MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
Tuesday, March 30, 1999
9:00 a.m.
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was
held on Tuesday, March 30, 1999 in the Capitol Extension, Room
E1.036, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Bill Ratliff None
Senator Carlos Truan
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
Senator John Carona
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
Senator Jon Lindsay
Senator Mike Moncrief
Senator Steve Ogden
Senator Royce West
*****
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m. There
being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The following members arrived after the roll was called:
none.
The Committee resumed its markup session on Senate Bill 2
(General Appropriations Bill) and worked on the following:
Pending Markup Issues for Articles IV and VIII
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) - Method
of Finance Changes
Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
Children's Trust Fund of Texas Council
Department of Human Services
Texas Workforce Commission
Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention
The Committee adopted specific items included in the
Legislative Budget Board (LBB) markup document for each
agency. A formal vote will be taken on adopted items at the
end of the markup process.
Action taken on items not included in the LBB markup
documents, included the following:
Senator Moncrief moved adoption of the Article II Proposed
Method of Finance Changes and a proposed rider for TANF
funding. The motion carried without objection.
During the markup session on the Department of Protective and
Regulatory Services;
Senator West moved adoption of a rider appropriating
$375,000 from General Revenue for each year of the
biennium to match Title IV-E Independent Living Funds in
order to expand independent living services for youth
ages 16 through 20 years of age. The Chair directed LBB
staff to prepare a rider authorizing the agency to
leverage funding from Strategy A.!.e. for this purpose.
The motion carried without objection.
Senator West moved adoption of a rider to increase the
allowable administrative costs under the Community Youth
Development Program from 10% to 15% per contract. The
motion carried without objection.
During the markup session on the Department of Human Services:
Senator Duncan moved adoption of proposed funding request
and rider to expand the Community Alzheimer's Resources
and Education (CARE) Program. The motion carried without
objection.
Senator West moved adoption of a rider to appropriate
funding for a Grandparents Program at the Department of
Human Services contingent upon passage of SB 1423. The
motion carried without objection.
Senator West sent up and moved adoption of a rider on
Senator Zaffirini's behalf to appropriate funding for
food assistance to legal immigrant children, contingent
upon the enactment of Senate Bill 1095. The motion
carried without objection.
During the markup session on the Interagency Council on Early
Childhood Intervention, Senator Moncrief moved adoption of a
rider to provide an additional $12 million in federal funding,
$8 million from the TANF Block Grant and $4 million in Title
XX funds. The motion carried without objection.
During the markup session on the Texas Workforce Commission:
Senator Fraser moved adoption of a rider specifying how
funds may be expended for capital budget items. The
motion carried without objection.
Senator Fraser moved adoption of a revision to the Social
Security Act Funds rider that specifies that amounts
allocated by the federal government to the Commission
shall be used only to pay expenses incurred for the
administration of the Texas Unemployment Compensation
Act. The motion carried without objection.
Senator Fraser moved adoption of a contingency rider
authorizing the Commission to establish service level
agreements and charge fees for services rendered to Local
Workforce Development Boards or other entities,
contingent upon enactment of authorizing legislation.
The motion carried without objection.
There being no further business, at 3:35 p.m., Senator Ratliff
announced that the Committee would stand recessed until
Wednesday, March 31, 1999. Without objection, it was so
ordered.
______________________
Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair
______________________
Patricia Hicks, Clerk