By Ratliff S.B. No. 472 Substitute the following for S.B. No. 472: By Junell C.S.S.B. No. 472 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to making an emergency general appropriations. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY: TEACHER TRAINING FOR 1-5 IMPROVED READING SKILLS. In addition to amounts previously 1-6 appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of 1-7 $18,840,000 is appropriated from the general revenue fund to the 1-8 Texas Education Agency for the two-year period beginning on the 1-9 effective date of this Act for the purpose of providing teacher 1-10 training to assist the schoolchildren of this state in developing 1-11 reading skills. 1-12 SECTION 2. DEPARTMENT OF PROTECTIVE AND REGULATORY SERVICES: 1-13 CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES DIVISION. 1-14 (a) In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the 1-15 current fiscal biennium, the sum of $8,971,763, consisting of 1-16 $2,819,220 from the general revenue fund and $6,152,543 of federal 1-17 funds from the appropriate federal matching fund source, is 1-18 appropriated to the Department of Protective and Regulatory 1-19 Services for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of 1-20 this Act for the purpose of providing child protective services. 1-21 It is the intent of the Legislature that the appropriations made by 1-22 this section be used to reduce the number of cases per worker, 1-23 reduce the number of workers per supervisor, and increase purchased 1-24 services for families and 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 $1,344,517 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 $370,952 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 Seventy-fifth Legislature, Regular 2-9 Session, 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 Seventy-fifth Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 2-14 (the General Appropriations Act), by 60 for the third quarter of 2-15 fiscal 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 Seventy-fifth Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 2-20 (the General Appropriations Act), by 220 for the fourth quarter of 2-21 fiscal year 1999. 2-22 (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that the 2-23 appropriations made to the Department of Protective and Regulatory 2-24 Services be used to make a cash purchase of approximately $471,450 2-25 of computer equipment to be used by the additional employees 2-26 authorized to be employed by this section. 2-27 (g) Any restriction under House Bill No. 1, Chapter 1452, 3-1 Acts of the Seventy-fifth Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (the 3-2 General Appropriations Act), that requires the Department of 3-3 Protective and Regulatory Services to use a Lease Payments to 3-4 Master Lease Purchase Program (MLPP) for capital budget purposes is 3-5 repealed. 3-6 SECTION 3. THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. In addition to 3-7 amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, 3-8 the sum of $7,132,134 is appropriated from the general revenue fund 3-9 to The Texas A&M University System for the use by its components 3-10 for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act 3-11 for the purpose of reimbursing extraordinary expenses related to 3-12 the suppression of forest fires. 3-13 SECTION 4. TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF: SALARIES. In 3-14 addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal 3-15 biennium, the sum of $717,361 is appropriated from the general 3-16 revenue fund to the Texas School for the Deaf for the two-year 3-17 period beginning on the effective date of this Act for the purpose 3-18 of payment of cost and expenses resulting from increased salary 3-19 expenses. 3-20 SECTION 5. TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED: 3-21 SALARIES. In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the 3-22 current fiscal biennium, the sum of $498,000 is appropriated from 3-23 the general revenue fund to the Texas School for the Blind and 3-24 Visually Impaired for the two-year period beginning on the 3-25 effective date of this Act for the purpose of payment of cost and 3-26 expenses resulting from increased salary expenses. 3-27 SECTION 6. TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND: EDUCATION AND 4-1 TREATMENT. In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the 4-2 current fiscal biennium, the sum of $724,518 is appropriated from 4-3 the general revenue fund to the Texas Commission for the Blind for 4-4 the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act for 4-5 the purpose of payment of costs and expenses related to the 4-6 Blindness Education, Screening, and Treatment Program. Funds 4-7 appropriated under this section are from donations made as provided 4-8 by Section 91.027, Human Resources Code. 4-9 SECTION 7. STATE OFFICE OF RISK MANAGEMENT: WORKERS' 4-10 COMPENSATION PAYMENTS. In addition to amounts previously 4-11 appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of $6,000,000 4-12 is appropriated from the general revenue fund to the State Office 4-13 of Risk Management for the two-year period beginning on the 4-14 effective date of this Act for the purpose of payment of workers' 4-15 compensation benefits. 4-16 SECTION 8. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: CAPACITY. 4-17 In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current 4-18 fiscal biennium, the sum of $27,600,000 is appropriated from the 4-19 general revenue fund to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice 4-20 for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act 4-21 for the purpose of providing for expenditures relating to 4-22 additionally constructed prison capacity and contracts with 4-23 counties for additional temporary capacity. 4-24 SECTION 9. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: DROUGHT RELIEF. In 4-25 addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal 4-26 biennium, the sum of $25,000,000 is appropriated from the general 4-27 revenue fund to the Department of Agriculture for the two-year 5-1 period beginning on the effective date of this Act for the purpose 5-2 of payment of costs and expenses related to providing drought 5-3 relief. 