MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Wed., April 7, 1999
8:30 a.m.
Senate Chamber
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Human
Services was held on Wed., April 7, 1999, in the Senate
Chamber at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair Senator Chris Harris
Senator John Carona, Vice Chair
Senator David Bernsen
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. There
being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The chair laid out the March 31, 1999, minutes and called for
revisions. There being none, Senator Carona moved their
approval. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
The chair laid out SB 1049 by Senator Moncrief, relating to
venue for certain judicial actions involving intermediate
care facilities for the mentally retarded, and recognized the
author to explain the bill.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses and
provided oral testimony on SB 1049:
Paul Carmona, division chief, Office of the Attorney
General, P.O. Box 12548, Austin, Texas 78741.
Debra Green, assistant general counsel, Texas Department
of Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas
78751.
There being no other persons registered or responding to the
chair's call for public testimony relating to SB 1049, the
chair closed public testimony.
Senator Gallegos moved that SB 1049 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The
motion prevailed by a vote of 4 "ayes," 0 "nays" and 1
"absent."
Senator Gallegos moved that SB 1049 be recommended for the
local and uncontested calendar. There being no objection, the
motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The chair laid out anew SB 1423 by Senator West, relating to
providing supplemental financial assistance and services to
certain grandparents, which had been left pending, and
recognized Senator West.
Senator Bernsen sent up a committee substitute and Senator
West explained the differences between it and the bill as
filed.
Senator Bernsen moved that the committee substitute for SB
1423 be adopted. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Bernsen moved that SB 1423 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do not pass, but that the
committee substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be
printed. The motion prevailed by a vote of 4 "ayes," 0 "nays"
and 1 "absent."
At 8:40 a.m. Senator Carona assumed presiding duties.
The chair laid out SB 967 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
creating a registry for acts of misconduct of certain
employees of facilities licensed by the Texas Department of
Human Services, and recognized the author to explain the bill.
Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute for SB 967
and explained the differences between it and the bill as
filed.
Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB
967 be adopted. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses and
provided oral testimony on the committee substitute for SB
967:
Renee Clack, director of credentialing, Texas Department
of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030, Austin, Texas 78714.
Amy Harper, assistant director, credentialing department,
Texas Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030,
Austin, Texas 78714.
The following persons registered in support of the committee
substitute for SB 967, but did not testify:
Susan Baumbach, director of community and government
relations, Texas Health Care Association, 4214 Medical
Parkway, #300, Austin, Texas 78765.
Terry Childress, associate director, Private Providers
Association of Texas, 8711 Burnet Road, #A-19, Austin,
Texas 78757.
Paul Fairbrother, executive director, Adult Day Care
Association of Texas, P.O. Box 26310, Austin, Texas
78755.
There being no other persons registered or responding to the
chair's call for public testimony relating to the committee
substitute for SB 967, the chair closed public testimony.
Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 967 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do not pass, but that the
committee substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be
printed. The motion prevailed by a vote of 4 "ayes," 0 "nays"
and 1 "absent."
Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB
967 be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous
consent.
The chair laid out SB 1095 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
nutritional assistance for certain legal immigrants, and
recognized the author to explain the bill.
The following person registered as a resource witness on SB
1095, but did not testify:
Boyd Graves, policy unit supervisor, Texas Department of
Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas
78759.
The following person provided oral and written testimony in
support of SB 1095:
Celia Hagert, policy analyst, Center for Public Policy
Priorities, 900 Lydia Street, Austin, Texas 78704.
The following persons provided oral testimony in support of SB
1095:
Maria Luisa Bautista, 70 Julius, Austin, Texas 78702.
Bill Beardall, president, Texas Appleseed Advocacy Fund,
512 East Riverside Drive, Suite 107, Austin, Texas 78704.
Delfina Vargas, coordinator, United Network for Immigrant
& Refugee Rights, 1715 East 6th Street, Suite 206,
Austin, Texas 78702.
The following persons registered in support of SB 1095, but
did not testify:
Teresa Aguirre, legislative assistant, Texas Association
of Homes and Services for the Aging,
2205 Hancock, Austin, Texas 78756.
Richard Daly, executive director, Texas Catholic
Conference, 1101 St. Edwards Drive, Austin, Texas 78704.
Karen Miller, legislative chair, Texas Congress Parents &
Teachers, 5314 West Minister,
Houston, Texas 77069.
There being no other witnesses registered or responding to the
chair's call for public testimony relating to SB 1095, the
chair closed public testimony.
Senator Zaffirini asked unanimous consent to show Senator
Gallegos voting "aye" on SB 1095. There being no objection,
the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 1095 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The
motion prevailed by a vote of 4 "ayes," 0 "nays" and 1
"absent."
The chair laid out SB 1585 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
the use of competitive bidding for certain functions and
components of the Medicaid vendor drug program, and recognized
the author to explain the bill.
Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute for SB 1585
and explained the differences between it and the bill as
filed.
Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB
1585 be adopted. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
The following person registered as a resource witness and
provided oral testimony on the committee substitute for SB
1585:
Cindy Alexander, policy analyst, Comptroller of Public
Accounts, 111 East 17th Street, Austin, Texas 78703.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses on the
committee substitute for SB 1585:
David Freeland, director of information systems, Texas
Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030, C-733,
Austin, Texas 78714.
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human
Services Commission, 4900 North Lamar, Austin, Texas
78752.
Patricia C. Gladden, Texas Department of Health, 1100
West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756.
Kathy Griffis-Bailey, program specialist, Chronically Ill
and Disabled Children's Services,
Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street,
Austin, Texas 78756.
The following person provided oral testimony on the committee
substitute for SB 1585:
David Gonzales, government affairs, Legend Pharmacies,
S.W., 1800 Guadalupe, Austin, Texas 78701.
The following person registered in support of the committee
substitute for SB 1585, but did not testify:
Karen Reagan, senior director of policy affairs, Texas
Pharmacy Association, P.O. Box 14709, Austin, Texas
78761-4709.
There being no other persons registered or responding to the
chair's call for public testimony relating to the committee
substitute for SB 1585, the chair closed public testimony.
Senator Zaffirini asked unanimous consent to show Senator
Gallegos voting "aye" on the committee substitute for SB 1585.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous
consent.
Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 1585 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do not pass, but that the
committee substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be
printed. The motion prevailed by a vote of 4 "ayes," 0 "nays"
and 1 "absent."
Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB
1585 be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous
consent.
At 9:21 a.m. Senator Zaffirini resumed presiding duties.
The chair announced that the Staff Working Group for SB 374 by
Zaffirini, relating to the creation of and transfer of certain
programs to a long-term care agency on human services, aging,
health and rehabilitation and the transfer of certain
functions from the Department on Aging to the Independent
Aging Policy Council, would meet on Friday, April 9, at 3 p.m.
and on Monday, April 12, at 2 p.m. The chair invited
interested parties to attend.
With no other business to come before the committee and upon a
motion by Senator Carona, the chair recessed the committee by
unanimous consent at 9:22 a.m., subject to the call of the
chair.
________________________________________
Judith Zaffirini, Chair
________________________________________
Scott Caffey, Committee Clerk