MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Thursday, March 22, 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, March 22, 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 Frank Madla
Senator David Bernsen
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
Senator Jane Nelson
Senator Eliot Shapleigh
Senator David Sibley
*****
The chairman called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. The
following business was transacted.
The chairman announced that at the author's request, no action
would be taken on the following bill:
SB 1031 by Senator Lindsay, relating to certain hospital liens.
The chairman laid out SB 42 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
identifying the needs of certain recipients of financial
assistance and dependent children of recipients of financial
assistance, and recognized the author to explain the bill.
Senator Nelson sent up a committee substitute for SB 42 and
Senator Zaffirini explained the differences between it and the
bill as filed.
At 9:06 a.m. a quorum was established.
Senator Nelson moved the adoption of the committee substitute
for SB 42. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
Witnesses testifying and registering on the committee substitute
for SB 42 are shown on the attached list. There being no other
witnesses registered or responding to the chairman's call for
public testimony relating to the committee substitute for SB 42,
the chairman closed public testimony.
At the chairman's request, the committee substitute for SB 42
was left pending.
The chairman laid out SB 301 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
the continuation of the Office for the Prevention of
Developmental Disabilities, and recognized the author to explain
the bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 301 are shown on the
attached list. There being no other witnesses registered or
responding to the chairman's call for public testimony relating
to SB 301, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senators Carona and Gallegos asked unanimous consent to be shown
voting "aye" on SB 301. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Nelson moved that SB 301 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The motion
prevailed by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent.
Senator Nelson moved that SB 301 be recommended for
certification on the local and uncontested calendar. There
being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The chairman laid out SB 692 by Senator Lindsay, relating to the
evaluation and approval of continuing education courses for
occupational therapists, and recognized the author to explain
the bill.
Senator Nelson sent up a committee substitute for SB 692 and
Senator Lindsay explained the differences between it and the
bill as filed.
Senator Nelson moved the adoption of the committee substitute
for SB 692. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
Witnesses testifying and registering on the committee substitute
for SB 692 are shown on the attached list. There being no other
witnesses registered or responding to the chairman's call for
public testimony relating to the committee substitute for SB
692, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senators Gallegos, Nelson and Sibley asked unanimous consent to
be shown voting "aye" on the committee substitute for SB 692.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous
consent.
Senator Bernsen moved that SB 692 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do not pass, but that the committee
substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be printed. The
motion prevailed by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent.
Senator Shapleigh moved that the committee substitute for SB 692
be recommended for certification on the local and uncontested
calendar. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
The chairman laid out SB 1029 by Senator Lindsay, relating to
the confidentiality of certain information maintained by certain
health care providers, and recognized the author to explain the
bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 1029 are shown on the
attached list. There being no other witnesses registered or
responding to the chairman's call for public testimony relating
to SB 1029, the chairman closed public testimony.
At the chairman's request, SB 1029 was left pending.
The chairman laid out the March 15, 2001, minutes and called for
revisions. There being none, Senator Carona moved their
approval. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
At 9:36 a.m. Senator Carona assumed presiding duties.
The chairman laid out SB 893 by Senator Moncrief, relating to
evaluating drug purchasing cooperatives, and recognized the
author to explain the bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 893 are shown on the
attached list. There being no other witnesses registered or
responding to the chairman's call for public testimony relating
to SB 893, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senator Moncrief moved that SB 893 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The
motion prevailed by a vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays and 3 absent.
Senator Moncrief moved that SB 893 be recommended for
certification on the local and uncontested calendar. There
being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The chairman laid out SB 894 by Senator Moncrief, relating to
bulk purchasing of prescription drugs by certain state agencies,
and recognized the author to explain the bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 894 are shown on the
attached list. There being no other witnesses registered or
responding to the chairman's call for public testimony relating
to SB 894, the chairman closed public testimony.
At the author's request, SB 894 was left pending.
The chairman laid out SB 895 by Senator Moncrief, relating to
the creation of a state prescription drug program for certain
Medicare beneficiaries, and recognized the author to explain the
bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 895 are shown on the
attached list. There being no other witnesses registered or
responding to the chairman's call for public testimony relating
to SB 895, the chairman closed public testimony.
At the author's request, SB 895 was left pending.
At 10:03 a.m. Senator Moncrief resumed presiding duties.
The chairman laid out SB 768 by Senator Madla, relating to the
regulation of the practice of pharmacy and the dispensing of
certain drugs, and recognized Senator Carona, in absence of the
author, to explain the bill.
Senator Carona sent up a committee substitute and explained the
differences between it and the bill as filed.
Senator Carona moved the adoption of the committee substitute
for SB 768. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
Witnesses testifying and registering on the committee substitute
for SB 768 are shown on the attached list. There being no other
witnesses registered or responding to the chairman's call for
public testimony relating to the committee substitute for SB
768, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senator Carona moved that SB 768 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do not pass, but that the committee
substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be printed. The
motion prevailed by a vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays and 3 absent.
Senator Carona moved that the committee substitute for SB 768 be
recommended for certification on the local and uncontested
calendar. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
There being no other business to come before the committee and
upon a motion by Senator Shapleigh, the chairman recessed the
committee by unanimous consent at 10:07 a.m., subject to the
call of the chairman.
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Mike Moncrief, chairman
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Scott Caffey, committee clerk