House Committee on Appropriations
76th Legislature
March 22, 1999
7:00 am
Capitol Extension, E1.030
Pursuant to a notice posted on February 17, 1999, the House
Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was
called to order by the chair, Representative Robert Junell at
8:33 am.
The roll was answered as follows:
Present: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy";
Coleman; Cuellar; Delisi; Eiland; Flores; Giddings;
Glaze; Heflin; Hochberg; Janek; Luna, Vilma;
McReynolds; Moreno, Paul; Pickett; Pitts; Puente;
Staples; Tillery (20).
Absent: Representatives Farrar; Gallego; Gutierrez;
Hartnett; Mowery; Turner, Sylvester; Van de Putte
(7).
A quorum was present.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
Department of Health
(Representatives Hartnett, Gallego, Van de Putte, Gutierrez,
Hartnett and Turner now present.)
At 9:50 am, on the motion of the chair and without objection,
the meeting was recessed until the adjournment of the House.
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";
Coleman; Cuellar; Delisi; Eiland; Glaze; Gutierrez;
Hartnett; Heflin; Hochberg; Janek; McReynolds;
Pitts; Puente; Staples; Van de Putte (17).
Absent: Representatives Farrar; Flores; Gallego; Giddings;
Luna, Vilma; Moreno, Paul; Mowery; Pickett; Tillery;
Turner, Sylvester (10).
A quorum was present.
Show Representative Giddings present.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
Department of Health
(Representatives Farrar; Gallego; Moreno, Paul; Mowery; Luna;
and Tillery now present.)
Representative Coleman moved the adoption of LBB
recommendations with the following additions: Emergency
Medical Services/ Trauma Systems, Increase in Medicaid Costs,
Kidney Health Care and Epilepsy Client Services, Hearing
Screening for Newborns, Oyster Sampling and Research, HIV/ STD
medications, Hepatitis A Immunizations and Model Local Public
Health.
Amend Rider #5, Rider #9, Rider #33 and Rider #46.
Add Oyster Sampling and Research rider (Coleman #1), Newborn
Hearing Screening rider (Coleman #2), Hepatitis A Vaccinations
rider (Coleman/ Flores/ Cuellar #3), Management of Funds in
the CIDC Program rider (Coleman #4), Earned Federal Funds
rider (Coleman #5) and Expenditures Related to School Health
rider (Eiland #1). Add Community Health Services rider as
amended (Coleman #7) and Funding Increase for the TANF Grant
(Eiland #2).Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
Representative Coleman moved the adoption of LBB
recommendations with the following additions: Additional
Caseworkers and Other Staff, Improve CPS Assessments During
Investigations, Increase Post Adoption Residential Treatment
Services, Develop At Risk Mentoring Program, Continue the
Second Chance Teen Parent Program and Fund Additional Care
Licensing Specialists. Amend Rider #7. Add Rider #9. Add
233 FTEs. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Article II Special Provisions
Representative Glaze moved the adoption of LBB
recommendations. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Regulatory Pending Items
Department of Insurance
Representative Pitts moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Adjustment of Performance Measures. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Board of Licensing and Regulation
Representative Pitts moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Subcommittee recommendations regarding review
of TxDOT construction plans. Without objection, the motion
was adopted.
Racing Commission
Representative Pitts moved the adoption of the following
pending items: revision of Rider #4 to add FTEs contingent on
new racetrack opening and revision of contingency rider to
include additional strategies. Without objection, the motion
was adopted.
Education Pending Items
Texas Education Agency
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Texas Reading Initiative Rider #59, Arts
Education rider, Scotopic Sensitivity Irlen Syndrome Screening
rider and five new performance measures. Without objection,
the motion was adopted.
School for the Deaf
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending item: funding School Transportation. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Higher Education Coordinating Board
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending items: amended rider for interim study on teacher
education programs, amended Rider #27 on Graduate Medical
Education, amended Rider #1 on Interim Study on Teacher
Education Programs and amended Rider #2 on Interim Study on
Ethics/ Humanities/ Jurisprudence Requirements in State
Medical School Curricula. Without objection, the motion was
adopted.
Special Provisions Relating Only to Higher Education
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Subcommittee recommendations regarding
consolidation proposal and Texas State Technical Colleges'
inclusion in that proposal. Without objection, the motion was
adopted.
Texas State Technical College
Show Representative Turner present.
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Funding to maintain $100 per month salary
increase and funding to add the Texas State Technical College
components to the special item consolidation plan. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Public Community/ Junior Colleges
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending item: technical adjustment to increase formula
funding for community colleges. Without objection, the motion
was adopted.
Texas Transportation Institute
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending item: funding center for ports and waterways.
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Texas Wildlife Damage Management Service
Representative Cuellar moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Restoration on Feral Hog Control Rider #2.
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
General Government Pending Items
Show Speaker Pete Laney present
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Texas School Performance Reviews rider. Delete
Hedging Transaction Rider #6. Without objection, the motion
was adopted.
Fire Fighters Pension Commission
Representative Tillery moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Contingency Appropriation for Technical
Assistance for Local Retirement Funds. Without objection, the
motion was adopted.
Department of Information Resources
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Licensing System Analysis rider. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Municipal Solid Waste Account Balances, Public
Health Service Account Balances and UB Authority: Grants and
Contracts. Add 3 Superfund performance measures. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Railroad Commission
Show Representative Pickett present.
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending items: five new performance measures. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Water Development Board
Representative Puente moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Contingency rider for SB 658 and two new
performance measures. Without objection, the motion was
adopted.
Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Capital Budget Rider #1, Housing Trust Fund
Unexpended Balances, Grants and Contracts rider,
Appropriations of Interest Earnings and Loan Repayments
contingency rider, Appropriation of Interest Earnings and
Loan Repayment Deposits to Housing Trust Fund contingency
rider, Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Lottery Commission
Representative Tillery moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Limitation on Pooled Reserve Fund,
Appropriation Contingent upon Quarterly Transfers rider and
Appropriation of Increased Revenues contingency rider as
amended. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Texas Department of Transportation
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Special License Plate Information, Border
Trade Task Force, Reporting Requirements, Border Trade
Transportation Projects, Special Funds Balances rider and Auto
Theft Prevention. Move funds from Stategy A1.3 to A.1.1.
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Texas Workforce Commission
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending items: Cancellation of Leases rider as amended,
Project RIO rider and Continuing Education rider as amended.
Add Information Technology Fees Contingency rider. Add to LBB
recommendations: Welfare to Work grant, TANF Transfer to
Child Care Development Fund, Additional TANF Transfer to
Child Care Development Fund, Funding for Skills Development,
funds for Self-Sufficiency Program and funding for new
Information Resources Capital Projects. Without objection,
the motion was adopted.
Texas Workers' Compensation Commission
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending item: contingency rider for HB 2511 as amended.
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Parks and Wildlife Department
Representative Heflin moved the adoption of the following
pending item: Credit Card Acceptance at State Parks (Gallego
#1). Without objection, the motion was adopted.
At 11:26 pm, on the motion of the chair and without objection,
the meeting was adjourned until 8:00 am on March 23, 1999.
______________________
Rep. Robert Junell, Chair
______________________
Gretchen Himsl, Clerk