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.