5-4 SECTION 10. TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION: LOCAL PROGRAM 5-5 ASSISTANCE. 5-6 (a) In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the 5-7 current fiscal biennium, the sum of $350,000 is appropriated from 5-8 the Advance Interest Trust Fund, Fund 935, to the Texas Workforce 5-9 Commission for the two-year period beginning on the effective date 5-10 of this Act for the purpose of payment of extraordinary expenses 5-11 associated with local program assistance only as provided by 5-12 Subsection (b) of this section. 5-13 (b) Due to the termination of contracts for delivery of 5-14 workforce services to five local workforce development boards and 5-15 the subsequent actions by the Texas Workforce Commission to ensure 5-16 continuation of local workforce services, including paying salaries 5-17 and related costs for December 16-31, 1998, and contracted 5-18 services, the appropriation made under Subsection (a) of this 5-19 section may be used by the Texas Workforce Commission to reimburse 5-20 Strategy A.2.2. (Wage Assistance and Child Labor Protection). The 5-21 appropriation made by this section shall be reduced for amounts 5-22 received by the Texas Workforce Commission in settlement of claims 5-23 arising out of the terminated contracts. Funds recovered shall be 5-24 utilized to repay Fund 935. 5-25 SECTION 11. THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM: TEXAS 5-26 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE. In addition to amounts previously 5-27 appropriated for the current fiscal biennium, the sum of $874,648 6-1 is appropriated from the general revenue fund to the Texas 6-2 Agricultural Extension Service for the two-year period beginning on 6-3 the effective date of this Act for the purpose of expanding the 6-4 Financial and Risk Management Assistance (FARM Assist) program 6-5 statewide. 6-6 SECTION 12. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: OYSTER TESTING. In 6-7 addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current fiscal 6-8 biennium, the sum of $103,000 is appropriated from the general 6-9 revenue fund dedicated account number 5022, Oyster Sales, to the 6-10 Texas Department of Health for the two-year period beginning on the 6-11 effective date of this Act. No more than $10,000 of the total 6-12 appropriation made by this section may be used by the Texas 6-13 Department of Health for the purpose of collecting and delivering 6-14 oyster and water samples to the Seafood Microbiology Laboratory, 6-15 Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston. 6-16 Ninety-three thousand dollars of the funds appropriated by this 6-17 section may be used by the Texas Department of Health only for the 6-18 purpose of entering into an agreement with Texas A&M University at 6-19 Galveston for the testing of vibrio parahaemolyticus levels in 6-20 Texas oysters and Texas bay waters. 6-21 SECTION 13. EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS: CERTAIN 6-22 TRANSFERS. Funds appropriated by House Bill No. 1, Chapter 1452, 6-23 Acts of the Seventy-fifth Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (the 6-24 General Appropriations Act), to institutions of higher education, 6-25 other than those institutions belonging to The University of Texas 6-26 System or The Texas A&M University System, may be transferred from 6-27 one appropriation item to another at the discretion of the chief 7-1 administrative officer of the Employees Retirement System of Texas 7-2 for the purpose of applying appropriations in excess of actual 7-3 general revenue group insurance premium costs at any of the 7-4 institutions of higher education to appropriation shortfalls for 7-5 general revenue group insurance premiums at any of the other 7-6 institutions of higher education. The Employees Retirement System 7-7 of Texas shall file a report that provides details regarding the 7-8 transfers made under authority of this section with the Legislative 7-9 Budget Board, the Governor, and the Comptroller before November 1, 7-10 1999. 7-11 SECTION 14. DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION RESOURCES: YEAR 2000. 7-12 In addition to amounts previously appropriated for the current 7-13 fiscal biennium, the sum of $152,600 is appropriated from the 7-14 general revenue fund to the Department of Information Resources for 7-15 the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act for 7-16 the purpose of: 7-17 (1) implementing a plan to create an Internet web-site 7-18 to address Year 2000 computer problems; and 7-19 (2) to establish a toll free telephone system for 7-20 reporting Year 2000 computer problems. 7-21 SECTION 15. SOURCE FOR APPROPRIATIONS. 7-22 (a) The appropriations from the general revenue fund made by 7-23 this Act are from nontax revenue and may not be construed so as to 7-24 increase total appropriations from state tax revenue not dedicated 7-25 by the Texas Constitution for the current biennium above the level, 7-26 with authorized adjustments, as adopted by the Legislative Budget 7-27 Board on November 20, 1996. 8-1 (b) The contingency appropriation made by Rider 198, page 8-2 IX-127, House Bill No. 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the Seventy-fifth 8-3 Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (Section 198, Contingency 8-4 Appropriation: Enrollment Growth, Article IX, General 8-5 Appropriations Act), is reduced by $18,840,000. 8-6 SECTION 16. LIMITATIONS. It is the intent of the 8-7 Legislature that to the extent feasible the appropriations made by 8-8 this Act shall be subject to the restrictions provided by House 8-9 Bill No. 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the Seventy-fifth Legislature, 8-10 Regular Session, 1997 (General Appropriations Act). 8-11 SECTION 17. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect 8-12 immediately as provided for a General Appropriations Act under 8-13 Section 39, Article 3, Texas Constitution. 8-14 SECTION 18. EMERGENCY. The importance of this legislation 8-15 and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 8-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 8-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 8-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 8-19 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 8-20 passage, and it is so enacted.