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