out of funds

 1-4     designated by this Act; making appropriations.

 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-6           SECTION 1.  The following sums of money are appropriated out

 1-7     of the General Revenue Fund No. 001 for payment of itemized claims

 1-8     and judgments plus interest, if any, against the State of Texas:

 1-9           To pay Joal Cannon Sheridan for unpaid attorney's fees for

1-10     child protective services                                 $1,407.50

1-11           To pay Texarkana Management Company, doing business as Jones

1-12     Health Center, for unpaid charges for nursing home care for

1-13     Medicaid recipients                                       $1,583.44

1-14           To pay Lutheran Home of West Texas for unpaid charges for

1-15     nursing home care for Medicaid recipients                   $264.03

1-16           To pay Beverly Enterprises of Texas, Inc., doing business as

1-17     Cannon Oaks Nursing Center, for unpaid charges for nursing home

1-18     care for Medicaid recipients                                $243.68

1-19           To pay Tarrant County Mental Health and Mental Retardation

1-20     Services, doing business as Crossroads Development Center, for

1-21     unpaid charges for nursing home care for Medicaid recipients

1-22                                                              $33,597.84

1-23           SECTION 2.  Money is also appropriated by this Act from the

1-24     General Revenue Fund No. 001 and other funds and accounts in the

 2-1     state treasury for payment of settlements and judgments against the

 2-2     State of Texas that are approved by the legislature.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  (a)  Before any claim or judgment may be paid

 2-4     from money appropriated by this Act, the claim or judgment must be

 2-5     verified and substantiated by the administrator of the special fund

 2-6     or account against which the claim is to be charged and be approved

 2-7     by the attorney general and the comptroller.  Any claim or judgment

 2-8     itemized in this Act that has not been verified and substantiated

 2-9     by the administrator of the special fund or account and approved by

2-10     the attorney general and the comptroller by August 31, 1998, may

2-11     not be paid from money appropriated by this Act.

2-12           (b)  Each claim must contain such information as the

2-13     comptroller requires, but at a minimum must contain the specific

2-14     reason for the claim.  If the claim is for a void warrant, the

2-15     claim must include a specific identification of the goods,

2-16     services, refund, or other item for which the warrant was

2-17     originally issued.  In addition, it must include a certification by

2-18     the original payee or the original payee's successor, heirs, or

2-19     assigns that the debt is still outstanding.  If the claim is for

2-20     unpaid goods or services, it must be accompanied by an invoice or

2-21     other acceptable documentation of the unpaid account and any other

2-22     information that may be required by the comptroller.

2-23           SECTION 4.  Subject to the conditions and restrictions in

2-24     this Act and provisions stated in the judgments, the comptroller is

2-25     authorized and directed to issue one or more warrants on the state

2-26     treasury, as soon as possible following the effective date of this

2-27     Act, in the favor of each of the individuals, firms, or

 3-1     corporations named in this Act, in an amount not to exceed the

 3-2     amount set opposite their respective names and shall mail or

 3-3     deliver to each of the individuals, firms, or corporations one or

 3-4     more warrants in payment of all claims included in this Act.

 3-5           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 3-6           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-7     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-8     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-9     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-10     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.