The House Committee on Appropriations

80th Legislature

February 23, 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 8:17 a.m.

 

The roll was answered as follows:

 

Present:              Representatives Chisum; Allen, Alma; Brown, Betty; Brown, Fred; Chavez; Darby; Davis, John; England; Gattis; Harper-Brown; Hopson; Isett, Carl; Jackson, Jim; Kolkhorst; McClendon; McReynolds; Riddle; Taylor; Turner; Van Arsdale; Zerwas (21).

 

Absent:              Representatives Guillen; Branch; Crownover; Dukes; Lucio III; Menendez; Noriega, Rick; Otto (8).

 

A quorum was present.

 

Testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Office of the Attorney General

 

The chair recognized Rep. Van Arsdale to lay out the recommendations for the Office of the Attorney General. 

 

(Representative Branch now present.) 

 

(Representative Guillen now present.) 

 

(Representative Otto now present.) 

 

Rep. Van Arsdale moved the adoption of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Legal Services, Child Support Enforcement, and Administrative Reductions Strategies;  Technical Adjustment to Victims Assistance Grants Rider and Appropriation of all CASA License Plates Unexpended Balances and Receipts Rider to correspond to the Biennial Revenue Estimate; Increase the Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Positions Cap; Amend Appropriation of Receipts, Court Costs Rider; Add Travel Cap Exemption for Litigation Related Travel Rider; Add Sex Offender Apprehension Rider; Add Unexpended Balances Carried Forward Between Biennia Rider; Add Special Investigations Unit Rider; Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Department of Criminal Justice

 

The chair recognized Rep. Turner to lay out the recommendations for the Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). 

 

(Representative McReynolds in chair.) 

 

(Representative Noriega, Rick now present.) 

 

(Representative Chisum in chair.) 

 

Rep. Turner moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Basic Supervision and Parole Supervision Strategies to conform to LBB correctional population projections; Decrease Funding for Contracted Temporary Capacity Strategy to conform to LBB correctional population projections; Increase Funding for Institutional Services, Institutional Operations and Maintenance,  Correctional Security Operations, Substance Abuse Treatment, Special Needs Projects, Halfway House Facilities, Diversion Programs, Treatment Services, Intermediate Sanction Facilities, and Managed Healthcare Strategies; Technical Adjustment to Texas Correctional Industries Receipts to correspond to the Biennial Revenue Estimate; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Add Contingency Transfer of Appropriations Rider; Add Diversion Initiatives Riders. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Special Provisions Relating to Public Safety and Criminal Justice Agencies

 

The chair recognized Rep. Turner to lay out the recommendations for the Special Provisions Relating to Public Safety and Criminal Justice Agencies.  Rep. Turner moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations. Without objection, the motion was adopted. 

 

Rep. Turner moved to reconsider the vote by which funding for the Public Integrity Unit (Travis County) under the Judiciary Section, Comptroller's Department was adopted.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.  The Chair pended this issue.

 

 

At 11:19 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was adjourned until 8:00 a.m., February 26, 2007.

 

 

________________________

Rep. Chisum, Chair

 

 

________________________

Paul Kamprath, Clerk