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.