By: Ratliff S.B. No. 472
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. TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY: TEACHER TRAINING FOR THE
1-4 SOCIAL PROMOTION INITIATIVE. In addition to amounts previously
1-5 appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of
1-6 $18,840,000 is appropriated from the general revenue fund to the
1-7 Texas Education Agency for the two-year period beginning on the
1-8 effective date of this Act for the purpose of providing teacher
1-9 training and otherwise implementing a social promotion initiative
1-10 to assist the schoolchildren of this state in developing reading
1-11 skills.
1-12 SECTION 2. DEPARTMENT OF PROTECTIVE AND REGULATORY SERVICES:
1-13 CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES DIVISION. (a) In addition to amounts
1-14 previously appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of
1-15 $8,876,750, consisting of $6,701,946 from the general revenue fund
1-16 and $2,174,804 of federal funds from the appropriate federal
1-17 matching fund source, is appropriated to the Department of
1-18 Protective and Regulatory Services for the two-year period
1-19 beginning on the effective date of this Act for the purpose of
1-20 providing child protective services. It is the intent of the
1-21 legislature that the appropriations made by this section be used to
1-22 reduce the number of cases per worker, reduce the number of workers
1-23 per supervisor, and increase purchased services for families and
1-24 children.
2-1 (b) It is the intent of the legislature that the amount of
2-2 salaries expended from the appropriation made by this section not
2-3 exceed $1,344,481 in fiscal year 1999.
2-4 (c) The amount of employee benefit cost for fiscal year 1999
2-5 associated with the appropriation made by this section is estimated
2-6 to be $370,942 for fiscal year 1999. The expenditure of employee
2-7 benefit cost for fiscal year 1999 is authorized in House Bill No.
2-8 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session,
2-9 1997 (the General Appropriations Act).
2-10 (d) The full-time equivalent employee limitation for the
2-11 Department of Protective and Regulatory Services for fiscal year
2-12 1999 is increased above the amount set by House Bill No. 1, Chapter
2-13 1452, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (the
2-14 General Appropriations Act), by 60 for the third quarter of fiscal
2-15 year 1999.
2-16 (e) The full-time equivalent employee limitation for the
2-17 Department of Protective and Regulatory Services for fiscal year
2-18 1999 is increased above the amount set by House Bill No. 1, Chapter
2-19 1452, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (the
2-20 General Appropriations Act), by 220 for the fourth quarter of
2-21 fiscal year 1999.
2-22 SECTION 3. THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. In addition to
2-23 amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal biennium,
2-24 the sum of $7,132,134 is appropriated from the general revenue fund
2-25 to The Texas A&M University System for the use by its components
2-26 for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act
3-1 for the purpose of reimbursing extraordinary expenses related to
3-2 the suppression of forest fires.
3-3 SECTION 4. TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF: SALARIES. In
3-4 addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal
3-5 biennium, the sum of $717,361 is appropriated from the general
3-6 revenue fund to the Texas School for the Deaf for the two-year
3-7 period beginning on the effective date of this Act for the purpose
3-8 of payment of increased salary expenses.
3-9 SECTION 5. TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED:
3-10 SALARIES. In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the
3-11 current fiscal biennium, the sum of $498,000 is appropriated from
3-12 the general revenue fund to the Texas School for the Blind and
3-13 Visually Impaired for the two-year period beginning on the
3-14 effective date of this Act for the purpose of payment of increased
3-15 salary expenses.
3-16 SECTION 6. TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND: EDUCATION AND
3-17 TREATMENT. In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the
3-18 current fiscal biennium, the sum of $724,518 is appropriated from
3-19 the general revenue fund to the Texas Commission for the Blind for
3-20 the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act for
3-21 the purpose of payment of costs and expenses related to the
3-22 Blindness Education, Screening, and Treatment Program. Funds
3-23 appropriated under this section are from donations made as provided
3-24 by Section 91.027, Human Resources Code.
3-25 SECTION 7. STATE OFFICE OF RISK MANAGEMENT: WORKERS'
3-26 COMPENSATION PAYMENTS. In addition to amounts previously
4-1 appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of $6,000,000
4-2 is appropriated from the general revenue fund to the State Office
4-3 of Risk Management for the two-year period beginning on the
4-4 effective date of this Act for the purpose of payment of workers'
4-5 compensation benefits.
4-6 SECTION 8. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: CAPACITY.
4-7 In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current
4-8 fiscal biennium, the sum of $27,600,000 is appropriated from the
4-9 general revenue fund to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
4-10 for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act
4-11 for the purpose of providing for expenditures relating to
4-12 additionally constructed prison capacity and contracts with
4-13 counties for additional temporary capacity.
