MINUTES 
                                           
                            SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 
                             Tuesday, February 27, 2001 
                                     8:00 a.m. 
                           Capitol Extension, Room E1.036 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was  
         held on Tuesday, February 27, 2001, in the Capitol Extension,  
         Room E1.036, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Rodney Ellis                     Senator Gonzalo  
                                                 Barrientos 
         Senator Chris Harris                     
         Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Troy Fraser 
         Senator Tom Haywood 
          Senator Mike Jackson 
         Senator Jon Lindsay 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Steve Ogden 
         Senator Carlos Truan 
         Senator John Whitmire 
         Senator Judith Zaffirini 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 8:03 a.m.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         The Committee continued its markup session on the General  
         Appropriations Bill (Senate Bill 1). 
         Senator Ellis recognized Senator Ogden, Chairman of the PUC  
         System Benefit workgroup, to present recommendations to the full  
         Committee. 
          
              PUC-System Benefit 
              Senator Ogden moved adoption of the workgroup  
         recommendations, Rider 1 drafted by 
              LBB and 2 technical adjustments by LBB: 
              School Funding Loss Mechanism (work group recommendation) 
              Low Income Assistance Program (work group recommendation) 
              Customer Education Program (work group recommendation) 
              Public Utility Counsel's Exceptional Items (work group  
         recommendation) 
              Rider 1 - to prohibit the PUC 
              LBB's proposed recommendations were adopted without  
  
         objection by the Committee. 
          
         Senator Ellis recognized Senator Harris, Chairman of the  
         Judiciary workgroup, to present the workgroup recommendations to  
         the full Committee on the following agencies: 
          
              JUDICIARY: 
              Supreme Court of Texas    
              Court of Criminal Appeal: 
              LBB Proposed one technical adjustment which was adopted  
         without objection.   
              14 Courts of Appeal 
              Office of Court Administration      
              State Prosecuting Attorney     
              State Law Library    
              Court Reporters Certification Board 
              State Commission on Judicial Conduct 
              Comptroller's Office Judiciary Section 
              LBB proposed two technical adjustments, both were adopted  
         without objection. 
          
              The workgroup referred the Salaries portion of their  
              recommendation to Senator Barrientos'workgroup on Salaries.  
              The Committee reviewed the proposed recommendations and  
              decided to adopted Senator Harris's workgroup  
              recommendations without objection.   
               
         Senator Ellis recognized Senator Whitmire, Chairman of the  
         Criminal Justice workgroup, to present the workgroup  
         recommendation to the full Committee on the follow agencies:  
          
              CRIMINAL JUSTICE: 
              Alcoholic Beverage Commission: 
              LBB proposed one technical adjustment which was adopted  
         without objection. 
              Department of Criminal Justice: 
              LBB proposed 3 technical adjustments which were adopted  
         without objection. 
              Criminal Justice Policy Council 
              Commission on Fire Protection: 
              One technical adjustment was proposed by the LBB.  Without  
              objection the adjustment was adopted. 
              Commission on Jail Standards 
          
              Workgroup recommendations were adopted without objection. 
              Juvenile Probation Commission 
              One technical adjustment was proposed by LBB.  Without  
         objection it was adopted. 
              Commission on Law Enforecment Officer Standards & Education  
              Texas Commission on Private Security 
              The LBB proposed two technical adjustments, both of which  
              were adopted without objection. 
              Department of Public Safety 
                   Polygraph Examiners Board 
          
              The workgroup recommendations were adopted without  
              objection.  
          
         The workgroup provided the Committee with a packet of Riders for  
         review.  The Committee adopted the following Criminal Justice  
         Riders: 
          
              Rider for the Commission on Alcoholic & Drug Abuse: 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Contingency Appropriation.  The  
              rider was adopted without objection and put in the base  
              bill. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Criminal Justice/Substance Abuse  
              Initiative.  The rider was adopted without objection and  
              put in the base bill. 
              Riders for the  Department of Criminal Justice: 
              Rider proposed by LBB to required the agency to range fees  
              and surcharge in an amount so as to cover the amount of the  
              appropriation.  The rider was adopted without objection and  
              put in the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Contingent Appropriation Based on  
              Prison Population.  The rider was adopted without objection  
              in the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Contracted Capicity.  The rider was  
              adopted without objection and put in the base bill.     
              Rider proposed by LBB - Correctional Officer Training.  The  
              rider was adopted without objection into the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Treatment Alternative to  
              Incarceration Program.  The rider was  adopted without  
              objection and put in the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Criminal Justice/Substance Abuse  
              Initiatives.  The rider was adopted without objection and  
              put in the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Criminal Justice Initiatives.  The  
              rider was adopted without objection and put in the base  
              bill. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Whitmire concerning funding for  
              an additional 750 communtiy corrections beds.  The rider  
              was adopted without objection and put in Article XI. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Whitmire -  Funding for  
              Specialized Mental Health Caseloads. The rider was adopted  
              without objection and put in Article XI. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Whitmire on additional funding  
              through the Texas Council on Offenders with Mental  
              Impairments.  The rider was adopted without objection and  
              put in Article XI. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Whitmire - Funding for 200  
              specialized caseloads including DWI repeat offenders.  The  
              rider was adopted without objection and put in Article XI. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Ogden - Establishing a Human  
              Resources Plan.  The rider was adopted without objection  
              and put in the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by Sentor Fraser - Faith-based  
              Rehabilitation Program.  The rider was adopted without  
              objection in Article XI. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Parole Guidelines & Enhanced Mental  
      
              Health Services Initiative.  The rider was adopted without  
              objection and put in the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by LBB - Unexpended Balances in the Grant &  
              Loan Program.  The rider was adopted without objection in  
              the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Ogden - Funding for Rural  
              Counties' JJAEP programs.  The rider was adopted without  
              objection in the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Whitmire - Funding for  
              specialized supervision caseloads.  The rider was adopted  
              without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider propsed by LBB - Sale of Florence Property.  The  
              rider was adopted without objection for the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Ogden - Crash Records Information  
              System.  The rider was adopted without objection in Article  
              XI. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Whitmire was adopted without  
         objection for the base bill. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Ogden - Establishing a Human  
              Resources Management Plan.  The rider was adopted without  
              objection in the base bill. 
          
              TYC POPULATOIN REVIEW 
              Youth Commission: 
              LBB proposed one technical adjustment. Without objection  
         the adjustment was adopted. 
              Rider proposed by Senator Odgen, Establishing a Human  
              Resources Management Plan.  The rider was adopted without  
              objection in the base bill. 
              The workgroup recommendations were adopted without  
              objection.  All the special provisions recommended by the  
              LBB for Articl V were adopted without objection. 
          
         Senator Ellis announced that the full Committee would have an  
         officail "Rider Day" to consider pending riders on Monday March  
         5, 2001. 
          
         There being no further business, at 9:40 a.m. Senator Ellis  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Rodney Ellis, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Myra Schmitt, Clerk