By:  Ratliff                                  S.B. No. 886

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to making emergency appropriations.

 1-2           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-3           SECTION 1.  WORKFORCE COMMISSION:  JOBS PROGRAM.  In addition

 1-4     to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal biennium,

 1-5     the sum of $5,106,092, consisting of federal funds from the

 1-6     Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant, is

 1-7     appropriated to the Texas Workforce Commission for the two-year

 1-8     period beginning on the effective date of this Act for the purpose

 1-9     of providing services in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills

1-10     (JOBS) program and related transportation expenses of program

1-11     participants.

1-12           SECTION 2.  ERS AND COMPTROLLER:  WORKFORCE COMMISSION

1-13     EMPLOYEE BENEFIT COSTS.  In addition to amounts previously

1-14     appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of $450,282,

1-15     consisting of federal funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy

1-16     Families block grant, is appropriated to the Employees Retirement

1-17     System of Texas, and the sum of $264,451, consisting of federal

1-18     funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant,

1-19     is appropriated to the comptroller.  The appropriations made by

1-20     this section are for the two-year period beginning on the effective

1-21     date of this Act for the payment of employee benefit costs

1-22     associated with the implementation of the appropriation made by

1-23     Section 1 of this Act.

 2-1           SECTION 3.  WORKERS' COMPENSATION PAYMENTS.  (a)  In addition

 2-2     to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal biennium,

 2-3     the sum of $10,827,069 is appropriated out of the general revenue

 2-4     fund to the office of the attorney general for the two-year period

 2-5     beginning on the effective date of this Act for the payment of

 2-6     workers' compensation benefits.

 2-7           (b)  In addition to the appropriation contained in Subsection

 2-8     (a) of this section, the sum of $1,500,000 is appropriated out of

 2-9     the general revenue fund to the office of the attorney general for

2-10     the period beginning on the effective date of this Act and ending

2-11     December 31, 1997, for the purpose of resolving a cash-flow

2-12     shortfall incurred in administering Section 75, Article IX, Chapter

2-13     1063, Acts of the 74th Legislature, 1995 (the General

2-14     Appropriations Act).

2-15           (c)  The office of the attorney general shall reimburse the

2-16     general revenue fund, not later than December 31, 1997, for the

2-17     full amount of the appropriation contained in Subsection (b) of

2-18     this section.  The comptroller shall credit the reimbursements

2-19     required by this subsection to the unappropriated balances of the

2-20     general revenue fund.

2-21           SECTION 4.  TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE FUND BOARD.

2-22     Notwithstanding Section 160, Article IX, Chapter 1063, Acts of the

2-23     74th Legislature, 1995 (the General Appropriations Act), the

2-24     Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board is authorized to pay

2-25     the salaries, out of funds previously appropriated and approved, of

 3-1     not more than 18 full-time equivalent employees during the current

 3-2     fiscal biennium.

 3-3           SECTION 5.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

 3-4     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-5     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-6     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-7     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-8     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-9     passage, and it is so enacted.