House Committee on Appropriations
76th Legislature
March 17, 1999
7:00 am
Capitol Extension, E1.030
Pursuant to a notice posted on March 9, 1999, the House
Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was
called to order by the chair, Representative Robert Junell at
7:00 am.
The roll was answered as follows:
Present: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy";
Cuellar; Farrar; Giddings; Gutierrez; Heflin;
Hochberg; Luna, Vilma; McReynolds; Moreno, Paul;
Mowery; Pickett; Pitts; Puente; Staples; Tillery;
Van de Putte (18).
Absent: Representatives Coleman; Eiland; Delisi; Flores;
Gallego; Glaze; Hartnett; Janek; Turner, Sylvester
(9).
A quorum was present.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
Texas Education Agency
(Representatives Sylvester Turner, Eiland, Delisi, Janek,
Coleman, Flores, Glaze and Gallego now present.)
Representative Hochberg moved the adoption of LBB
recommendations with 16 changes or additions to performance
measures. The following additions were made to the base bill:
Reduce Foundation School Program, Add School Finance Plan/
Teacher Compensation and Benefits/ Property Tax Relief,
Renumber and Increase Strategy A.2.3, Amend Rider #10, Delete
Rider #65, Textbook Savings, After School Initiative, Ready to
Read, Alliance Schools, Governor's School, Texas Reading
Initiative, Public Access Initiative, Foundation School
Program Payment System, Gifted and Talented Standards and
Textbook Administration.
Add Texas After School Initiative rider (Hochberg #1), Ready
to Read Pilot Program rider (Hochberg #2), Governor's School
rider (Hochberg #4), Gifted and Talented Students Evaluation
Project rider (Hochberg #6),Student Success Initiative
contingency rider (Hochberg #7), Course Preparation
Clearinghouse rider (Cuellar #1), Dropout Rate Study rider
(Cuellar #2), School District Information Sharing with JJAEPs
rider (Giddings #1), Education Technology Coordinating Council
rider (Hochberg #9), Notification of Investigation rider
(Gallego #1) and Study of Maternity Leave Practices rider
(Cuellar/ Delisi #1).
Add also Review of Class Size rider (Cuellar #3), Matching
Funds for Library Purchases rider (Cuellar #4), Debt Issuance
and Investment Technical Assistance to School Districts rider
(Hochberg #11), Contingency Appropriation: HB 911 (Delisi #1)
and Texas Youth Commission Educational Accountability rider
as amended (Delisi#2).
Amend Rider #59, Texas Reading Initiative (Hochberg #5), Rider
#17, Limits on Allocations and Expenditures (Hochberg #10) and
Rider #33, Investment Capital Fund rider (Hochberg #3) in
current bill pattern.
Delete rider #30. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
At 9:50 am, on the motion of the chair and without objection,
the meeting was recessed subject to the call of the chair.
The committee reconvened at 1:37 pm and was called to order by
the chair, Representative Junell. The roll was answered as
follows:
Present: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy";
Cuellar; Delisi; Eiland; Gallego; Gutierrez; Heflin;
Hochberg; Janek; McReynolds; Moreno, Paul; Mowery;
Pickett; Pitts; Staples; Van de Putte (17).
Absent: Representatives Coleman; Farrar; Flores; Giddings;
Glaze; Hartnett; Luna, Vilma; Puente; Tillery;
Turner, Sylvester (10).
A quorum was present.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board
(Representatives Turner, Hartnett, Farrar, Luna, Giddings,
Glaze, Puente and Coleman now present.)
Representative Hochberg moved the adoption of LBB
recommendations. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
University of North Texas Health Science Center
Representative Mowery moved the adoption of LBB
recommendations. Add Proposed Funding Instruction rider
(Mowery #1).Without objection, the motion was adopted.
(Representative West, George "Buddy" in chair.)
HB 1161
The chair laid out HB 1161.
Representative Sylvester offered an amendment to the bill.
The amendment was withdrawn without objection.
The bill was adopted by the following record vote.
Ayes: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy";
Coleman; Cuellar; Delisi; Eiland; Farrar;
Giddings; Glaze; Gutierrez; Heflin; Janek;
Luna, Vilma; McReynolds; Moreno, Paul; Mowery;
Pickett; Pitts; Staples; Tillery; Turner,
Sylvester; Van de Putte (22).
Nays: None (0).
Present not Voting: None (0).
Absent: Representatives Flores; Gallego; Hartnett;
Hochberg; Puente (5).
HB 1945
The chair laid out HB 1945.
Representative Junell offered a complete committee substitute.
The committee substitute was adopted without objection.
Vice-Chair West recognized Representative Junell to explain
the measure.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
(Representative Tillery now present.)
The committee substitute was adopted by the following record
vote.
Ayes: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy";
Coleman; Cuellar; Delisi; Eiland; Farrar;
Gallego; Giddings; Glaze; Gutierrez; Hochberg;
Janek; Luna, Vilma; McReynolds; Moreno, Paul;
Mowery; Pickett; Pitts; Puente; Staples;
Tillery; Turner, Sylvester; Van de Putte (24).
Nays: None (0).
Present not Voting: None (0).
Absent: Representatives Flores; Hartnett; Heflin (3).
HB 1676
The chair laid out HB 1676.
Representative Junell offered a complete committee substitute.
The committee substitute was adopted without objection.
Vice-Chair West recognized Representative Junell to explain
the measure.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
The committee substitute was adopted by the following record
vote.
Ayes: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy";
Coleman; Cuellar; Delisi; Eiland; Farrar; Gallego;
Giddings; Glaze; Gutierrez; Hartnett; Heflin;
Hochberg; Janek; Luna, Vilma; McReynolds; Moreno,
Paul; Mowery; Pickett; Pitts; Puente; Staples;
Tillery; Turner, Sylvester; Van de Putte (26).
Nays: None (0).
Present not Voting: None (0).
Absent: Representatives Flores (1).
At 6:52 pm, on the motion of the chair and without objection,
the meeting was adjourned until
7:00 am on March 18, 1999.
______________________
Rep. Robert Junell, Chair
______________________
Gretchen Himsl, Clerk