The House Committee on Appropriations

80th Legislature

February 22, 2007

8:00 a.m.

E1.030

 

Pursuant to a notice posted on February 16, 2007, and revised by a suspension of the five day posting rule and an announcement from the House floor on February 20, 2007, the House Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to order by the chair, Representative Chisum, at 8:26 a.m.

 

The roll was answered as follows:

 

Present:              Representatives Chisum; Guillen; Allen, Alma; Branch; Brown, Betty; Brown, Fred; Chavez; Crownover; Darby; Davis, John; England; Gattis; Harper-Brown; Hopson; Isett, Carl; Jackson, Jim; Lucio III; McReynolds; Noriega, Rick; Riddle; Taylor; Turner; Van Arsdale; Zerwas (24).

 

Absent:              Representatives Dukes; Kolkhorst; McClendon; Menendez; Otto (5).

 

A quorum was present.

 

Testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Supreme Court of Texas

 

The chair recognized Rep. Van Arsdale to lay out the recommendations for the Supreme Court of Texas. 

 

(Representative Otto now present.)

 

(Representative McClendon now present.)

 

Rep. Van Arsdale moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Remove Federal Funds related to the Children's Justice Act and the Court Improvement Projects; Increase Funding for Appellate Courts Operations Strategy; Increase the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Positions Cap; Add Information Listing -- Federal Funds Outside the Treasury for Court Improvement Projects Rider.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Court of Criminal Appeals

 

The chair recognized Rep. Van Arsdale to lay out the recommendations for the Court of Criminal Appeals.  Rep. Van Arsdale moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Judicial Education Strategy; Amend Disposition Rate for Death Penalty Cases performance measure; Amend Judicial Education Rider; Amend Appropriation: Unexpended Balance Authority Between Biennia and Within the Biennium for Judicial Education, Administrative Allocation Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Fourteen Courts of Appeals

 

The chair recognized Rep. Van Arsdale to lay out the recommendations for the Fourteen Courts of Appeals.  Rep. Van Arsdale moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Appellate Court Operations Strategies to be allocated between the Fourteen Courts; Increase the FTE Positions Cap to reflect this allocation. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council

 

The chair recognized Rep. Riddle to lay out the recommendations for the Office of Court Administration, Texas Judicial Council.  Rep. Riddle moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Child Support Courts Program and Child Protection Courts Program Strategies; Increase Funding for Innocence Projects; Amend Percent of Counties Receiving State Funds for Indigent Defense performance measure; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Amends Indigent Defense, Innocence Projects, and Information Services for the Trial Courts Riders. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney

 

The chair recognized Rep. Riddle to lay out the recommendations for the Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney.  Rep. Riddle moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Representation before the Court of Criminal Appeals Strategy. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

State Law Library

 

The chair recognized Rep. Allen to lay out the recommendations for the State Law Library.  Rep. Allen moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Administration and Operations and Administrative Reductions Strategies. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

State Commission on Judicial Conduct

 

The chair recognized Rep. McReynolds to lay out the recommendations for the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.  Rep. McReynolds moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Administration and Enforcement and Administrative Reductions Strategies; Technical Adjustment to Administration and Enforcement Strategy; Increase the FTE Positions Cap. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

 

 

Judiciary Section, Comptroller's Department

 

The chair recognized Rep. McReynolds to lay out the recommendations for the Judiciary Section, Comptroller's Department.  Rep. McReynolds moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for the Visiting Judges -- Regions, District Judges:  Travel, Public Integrity Unit:  Travis Co, and Special Prosecution Unit, Walker Co Strategies; Add Contingency Appropriation Rider; Amend Public Integrity Unit:  Appropriation Sources, Unexpended Balances, and Performance Reporting Rider; Amend Special Prosecution Unit:  Appropriation Sources, Unexpended Balances, and Performance Reporting Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Special Provisions -- Judiciary

 

The chair recognized Rep. McReynolds to lay out the recommendations for Special Provisions -- Judiciary.  Rep. McReynolds moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Commission on Jail Standards

 

The chair recognized Rep. England to lay out the recommendations for the Commission on Jail Standards.  Rep. England moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Inspection and Enforcement and Administrative Reductions Strategies; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Amend Appropriation:  Inspection Fees Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Commission on Fire Protection

 

The chair recognized Rep. McReynolds to lay out the recommendations for the Commission on Fire Protection.  Rep. McReynolds moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Certify & Regulate Fire Service and Administrative Reductions Strategies; Increase the FTE Positions Cap. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

The Chair recognized Rep. Allen to discuss the Forensic Science Commission.

