3/21/01
The House Committee on Appropriations
77th Legislature
March 21, 2001
7:00 a.m.
Capitol Extension, E1.030
Pursuant to a notice posted on March 16, 2001, the House
Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was
called to order by the chair, Representative Junell, at 7:01
a.m.
The roll was answered as follows:
Present: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy"; Coleman;
Eiland; Glaze; Hamric; Heflin; Janek; King, Tracy;
Luna, Vilma; McReynolds; Moreno, Paul; Pickett; Pitts;
Puente; Turner, Sylvester (16).
Absent: Representatives Allen; Delisi; Farrar; Flores;
Gallego; Giddings; Gutierrez; Hochberg; Maxey; Mowery;
Smith (11).
A quorum was present.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
Department of Human Services
(Representative Allen now present.)(Representative Farrar now
present.)(Representative Flores now present.)(Representative
Smith now present.)(Representative Gutierrez now
present.)(Representative Giddings now present.)(Representative
Maxey now present.)(Representative Hopson, Chuck now present.)
Representative Eiland moved the adoption of LBB recommendations
with the following changes:
3/21/01
Fiscal Changes
Funds to provide cash assistance to increased number of
recipients.
Funds to expand family violence services, maintain Crime
Victims Compensation as method of finance.
Funds to maintain current services for the CARE Program.
Technical Changes
Correct Rider 29, Survey of Nursing Facility Residents, new
subsection b, eliminate text "described in (b) above".
Riders
Enhanced Federal Funding for Administration of the Food
Stamp Program rider (Eiland #1)
Community Alzheimer's Resources and Education (CARE)
Program rider (Janek #2)
Capital Budget rider (Eiland #3)
Unexpended Balances: Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign
Systems (TIERS) rider (Eiland #4)
Transfer to Long-term Care Quality Outreach Program rider
(Eiland #5)
Article IX: Repayment for Overpaid Food Stamp Benefits
rider (Eiland #6)
Nursing Home Program Provisions rider (Maxey #7)
Use of Increased Supplemental TANF rider (Coleman #8)
Article XI
Funds to continue TIERS statewide rollout, replacing the
antiquated SAVRR mainframe system.
Funds for increased wages for nursing home and community
direct care workers
Funds to maintain current services in the Alzheimer's CARE
program at 8 sites throughout Texas
Funds for additional 345 FTEs for Long Term Care
eligibility and service planning
Funds for additional Long Term Care regulators (24 FTEs)
Funds for increased acuity
Funds to reduce interest lists for community care waiver
slots
Funds for Promoting Independence
Funds to maintain 2001 services levels for non-medicaid
community care services
Funds to provide prescription drug coverage for the "frail
elderly", allowing them to remain in the community
Funds to additional caseworkers (100 FTEs) to reduce
average caseload per worker
Funds to provide bonuses to direct delivery staff; intended
to reduce turnover and attract qualified staff
Funds to increase long term care regulatory staff; would
provide more consistent on-site monitoring of fiscally
unstable facilities (112 FTEs)
Funds to expand Home and Community Support Services (HCSSA)
staff to increase oversight for hospice and personal
living services (13 FTEs)
Funds to provide additional multi-lingual direct service
staff (24 FTEs)
Funds for inflation costs in long term care
Funds to replace old mainframe with one integrated client
server package for administrative systems
Funds to fund an integrated information and support system
for contract managers (66 FTEs)
Funds to enhance automation for the HCSSA and Aged and
Disabled complaints
Funds to create a centralized automation system for nurses,
criminal history and employee misconduct registry
programs
Funds for the automation infrastructure improvement
initiative (non TIERS technology improvements)
Add new rider for Barriers initiative
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Funds for contingency rider for HB 1959 (Naishtat) relating
to eligibility of legal immigrants for food stamps
Electronic Kiosk Pilot Project rider
Funds for contingency rider for HB 1187 (Olivo) for the
Parents As Scholars program
Contingency rider for HB 1218 (Counts/Ellis) for State
Immigrant Food Assistance Program (SIFAP)
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TANF Separate State Program rider
Amelioration of Violation rider
Nursing Home Dental Services rider
Residential and Non-residential Family Violence Services
rider
Family Related Sanction Mitigation rider
TANF Resource Limit rider
Earned Income Disregard rider
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
At 9:55 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection,
the meeting was recessed until 1:00 p.m., March 21, 2001.
The committee reconvened at 2:25 p.m. and was called to order by
the chair, Representative Junell. The roll was answered as
follows:
Present: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy"; Allen;
Coleman; Glaze; Hamric; Heflin; Hochberg; Luna, Vilma;
Moreno, Paul; Pitts; Puente; Smith; Turner, Sylvester
(14).
Absent: Representatives Delisi; Eiland; Farrar; Flores;
Gallego; Giddings; Gutierrez; Janek; King, Tracy;
Maxey; McReynolds; Mowery; Pickett (13).
A quorum was present.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
Fourteen Courts of Criminal Appeals
(Representative Eiland now present.)(Representative Giddings now
present.)(Representative Pickett now present.)(Representative
Mowery now present.)(Representative Janek now present.)
Representative Turner moved the adoption of LBB recommendations
with the following changes:
Fiscal Changes
Funds for additional FTEs and three levels of staff
attorney salaries.
Riders
Salary Caps for Legal Staff Salaries at the Intermediate
Appellate Courts rider (Turner #1)
Restriction on Between Biennia Unexpended Balance Amounts
rider (Turner #2)
Equalization of Appellate Court Funding rider (Turner #3)
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Court of Criminal Appeals
Representative Turner moved to add the following changes to
previously adopted recommendations:
Fiscal Changes
Funds for salary raises for legal staff.
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
At 3:28 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection,
the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair.
________________________
Rep. Junell, Chair
________________________
Darshoel Willis, Clerk