The House Committee on Appropriations
79th Legislature
March 16, 2005
7:00 a.m.
Capitol Extension, E1.030
Pursuant to a notice posted on March 10, 2005, and revised on
March 14, 2005 and twice on March 15, 2005, the House Committee
on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to
order by the chair, Representative Pitts, at 7:10 a.m.
The roll was answered as follows:
Present: Representatives Pitts; Luna; Berman; Brown, Betty;
Brown, Fred; Chisum; Crownover; Davis, John; Edwards;
Haggerty; Hamric; Hegar; Hope; Hopson; Isett; King,
Tracy; Kolkhorst; Martinez; McClendon; Menendez;
Pena; Smith, Todd; Turner (23).
Absent: Representatives Branch; Dukes; Gattis; Guillen;
Pickett; Truitt (6).
A quorum was present.
(Representative Guillen now present.) (Representative Pickett
now present.)
The chair recognized Representative Fred Brown to lay out
Regulatory riders.
The chair recognized Representative Betty Brown to lay out a
proposed rider for the Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.)
The chair recognized Representative Tracy King to lay out a
proposed rider for the Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Representative Fred Brown moved the adoption of the following
Regulatory riders: Amend Contingent Revenue Rider for the Board
of Nurse Examiners; Amend Capital Budget Rider for the Board of
Medical Examiners; Add Rural Physician Assistant Loan
Reimbursement Rider for the Board of Medical Examiners; Add
Contingent Revenue Rider for the Board of Chiropractic
Examiners; Add Contingent Revenue: Capital Budget Items and
Agency Operations Rider for the Securities Board; Add
Out-of-State Travel Cap Exemption Rider for the Securities
Board; Add Contingent Revenue Rider regarding the enforcement of
electricians for the Department of Licensing and Regulation; Add
Contingent Revenue Rider regarding weather modification
operations for the Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Turner to lay out the
Criminal Justice riders.
(Representative Branch now present.)
(Representative Dukes now present.)
Representative Turner moved the adoption of the following
Criminal Justice Fiscal Changes: Increase funding for the Public
Integrity Unit of the Judiciary Section, Comptroller's
Department; Increase funding for fuel and for the construction
of a district office for the Department of Public Safety;
Increase funding for Texas Department of Criminal Justice
payments to County Prosecutors; Riders: Add Office of the
Attorney General Family Trust Fund Rider as amended; Amend
Comptroller of Public Accounts Refunds of Unexpended Balances
from Training Entities Rider; Add Appropriation: Actual
Innocence Project Rider for the University of Houston, the
University of Texas, Texas Tech University and Texas Southern
University Law Schools; Technical adjustment to Felony
Prosecutors: Expenses Rider for the Judiciary Section,
Comptroller's Department; Add Contingency Appropriation for
House Bill 1093 Riders for the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice and the Department of Aging and Disability Services; Add
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Mental Health Services
Rider; Add Texas Department of Criminal Justice Harris County
Community Corrections Facility Rider; Add Texas Department of
Criminal Justice Permian Basin Mental Health Deputy Pilot
Program Rider; Add Texas Department of Criminal Justice Inmate
Phones Pilot Project Rider as amended; Add Texas Department of
Criminal Justice Prison Safety and Efficiency Rider; Add Texas
Department of Criminal Justice Annual Supervision Rider; Add
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Expansion of Pre-Parole
Transfer Beds Rider; Add Commission on Jail Standards
Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 2345 Rider; Add Texas
Juvenile Probation Commission Special Needs Diversionary
Programs Rider; Add Department of Public Safety Texas Rangers
Construction Project Rider; Add Department of Public Safety
Driver's License Office Rider; Add Texas Youth Commission
Utilization of Existing Youth Commission Facilities Rider; FTE
Changes: Amend the FTE cap for the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice; Increase the FTE cap for the Texas Department of Public
Safety; Items for Future Consideration: Texas Department of
Criminal Justice Burglary of a Motor Vehicle State Jail Felony
Contingency Rider and increased funding for Correctional Managed
Health Care. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Chisum to lay out the
previously pended recommendations for the Office of Rural
Community Affairs.
Representative Chisum moved adoption of the Legislative Budget
Board recommendations with the following changes: Add new Goal,
Outreach and Assistance, and new Strategy, Rural Policy and
Research, to the bill pattern; Technical adjustment to change
the Method of Finance for Community Affairs Federal Fund No. 127
to the Office of Rural Community Affairs Federal Fund No. 5091;
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House Committee on Appropriations
3/16/2005
Item for Future Consideration: Restore 5% GR Reduction to Health
Care Access Programs and Indirect Administration Strategies.
Without objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Chisum to lay out the
General Government riders.
The chair recognized Representative Luna to lay out the proposed
Item for Future Consideration: Desalination Projects for the
Texas Water Development Board.
