MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Thursday, January 25, 2001
9 a.m.
Senate Chamber
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and
Human Services was held on Thursday, January 25, 2001, in the
Senate Chamber at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Mike Moncrief, Chairman Senator Chris Harris
Senator John Carona, Vice Chairman
Senator David Bernsen
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
Senator Frank Madla
Senator Jane Nelson
Senator Eliot Shapleigh
Senator David Sibley
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The chairman called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The chairman explained in his welcoming remarks that today's
hearing was an organizational meeting to address the committee
schedule, procedures and rules and to receive a briefing from
representatives of the health and human services agencies. The
chairman welcomed and recognized the Senators serving on the
committee and Jon Weizenbaum, policy director, introduced staff
of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.
The chairman laid out the proposed committee rules for
consideration. Senator Sibley moved the adoption of the
committee rules. There being no objection, the committee rules
were adopted by unanimous consent.
The chairman called the following persons to provide a review
and briefing of health and human services agencies.
The following person provided oral and written testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services
Commission.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Max Arrell, commissioner, Texas Rehabilitation Commission.
John Chacon, executive director, Children's Trust Fund of
Texas.
Mary Elder, executive director, Interagency Council on
Early Childhood Intervention.
David Myers, executive director, Texas Commission for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
By unanimous consent and upon a motion by Senator Carona, the
chairman recessed the committee at 10:29 a.m., until 30 minutes
after the adjournment of the Texas Senate.
The chairman reconvened the Senate Committee on Health and Human
Services at 12 p.m.
The chairman called the following persons to provide a review
and briefing of health and human services agencies.
The following persons provided oral and written testimony:
Jim Loyd, executive director, Texas Health Care Information
Council.
Charles Bell, deputy executive commissioner, Texas
Department of Health.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Jay Kimbrough, executive director, Texas Commission on
Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
Diane Rath, commissioner, Texas Workforce Commission.
Vicki Spriggs, executive director, Texas Juvenile Probation
Commission.
Mary Sapp, executive director, Texas Department on Aging.
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services.
Senator Gallegos requested that a representative of the Office
of the Attorney General testify before the committee to answer
questions over the application process for recipients of welfare
and child support benefits. The chairman directed committee
staff to contact the Office of the Attorney General so that a
representative could be made available to answer questions.
The chairman called the following person to provide answers to
the questions raised by Senator Gallegos regarding the
application process for recipients of welfare and child support
benefits.
The following person provided oral testimony:
Howard Baldwin, Deputy Attorney General for Child Support,
Office of the Attorney General.
The chairman called the following persons to provide a review
and briefing of health and human services agencies.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Karen Hale, commissioner, Texas Department of Mental Health
and Mental Retardation.
Jim Hine, executive director, Texas Department of
Protective and Regulatory Services.
Terrell Murphy, executive director, Texas Commission for
the Blind.
Public testimony was closed after no other witnesses registered
or responded to the chairman's call for testimony regarding
health and human services agencies.
With no other business to come before the committee and upon a
motion by Senator Nelson, the chairman recessed the committee by
unanimous consent at 2:48 p.m., subject to the call of the
chairman.
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Senator Mike Moncrief, chairman
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Scott Caffey, committee clerk