MINUTES
SUBCOMMITTEE ON WELFARE REFORM
Thurs., April 15, 1999
9 a.m.
Capitol Extension, Room E1.016
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Subcommittee on Welfare Reform
was held on Thurs., April 15, 1999, in the Capitol Extension,
Room E1.016, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator John Carona, Chair
Senator David Bernsen
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
*****
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:06 a.m. There
being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The chair explained the purpose of the subcommittee, which was
to build a consensus and to resolve any problems concerning
welfare related issues and legislation that has been referred
to the Senate Committee on Human Services.
The chair laid on the table for discussion SB 666 by Senator
Zaffirini, relating to exemptions from work or employment
activity participation requirements for certain Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families recipients. Testimony on SB 666
revolved around the phase out provisions of the state welfare
program and how the legislature must phase in the federal
welfare provisions by March, 2002. The federal welfare
provisions were part of the Welfare Reform Act that Congress
passed in August, 1996.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses and
provided oral testimony on SB 666:
Patrick Bresette, associate director, Center for Public
Policy Priorities, 900 Lydia Street,
Austin, Texas 78602.
Larry Temple, director of welfare reform, Texas Workforce
Commission, 101 East 15th, Room 458-T, Austin, Texas
78778.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses on SB
666, but did not testify:
Vicki Anderson, deputy director, Texas Council on
Workforce and Economic Competitiveness,
1100 San Jacinto, Austin, Texas 78701.
Judy L. Denton, director of eligibility services, Texas
Department of Human Services, 701 West 51st, Austin,
Texas 78756.
Richard Funk, senior policy analyst, Texas Council on
Workforce and Economic Competitiveness, 1100 San Jacinto,
Austin, Texas 78701.
The chair laid on the table for discussion SB 1391 by Senator
Shapleigh, relating to the allocation by the Texas Workforce
Commission of certain funds for child care services.
Discussion on SB 1391 revolved around the formula of federal
funding for child care services and the impact the bill would
have on Local Workforce Development Areas around the state.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses and
provided oral testimony on SB 1391:
Patrick Bresette, associate director, Center for Public
Policy Priorities, 90 Lydia Street, Austin, Texas 78602.
David Coufal, director of child care, Texas Workforce
Commission, 101 East 15th Street, Room 448T, Austin,
Texas 78778.
Libby Martinez, legislative aide, Senator Eliot
Shapleigh, P.O. Box 12068, Austin, Texas 78711.
Larry Temple, director of welfare reform, Texas Workforce
Commission, 101 East 15th,
Room 458-T, Austin, Texas 78778.
The following person registered as a resource witness on SB
1391, but did not testify:
Judy L. Denton, director of eligibility services, Texas
Department of Human Services, 701 West 51st, Austin,
Texas 78756.
The chair suggested that Senator Shapleigh's staff continue to
work with members of the subcommittee to resolve the concerns
addressed during the hearing.
The chair laid on the table for discussion SB 1474 by Lucio,
relating to a rental assistance pilot program to expand
housing options for elderly residents with low income.
Testimony indicated that the concerns the impacted agencies
had with the bill had been worked out in the companion bill to
SB 1474, the committee substitute for HB 3340 by
Representative Naishtat, relating to a rental assistance pilot
program to expand housing options for elderly residents with
low income, which was considered and left pending in the House
Human Services Committee on April 13, 1999. Senator Carona
recommended that the committee wait for the House companion
bill to arrive from the House of Representatives.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses and
provided oral testimony on SB 1474:
Anita Anderson, Texas Department of Human Services,
Austin, Texas 78714.
John Garvin, director of Strategic Planning, Texas
Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 507 Sabine,
Austin, Texas 78711.
The following registered as a resource witness on SB 1474, but
did not testify:
Judy L. Denton, director of eligibility services, Texas
Department of Human Services,
701 W. 51st, Austin, Texas 78756.
There being no other invited witnesses registered or
responding to the chair's call for testimony on SB 666, SB
1391 or SB 1474, the chair closed testimony.
With no other business to come before the subcommittee, the
chair recessed the Subcommittee on Welfare Reform at 9:47
a.m., subject to the call of the chair.
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John Carona, Chair
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Scott Caffey, Subcommittee Clerk