Representative Chisum moved the adoption of the following
General Government Technical Adjustments: Texas Enterprise Fund
Rider 12 in the Trusteed Programs within the Office of the
Governor; Capital Budget Rider 2 for the Historical Commission;
Performance measure target for the Library & Archives
Commission; Riders: Amend Capital Budget Rider for the Building
and Procurement Commission; Amend Texas State Cemetery Rider for
Building and Procurement Commission; Add Contingent Revenue:
General Revenue-Dedicated 911 Service Fee Account No. 5050 Rider
for the Commission on State Emergency Communications; Add
Contingent Revenue: General Revenue-Dedicated Advisory
Commission on Emergency Communications Account No. 5007 Rider
for the Commission on State Emergency Communications; Amend
Capital Budget Rider for the Library & Archives Commission;
Amend Capital Budget Rider for the Commission on Environmental
Quality; Amend Capital Budget Rider for the General Land Office
and Veterans Land Board; Add Conservation Assistance Grant Funds
to Soil and Water Districts Rider for the Soil and Water
Conservation Board; Amend Appropriation: Water Assistance Fund
Rider for the Water Development Board; Amend Capital Budget
Rider for the Texas Workforce Commission; Items for Future
Consideration: Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 952
Rider for the Employees Retirement System; Defense Economic
Adjustment Assistance Grant Program Rider for the Trusteed
Programs within the Office of the Governor; Contingency
Appropriation for House Bill 3112: Network Security Services
Rider for the Department of Information Resources; Contingency
Appropriation for House Bill 661 Rider for the Library &
Archives Commission; Contingency Appropriation for Bovine
Brucellosis First Point Testing Rider for the Animal Health
Commission; Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1563:
Vehicle Inspections for Hazardous Waste at Border Crossings
Rider for the Commission on Environmental Quality; Additional
Appropriation for Coastal Erosion Rider for the General Land
Office; Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1292 Rider for
the Parks and Wildlife Department; Appropriation: Collin County
Dam Rehabilitation Funding Rider for the Soil and Water
Conservation Board; Desalination Projects for the Water
Development Board; Contingency Appropriation Rider for the Texas
Workforce Commission; Contingency Appropriation of unexpended
balances Rider for the Texas Workforce Commission. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
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House Committee on Appropriations
3/16/2005
The chair recognized Representative Dukes to lay out a proposed
rider for the Trusteed Programs Within the Office of the
Governor.
Representative Chisum moved the adoption of the Capital Access
Program Rider for the Trusteed Programs Within the Office of the
Governor as an Item for Future Consideration. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Chisum to lay out a proposed
rider for the Employees Retirement System.
Representative Chisum moved the adoption of the Federal Funds
for Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program Rider for the
Employees Retirement System into the bill pattern. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Chisum to lay out a proposed
rider amendment for the Trusteed Programs Within the Office of
the Governor.
Representative Chisum moved the adoption of the Unexpended
Balances Between Biennia Rider Amendment for the Trusteed
Programs Within the Office of the Governor. Without objection,
the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Chisum to lay out proposed
funding and a rider for the Commission on the Arts.
Representative Luna moved the adoption of the Commission on the
Arts Texas Cultural Endowment Fund Interest Earnings Rider to
the Items for Future Consideration. Without objection, the
motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Chisum to lay out proposed
appropriation reductions and a contingency rider appropriation
for Senate Bill 1177 for the Trusteed Programs Within the Office
of the Governor.
Representative Chisum moved the adoption of the appropriation
reductions and contingency rider to the Items for Future
Consideration. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Kolkhorst to lay out the
Education Riders. The chair pended the following Items for
Future Consideration: General Academic Institutions: Small
Institution Supplement, Phasing out the loss of small-school
supplement and Maintenance of Current Services GR Level for
Non-Formula Items; Health Related Institutions: Maintenance of
Current Services GR Level for Non-Formula Items and for
Infrastructure Support and Research Formulas; University of
Texas Medical Branch at Galveston: Contingency Appropriation for
HB 1031. The chair moved the following Items for Future
Consideration into the bill pattern: OCR Priority Plan Reporting
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House Committee on Appropriations
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Requirements for Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M
University.
