MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Thursday, October 28, 1999
9 a.m.
Lt. Governor's Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, an organizational meeting and briefing of the Senate
Committee on Human Services was held on Thursday, October 28,
1999, in the Lt. Governor's Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20, at
Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair Senator Mario Gallegos,
Jr.
Senator John Carona, Vice Chair
Senator David Bernsen
Senator Chris Harris
ALSO PRESENT:
Representative Norma Chavez
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. There being a
quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The chair made opening remarks and announced that the purpose of
the meeting was to consider the organization, rules, procedures
and proposed schedule for the Senate Committee on Human Services
and to receive briefings regarding interim charges from Lt.
Governor Rick Perry.
The chair recognized Chris Hudson, committee director, who
introduced committee staff for the interim, namely, Scott
Caffey, committee clerk; Stacy Gaston, legislative aide; Anne
Ray, legislative
aide; and Jon Weizenbaum, legislative aide.
The chair laid out the interim rules for the Senate Committee on
Human Services and called for revisions. There being none,
Senator Carona moved their approval. There being no objection,
the rules were adopted by unanimous consent.
The chair called invited panelists to brief committee members
regarding the continuum of care and support options available to
Texans in need of long-term care and the implementation of SB
374 by Senator Judith Zaffirini and Representative Patricia
Gray, relating to the provision of certain
long-term care services, to the continuation and functions of
the Texas Department on Aging, and to the eventual consolidation
of the Texas Department of Human Services and the Texas
Department on Aging into a new agency on aging and disability
services.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services
Commission, 4900 North Lamar, 4th Floor, Austin, Texas
78711-3247.
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Karen Hale, commissioner, Texas Department of Mental Health
and Mental Retardation,
909 West 45th Street, Austin, Texas 78711-2668.
William "Reyn" Archer, commissioner, Texas Department of
Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756.
Mary Sapp, executive director, Texas Department on Aging,
4900 North Lamar, Austin, Texas 78711-2786.
Kim Stokes, senior associate commissioner, Texas Department
on Insurance, 333 Guadalupe Street, Austin, Texas
78714-9104.
Senator Carona moved to add Medically Fragile Children in Texas
Nursing Homes to the interim committee charges. There being no
objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The chair called invited panelists to brief committee members
regarding the services provided to hardest-to-serve adult
welfare recipients and services provided to children receiving
welfare.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services
Commission, 4900 North Lamar, 4th Floor, Austin, Texas
78711-3247.
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, 701 West 51st Street,
Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Diane Rath, commissioner, Texas Workforce Commission, 101
East 15th Street, Austin, Texas 78778-0001.
Cheryl Halliburton, director, Texas Council on Workforce
and Economic Competitiveness,
1100 San Jacinto, Room 100, Austin, Texas 78768.
The following person provided oral and written testimony:
Patrick Bresette, associate director, Center for Public
Policy Priorities, 900 Lydia Street,
Austin, Texas 78702.
The chair called invited panelists to brief committee members
regarding federal developments related to long-term care and
welfare issues.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services
Commission, 4900 North Lamar, 4th Floor, Austin, Texas
78711-3247
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Diane Rath, commissioner, Texas Workforce Commission, 101
East 15th Street, Austin, Texas 78778-0001.
Kathy Eckstein, senior policy analyst, Legislative Budget
Board, P.O. Box 12666, Austin
Texas 78733.
The following person provided oral and written testimony:
Jon Hinojosa, legislative liaison, Office of State-Federal
Relations, 1100 San Jacinto, Suite 288, Austin, Texas
78711.
The chair called invited panelists to brief committee members
regarding the implementation of SB 30 by Senator Florence
Shapiro and Representative Diane Delisi, relating to parental
notification before an abortion may be performed on certain
minors.
The following person provided oral testimony:
William "Reyn" Archer, commissioner, Texas Department of
Health, 1100 West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756.
The following person provided oral and written testimony:
Robert Pemberton, rules attorney, Supreme Court of Texas,
201 West 14th Street, Room 104, Austin, Texas 78711.
The chair called invited panelists to brief committee members
regarding the implementation of HB 2641 by Representative
Patricia Gray and Senator J.E. "Buster" Brown, relating to the
continuation and functions of the Health and Human Services
Commission.
The following person provided oral testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services
Commission, 4900 North Lamar, 4th Floor, Austin, Texas
78711-3247.
The chair called invited panelists to brief committee members
regarding the effects of additional resources provided to the
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Karen Eells, deputy director for programs, Texas Department
of Protective and Regulatory Services, 701 West 51st
Street, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Drew Thigpen, deputy director for finance, Texas Department
of Protective and Regulatory Services, 701 West 51st
Street, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Senator Zaffirini concluded the organizational meeting by
requesting that Commissioner Don Gilbert assume a leadership
role in creating working groups with agency staff, advocates,
other interested persons, committee members' staff
representatives and committee staff to develop recommendations
related to the committee's interim charges and responsibilities.
Senator Zaffirini stated that she intends the committee's work
during the interim to lead to the creation of strong legislation
aimed at improving the lives of all Texans. She noted that
future hearings and working groups will be designed to prepare
the committee's legislative agenda for the 77th Legislative
Session.
With no other business to come before the committee and upon a
motion by Senator Bernsen, the chair recessed the committee by
unanimous consent at 12:07 p.m., subject to the call of the
chair.
__________________________________
Judith Zaffirini, Chair
___________________________________
Scott Caffey, Committee Clerk