 

(Representative Kolkhorst now present.)

 

Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education

 

The chair recognized Rep. England to lay out the recommendations for the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education. 

 

(Representative Dukes now present.) 

 

Rep. England moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for the Indirect Administration Strategy; Create New Strategy and Increase Funding for the Forensic Science Commission;  Technical Adjustment to Appropriation:  Proficiency Certificate Fees Rider, Appropriation:  Reinstatement Fees Rider, Appropriation:  State Flag Fund for Deceased Texas Peace Officers Rider to correspond to Biennial Revenue Estimate; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Add Forensic Science Commission Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

At 9:54 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed until 30 minutes after the adjournment of the House on February 22, 2007.

 

The committee reconvened at 12:50 p.m. and was called to order by the chair, Representative Chisum. The roll was answered as follows:

 

Present:              Representatives Chisum; Guillen; Allen, Alma; Brown, Betty; Brown, Fred; Crownover; Davis, John; England; Harper-Brown; Hopson; Isett, Carl; Jackson, Jim; Kolkhorst; Lucio III; McReynolds; Noriega, Rick; Otto; Riddle; Turner; Van Arsdale (20).

 

Absent:              Representatives Branch; Chavez; Darby; Dukes; Gattis; McClendon; Menendez; Taylor; Zerwas (9).

 

A quorum was present.

 

(Representative Darby now present.)

 

Alcoholic Beverage Commission

 

The chair recognized Rep. Riddle to lay out the recommendations for the Alcoholic Beverage Commission. 

 

(Representative Zerwas now present.) 

 

Rep. Riddle moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Enforcement, Compliance Monitoring, and Ports of Entry Strategies; Increase the FTE Positions Cap. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Department of Public Safety

 

The chair recognized Rep. Van Arsdale to lay out the recommendations for the Department of Public Safety. 

 

(Representative McClendon now present.) 

 

(Representative Gattis now present.) 

 

(Representative Taylor now present.) 

 

Rep. Van Arsdale moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Driver License and Records, Crash Records Information System, Narcotics Enforcement, PSB Investigations, Information Resources, Physical Plant, Recruit Schools, Training Academy Education Courses, Other Support Services, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Motor Vehicle Theft Enforcement, Special Crimes, Texas Rangers, Central Administration, Aircraft Operations, and Polygraph Examiners Board Strategies; Technical Adjustments to Appropriation of Receipts -- Parking Violation Revenues Rider and Appropriations Limited to Revenue Collections:  Driver Responsibility Program to correspond to Biennial Revenue Estimate and Comptroller's cost estimate; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Add Transfer of Vehicles Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Adjutant General's Department

 

The chair recognized Rep. McReynolds to lay out the recommendations for the Adjutant General's Department.  (Representative Brown, Fred in chair.)  Rep. McReynolds moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Texas State Guard, State Active Duty -- Disaster, Management and Training, Facilities/Equipment Modernization, and Administrative Reductions Strategies; Amend Cash Flow Contingency Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Texas Military Facilities Commission

 

The chair recognized Rep. McReynolds to lay out the recommendations for the Texas Military Facilities Commission.  Rep. McReynolds moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Facilities/Equipment Modernization Strategy. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Juvenile Probation Commission

 

The chair recognized Rep. England to lay out the recommendations for the Juvenile Probation Commission. 

 

(Representative Chavez now present.) 

 

Rep. England moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Community Corrections Services, Probation Assistance, and Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP) Strategies; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Add JJAEP Accountability Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Youth Commission

 

The chair recognized Rep. Allen to lay out the recommendations for the Youth Commission.  (Representative Guillen in chair.)  The Chair pended the recommendations.

 

 

At 3:15 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was adjourned until 8:00 a.m., February 23, 2007.

 

 

________________________

Rep. Chisum, Chair

 

 

________________________

Paul Kamprath, Clerk