Representative Kolkhorst moved the adoption of the following
Education riders: Amend Special Project Funding Rider for the
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; Add Best
Business Practices Rider for the University of Texas M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center; Add Reporting by Higher Education
Coordinating Board Rider; Add Proposed Contingency Rider: State
of Texas Advanced Resource Recovery Program for the University
of Texas at Austin; Add Planning and Engineering Rider for the
University of Texas at El Paso; Add Center for Values in
Medicine and Technology Rider for the University of Texas at
Dallas; Amend OCR Priority Plan Reporting Requirements for Texas
Southern University and for Prairie View A&M University; Items
for Future Consideration: Contingency Appropriation for House
Bill 1512 for the University of Texas at Austin; State Funding
for Faculty Costs of Graduate Medical Education; Proposed
Funding Texas A&M University Health Science Center; Support of
Students and Resident Training Programs University of Texas
Medical Branch at Galveston; Rural Technology Center - South
Texas College; Center for Mexican American Studies - University
of Texas at Arlington; Start Up Funds: Electric, Civil and
Environmental Engineering for West Texas A&M University; Mission
Specific Support for Texas A&M University at Galveston;
Appropriation: Regional Academic Health Center as amended for
the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio; Law
School Repayment Program of the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board; Expansion of Health Program for University
of Texas El Paso; Appropriation for Expansion of Public Health
Program in El Paso; Brazos Family Medicine Residency;
Maintenance of GR and Support of Academic Programs for the
University of Texas Health Center at Tyler; Biotechnology
Research Programs at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center; Poultry Diagnostic Laboratory for the Texas Veterinary
Medical Laboratory; New Campus Funding for Blinn College;
Appropriation for Natural Science and Engineering Building at
the University of Texas at Dallas; Special Provisions
Instruction and Operations Support Formula; Restoration of
Baseline Funding on University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center GR; Loss of Small School Supplement at the University of
Texas at Tyler; Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Appropriation for Resident Stipends; University of Texas Medical
Branch at Galveston Homeland Defense and Bioterrorism
Countermeasure Development; University of Texas Southwestern
Collaborative Center for Sickle Cell Disease; University of
Texas Southwestern Imaging Center Operating Costs; University of
Texas at Dallas Reimbursement for Natural Science and
Engineering Building; Texas A&M Kingsville Irma Rangel College
of Pharmacy; Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Irrigation
Technology Center; Texas Engineering Experiment Station Training
Facility Study; Community Colleges Benefits Proportional by
Fund; Special Provisions Scope of Practice; Health Related
Institutions Support for Growth in Patient Care Missions;
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House Committee on Appropriations
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Community Colleges New Campus Funding; Special Provisions
Contingent Appropriations for Small Business Development
Centers. Representative Berman moved to amend Representative
Kolkhorst's motion to reflect the name of the University of
Texas Health Center at Tyler in that agency's Item for Future
Consideration: Maintenance of GR and Support of Academic
Programs. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Kolkhorst to lay out a
funding proposal for Texas A&M University related to the faculty
reinvestment special item.
Representative Kolkhorst moved the adoption of the Texas A&M
University funding proposal to adjust faculty reinvestment
totals to the Items for Future Consideration. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Representative Luna moved to reconsider Representative
Kolkhorst's motion. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
The chair recognized Representatives Kolkhorst and Fred Brown to
further explain the funding proposal.
Representative Fred Brown moved to restore the Texas A&M
University faculty reinvestment special item to the Items for
Future Consideration. Without objection, the motion was
adopted.
Representative Fred Brown moved to adopt the additional funding
proposal to adjust faculty reinvestment totals as previously
laid out. The chair objected to the motion. Representative
Fred Brown withdrew the motion to add additional funding for the
Texas A&M University faculty reinvestment special item.
The chair recognized Representative Kolkhorst to lay out
recommendations for the Texas Engineering Extension Service, the
Texas Engineering Experiment Station, the Texas Transportation
Institute; the Texas A&M University System, the University of
Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Representative Fred Brown moved the adoption of the following
recommendations in Items for Future Consideration: Increase
funding for Texas Engineering Extension Service Regional Swift
Water Strike Team Cache; Increase funding for Texas Engineering
Experiment Station Molecular Diagnostics via
Nanobiotechnologies; Increase funding for Texas Transportation
Institute Summer Transportation Institute; Restore scholarship
funding for the Texas A&M University System; Increase funding
and add Contingency for Senate Bill 95 Rider for the University
of Texas at El Paso Asthma Research Center; Add Sustainable
Water Supply Research Center Rider for the University of Texas
at Arlington. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
Under Rule 4, Section 23A, Chairman Pitts recognized
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House Committee on Appropriations
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Representative Eiland to provide information to the committee.
The chair recognized Representative Turner to lay out a proposed
rider for Houston Community College.
Representative Turner moved the adoption of the Public Safety
Institute campus at Houston Community College Rider into Items
for Future Consideration. Without objection, the motion was
adopted.
The chair recognized Representative Hopson to lay out a funding
proposal and rider for the University of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston.
Representative Hopson moved the adoption of the Regional
Emergency Medical Dispatch Resource Center Pilot Program Rider
and Funding Transfer. Without objection, the motion was
adopted.
Representative Luna moved to reconsider the State Funding for
Faculty Costs of Graduate Medical Education Rider. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Representative Branch moved the adoption of the State Funding
for Faculty Costs of Graduate Medical Education Rider as
amended. Without objection, the motion was adopted.
At 9:56 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection,
the meeting was adjourned until 7:00 a.m., March 17, 2005.
________________________
Rep. Pitts, Chair
________________________
Cristina Self, Clerk
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