MINUTES 
                                           
                            SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 
                             Wednesday, March 14, 2001 
                                     9:30 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 Wednesday, March 14, 2001, in the Capitol Extension,  
         Room E1.036, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Rodney Ellis                    None 
         Senator Chris Harris 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos 
         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 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Senator Ellis called the meeting to order at 9:35 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).  The LBB was recognized to  
         highlight their recommendations on The Legislature (Article X). 
              THE LEGISLATURE (Article X): 
              LBB provided a brief overview of their recommendations on  
              Article X.  Without objection, their recommendations were  
              adopted. 
          
         Senator Barrientos assumed the chair and laid out SB1263 and  
         recognized the author, Senator Ellis, to explain the bill.  A  
         revised fiscal note from the comptroller was requested.  Senator  
         Ellis moved that SB1263 be left pending; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the  
         bill are shown on the attached list.   
          
         Senator Ellis resumed the chair.  The next order of business  
         considered by the Committee was on Tobacco(Article XII).   
              TOBACCO (Article XII): 
              LBB highlighted their recommendations.  One technical  
              correction was proposed to amend rider #8, Limitation on  
              Use of Funds by adding subsection (b) requesting fund  
              performance information from fund account managers.  There  
              being no objection, the technical correction was adopted  
              along with all LBB recommendations. 
          
         The Committee considered the following riders for Tobacco  
         (Article XII): 
              Rider on page 1 by Senator Zaffirini - Tobacco Settlement  
              Receipts.  Without objection the rider was adopted and put  
              in Article XI. 
              Rider on page 2 by Senator Truan - Center for Rural Health  
              Initiative. Without objection the rider was adopted and put  
              in Article XI. 
              Rider on page 5 by Senator Harris - Nursing Allied Health &  
              Other Health Relater Programs.  Senator Harris requested  
              the rider be pulled down. 
              Rider on page 6 by Senator Zaffirini - Permanent Fund for  
              Children and Public Health.  Without objection the rider  
              was adopted and put in Article XI.   
              Rider on page 7 by Senator Ellis - Amend Article XII, Rider  
              No.2 entitled Estimated Appropriation and Unexpended  
              Balance - Higher Education Funds.  Senator Ellis requested  
              the rider be put on HOLD. 
          
         At 10:19 a.m. Senator Ellis moved that the Committee stand  
         recessed until after adjournment of the Senate; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  
          
         At 3:18 p.m. the Committee reconvened and continued the markup  
         session on Education (Article III).  The LBB was recognized to  
         provide a brief overview of their recommendations on Education  
         issues. 
          
              EDUCATION (Article III) 
              Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired 
              Texas School for the Deaf: 
              Rider proposed by LBB on TIF funding for video  
              conferencing.  The rider was adopted without objection. 
              University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort  
         Worth: 
  
              Rider proposed by LBB on Forensic Laboratory Rider  
              Amendment.  The rider was adopted without objection.  
              Health Related Institutions of Higher Education: 
              Technical correction rider proposed by the LBB was adopted  
         without objection. 
              Texas Tech University: 
              The LBB proposed a technical correction to add 70 FTEs. The  
              rider was adopted without objection. 
              Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board: 
              Unexpended Balance Rider proposed by LBB.  The rider was  
         adopted without objection. 
          
         Senator Ellis sent up a packet of riders regarding Non-Higher  
         Education Agencies for the Committee to consider.  
              Packet of Pending Items & Riders Relating to Non-Higher  
              Education Agencies: 
              Rider page 2 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis - State  
              Textbook Fund.  The rider was adopted without objection in  
              Article XI. 
              Rider page 3 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis -Investment  
                   Capital Fund. The rider was adopted without objection  
                   in Article XI. 
              Rider page 4 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis -Successful  
              Schools Award Program.  The rider was adopted without  
              objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 5 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis - Receipt &  
              Use of Federal Funds and Royalties. The rider was adopted  
              without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 6 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis - School  
              Improvement & Parental Involvement Initiative.  The rider  
              was put on HOLD. 
              Rider page 7 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis - Head Start -  
              Ready to Read Programs. The rider was adopted without  
              objection in the base of the bill. 
              Rider page 8 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis - Exemptions  
              from Limitations on Salary Increases. The rider was adopted  
              without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 9 By TEA carried by Senator Ellis - Cooperation  
                                                                with the  
                                                                Texas  
                                                                Council  
                                                                on  
                                                                Workforce  
                                                                &  
                                                                Economic  
                                                                Competiti 
                                                                veness.   
                                                                The rider  
                                                                was left  
                                                                pending.   
              Rider page 10 by TEA carried by Senator Ellis - Student  
              Passing Rate Targets for the New Assessments.  The rider  
              was adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 11 by Senator Whitmire.  The rider was adopted  
      