4-14 SECTION 9. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: DROUGHT RELIEF. In
4-15 addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal
4-16 biennium, the sum of $25,000,000 is appropriated from the general
4-17 revenue fund to the Department of Agriculture for the two-year
4-18 period beginning on the effective date of this Act for the purpose
4-19 of payment of costs and expenses related to providing drought
4-20 relief.
4-21 SECTION 10. TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION: LOCAL PROGRAM
4-22 ASSISTANCE. (a) In addition to amounts previously appropriated
4-23 for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of $350,000 is
4-24 appropriated from the Advance Interest Trust Fund, Fund 935, to the
4-25 Texas Workforce Commission for the two-year period beginning on the
4-26 effective date of this Act for the purpose of payment of
5-1 extraordinary expenses associated with local program assistance
5-2 only as provided by Subsection (b) of this section.
5-3 (b) Due to the termination of contracts for delivery of
5-4 workforce services to five local workforce development boards and
5-5 the subsequent actions by the Texas Workforce Commission to ensure
5-6 continuation of local workforce services, including paying salaries
5-7 and related costs for December 16-31, 1998, and contracted
5-8 services, the appropriation made under Subsection (a) of this
5-9 section may be used by the Texas Workforce Commission to reimburse
5-10 Strategy A.2.2. (Wage Assistance and Child Labor Protection). The
5-11 appropriation made by this section shall be reduced for amounts
5-12 received by the Texas Workforce Commission in settlement of claims
5-13 arising out of the terminated contracts. Funds recovered shall be
5-14 utilized to repay Fund 935.
5-15 SECTION 11. THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM: TEXAS
5-16 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE. In addition to amounts previously
5-17 appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of $874,648
5-18 is appropriated from the general revenue fund to the Texas
5-19 Agricultural Extension Service for the two-year period beginning on
5-20 the effective date of this Act for the purpose of expanding the
5-21 Financial and Risk Management Assistance (FARM Assist) program
5-22 statewide.
5-23 SECTION 12. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: OYSTER TESTING. In
5-24 addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal
5-25 biennium, the sum of $103,000 is appropriated from the general
5-26 revenue fund dedicated account number 5022, Oyster Sales, to the
6-1 Texas Department of Health for the two-year period beginning on the
6-2 effective date of this Act. No more than $10,000 of the total
6-3 appropriation made by this section may be used by the Texas
6-4 Department of Health for the purpose of collecting and delivering
6-5 oyster and water samples to the Seafood Microbiology Laboratory,
6-6 Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston.
6-7 Ninety-three thousand dollars of the funds appropriated by this
6-8 section may be used by the Texas Department of Health only for the
6-9 purpose of entering into an agreement with Texas A&M University at
6-10 Galveston for the testing of vibrio parahaemolyticus levels in
6-11 Texas oysters and Texas bay waters.
6-12 SECTION 13. EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS: CERTAIN
6-13 TRANSFERS. Funds appropriated by House Bill No. 1, Chapter 1452,
6-14 Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (the General
6-15 Appropriations Act), to institutions of higher education, other
6-16 than those institutions belonging to The University of Texas System
6-17 or The Texas A&M University System, may be transferred from one
6-18 appropriation item to another at the discretion of the chief
6-19 administrative officer of the Employees Retirement System of Texas
6-20 for the purpose of applying appropriations in excess of actual
6-21 general revenue group insurance premium costs at any of the
6-22 institutions of higher education to appropriation shortfalls for
6-23 general revenue group insurance premiums at any of the other
6-24 institutions of higher education. The Employees Retirement System
6-25 of Texas shall file a report that provides details regarding the
6-26 transfers made under authority of this section with the Legislative
7-1 Budget Board, the governor, and the comptroller before November 1,
7-2 1999.
7-3 SECTION 14. SOURCE FOR APPROPRIATIONS. (a) The
7-4 appropriations from the general revenue fund made by this Act are
7-5 from nontax revenue and may not be construed so as to increase
7-6 total appropriations from state tax revenue not dedicated by the
7-7 Texas Constitution for the current biennium above the level, with
7-8 authorized adjustments, as adopted by the Legislative Budget Board
7-9 on November 20, 1996.
7-10 (b) The contingency appropriation made by Rider 198, page
7-11 IX-127, House Bill No. 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the 75th
7-12 Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (Section 198, Contingency
7-13 Appropriation: Enrollment Growth, Article IX, General
7-14 Appropriations Act), is reduced by $18,840,000.
7-15 SECTION 15. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation
7-16 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
7-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
7-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
7-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
7-20 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
7-21 passage, and it is so enacted.