              without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 12 by Senator Jackson - Investment Capital Fund.   
         The rider was withdrawn. 
              Rider page 13 by Senator's Truan and Lucio - Contract for  
              Adult education Services.  The rider was adopted without  
              objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 14 by Senator's Truan and Lucio - Catalog &  
              Track Adult Education & Literary Resources.  The rider was  
              adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 15 by Senator's Shapiro and Zaffirini -  
                   Contingent upon SB 430. The rider was adopted without  
                   objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 15 by Senator Ogden was adopted without  
         objection for Article XI. 
              Rider page 16 by Senator Ogden was adopted without  
         objection for Article XI. 
              Rider page 17 by Senator's Lindsay and Bernsen was adopted  
                   without objection for Article XI. 
              Rider page 18 by Senator's Lindsay and Bernsen, adopted  
                   without objection for Article XI. 
              Rider page 19 by Senator Haywood, adopted without objection  
         for Article XI. 
              Rider page 20 by Senator Lucio.  The was a language change  
              to strike the word H.O.S.T.S.  The rider was adopted  
              without objection as amended for Article XI. 
              Rider page 21 by Senator Zaffirini - Mandatory Kindergarten  
              funding. The rider was adopted without objection in Article  
              XI. 
              Rider page 22 by Senator Zaffirini was adopted without  
         objection for Article XI. 
              Rider page 23 by Senators Lindsay and Nelson -  
              Instructional Facilities Allotment Expansion.  The rider  
              was adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 24 by Senator's Ellis and Bivins - Instructional  
              Facilities Allotment Expansion.  The rider was adopted  
              without objection for the base of the bill. 
              Rider page 25 by Senator Ogden, adopted without objection  
         for the base bill. 
              Rider page 26 by Senator West - Compensatory Education  
              Programs & Remediation Program Analysis.  The rider was  
              adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 27 by Senator West - Disciplinary Alternative  
              Education Program. The rider was adopted without objection  
              in Article XI. 
              Rider page 28 by Senator West - School Improvement &  
              Parental involvement Initiative.  The rider was adopted  
              without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider page 29 by Senator Lindsay - State Board for Educator  
              Certification.  The rider was adopted without objection in  
              Article XI. 
              Rider page 30 by Senator Zaffirini. The rider was adopted  
              without objection for Article XI. 
              Rider page 31 by Senator Ogden - Travel Cap Exemption.  The  
              rider was  adopted without objection for the base bill. 
          
         The Committee staff distributed a packet on Higher Education.   
         Senator Ellis addressed that all business included in the packet  
         had been considered prior to the hearing but required a motion  
         to adopt. 
              Packet on Higher Education Top Priority: 
              All riders in the packet were adopted without objection for  
         Article XI. 
          
         The Committee considered a packet regarding Institutions of  
         Higher Education. The Committee adopted the packet as a whole  
         but considered several riders for review. 
              Packet Primarily Related to Institutions of Higher  
         Education:  
              All riders in the packet were adopted without objection for  
              Article XI except for the following: 
              Rider page 4 by Senator Ellis - Adult Education Program.  
              The rider was adopted for the base of the bill. 
              Rider page 5 by Senator Ellis - Rider #6, Appropriations  
              Transfer. A technical adjustment was added.  The rider was  
              adopted without objection in the base of the bill. 
              Rider page 21 by Senator Ellis - Rider #1, Texas A&M  
              University System Share. The rider was adopted without  
              objection in the base bill. 
              Rider page 31 by Senator Ogden - Establishment of an  
              America's Promise School. The rider was adopted without  
              objection in the base of the bill. 
          
              Senator Duncan proposed a small packet of riders to be  
              considered by the full Committee.  Rider #1 - Educator  
              Preparation Program Performance Fund. The rider was adopted  
              without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider #2 - Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution.    
              The rider was adopted without objection in Article XI.  
              Rider #3 - Texas Tech University Health Science Center - El  
              Paso.   The rider was adopted without objection in Article  
              XI. 
              Rider #4 - University of Texas at El Paso.  The rider was  
              adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider #5 - University of Texas at El Paso.   The rider was  
              adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider #6 - Texas Agricultural Extension Service.  The rider  
              was adopted without objection in Article XI. 
          
              Senator Zaffirini proposed a small packet of riders to be  
              considered by the full Committee. 
              Rider #1 - South Texas Border Initiative Programs.  The  
              rider was adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider #2 - Starr County Upper Level Education Institution.   
              The rider was adopted without objection in Article XI. 
              Rider #3 - University of Texas Health Science Center at San  
              Antonio.  The rider was adopted without objection in  
              Article XI. 
              Rider #4 - Texas State Technical College System  
              Administration.  The rider was adopted without objection in  
              Article XI. 
  
              Senator Haywood proposed two riders regarding Midwestern  
              University.  The riders were adopted without objection in  
              the base of the bill. 
          
         There being no further business, at 4:20 p.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 
          
         ______________________ 
         Amber Martin, Clerk