The House Committee on Appropriations

80th Legislature

March 6, 2007

8:00 a.m.

E1.030

 

Pursuant to a notice posted on March 1, 2007, the House Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to order by the chair, Representative Chisum, at 8:20 a.m.

 

The roll was answered as follows:

 

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

 

Absent:              Representatives Branch; Brown, Fred; Dukes; Kolkhorst; Lucio III; Menendez; Noriega, Rick; Van Arsdale (8).

 

A quorum was present.

 

Testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Health and Human Services Commission

 

The chair recognized Rep. Gattis to lay out the recommendations for the Health and Human Services Commission. 

 

(Representative Noriega, Rick now present.)

 

(Representative Lucio III now present.) 

 

(Representative Van Arsdale now present.) 

 

(Representative Dukes now present.) 

 

(Representative Kolkhorst now present.) 

 

(Representative Branch now present.)

 

Rep. Gattis moved the adoption of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Medicaid, CHIP, and Program Support Goals; Increase Funding for Integrated Eligibility & Enrollment, Office of the Inspector General, Family Violence Services, and IT Program Support Strategies; Increase Funding to Restore Salary Reductions in the Base Bill; Move School Employee Children Insurance and CHIP Vendor Drug Program Strategies to School Employee Children Insurance Strategy at the

 

Teacher's Retirement System; Use Goals and Strategies to track certain Exceptional Items; Reduce Upper Payment Limit Strategy; Technical Adjustments to Reduce Tobacco Settlement Receipts and Increase Funds in the Medicaid Program, Reduce Funding for Health Insurance Premium Payment Savings, and Transfer Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Positions to HHSC; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Amend Appropriation Transfers and Unexpended Balances Between Fiscal Years, Child Support Supplemental Payments, Continued Medicaid Coverage of Certain Excluded Medicare Part D Drug Categories Riders, Amend and Move Informational Listing -- Supplemental Medicaid Payments Rider to Art. IX; Add Alberto N. Settlement Support, Hospital Uncompensated Care, Hospital Reimbursement, Healthy Marriage Development Program, Children's Health Insurance Program Priority, Payments to Health Centers for Medicaid Family Planning, Freestanding Psychiatric Facilities, Deficit Reduction Act Pharmacy Savings, Contingency for Children's Behavioral Health Council and Advisory Committee, Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Program, Health and Human Services Commission State-Owned Hospital Medicaid Maximization, Office of Acquired Brain Injury, Payment to Hospital Providers, Payments to Health Centers under Medicaid Managed Care, and Staffing Authorization in Lieu of Contracted Responsibilities Riders.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

At 9:57 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 March 6, 2007.

 

The committee reconvened at 1:18 p.m. and was called to order by the chair, Representative Chisum. The roll was answered as follows:

 

Present:              Representatives Chisum; Guillen; Allen, Alma; Branch; Brown, Betty; Darby; Davis, John; Dukes; England; Gattis; Harper-Brown; Hopson; Jackson, Jim; Kolkhorst; Lucio III; McClendon; McReynolds; Otto; Taylor; Turner; Van Arsdale; Zerwas (22).

 

Absent:              Representatives Brown, Fred; Chavez; Crownover; Isett, Carl; Menendez; Noriega, Rick; Riddle (7).

 

A quorum was present.

 

Testimony was taken.  (See attached witness list.)

 

The chair recognized Rep. Gattis to lay out a contingency rider for House Bill 109.  Rep. Turner moved the adoption of the rider.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

(Representative Noriega, Rick now present.) 

 

(Representative Isett, Carl now present.) 

 

(Representative Riddle now present.) 

 

 

(Representative Brown, Fred now present.) 

 

(Representative Chavez now present.)

 

Special Provisions Relating to All Health and Human Services Agencies

 

The chair recognized Rep. Gattis to lay out the recommendations for Special Provisions Relating to All Health and Human Services Agencies.  Rep. Gattis moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Technical Adjustment to General Revenue Funds for Medicaid Mental Health and Mental Retardation Services Rider; Amend Night Shift and Weekend Differential, Disposition of State Funds Available Resulting from Federal Match Ratio Change, Limitations on Transfer Authority, Payment for Compensatory Time, Community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Centers, Unexpended Balances:  General Revenue for Medicaid, and Appropriation of Receipts:  Civil Monetary Damages and Penalties Riders; Add Provision of Services for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury through Medicaid Rider.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services

 

The chair recognized Rep. Zerwas to lay out the recommendations for the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services.  Rep. Zerwas moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for the Children with Disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Goals; Increase Funding for the Independent Living (ILCs) Strategy; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Amend Capital Budget, Reimbursement of Advisory Committee Members, and Reporting on Early Childhood Intervention Riders; and Delete Medicaid Billing of Developmental Rehabilitation Services Rider.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Department of State Health Services

 

The chair recognized Rep. Hopson to lay out the recommendations for the Department of State Health Services. 

 

(Representative Crownover now present.)

 

Rep. Hopson moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Hospital Facilities and Services, Consumer Protection Services, Indirect Administration, and Capital Items Goals; Increase Funding for HIV/STD Prevention, Infectious Disease Prevention, Epidemiology and Surveillance Laboratory Services, Capital Items--Public Health, Community Mental Health Crisis Services, Public Health Preparation and Coordination Services, Immunize Children and Adults, Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Intervention, and Food (Meat) and Drug Safety Strategies; Technical Adjustment to Increase Amounts for Vital Statistics Account; Technical Adjustments to Increase Amounts for Dedicated Tobacco Accounts and Animal Friendly Plates to correspond to the Biennial Revenue Estimate; Technical Adjustment to Transfer Print Shop Operations to DSHS; Amend Number of Children

 

with Special Health Care Needs Clients Receiving Medical Services performance measure; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Amend Reimbursement of Advisory Council Members, Use of

 

Community Primary Care Services, FQHC, and Special Health Initiatives Funds, Children with Special Health Care Needs, Funding for the Children's Outreach Heart Program, Construction of the Texas Center for Infectious Disease and South Texas Health Care System, and Appropriation:  Contingent Revenue Riders; Delete Expenditures Related to School Health Rider; Replace Tobacco Use Goals Rider; Reinstate Mentally Ill Offender Screening Rider; Add School Cafeteria Inspections, Contingent Appropriation:  Land Sales, Estimated Appropriations:  Perpetual Care Account, Community Mental Health Crisis Services, Transportation of Mental Health Patients, Use of Family Planning Funds, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1297, and Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 654 Riders; Item for Future Consideration:  Recruit and Retain Critical Shortage Professionals.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Department of Aging and Disability Services

 

The chair recognized Rep. Jackson to lay out the recommendations for the Department of Aging and Disability Services.  Rep. Jackson moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Home and Community Based Services, Intake, Access, and Eligibility, Guardianship, Facility/Community-based Regulation, IT Program Support, and MR State School Services Strategies; Technical Adjustments to Print Shop Operations Transfer to DSHS, General Revenue Match for Medicaid, and Revolving Fund Services:  Canteen Services and Sheltered Workshops Rider; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Amend Limitation:  Medicaid Transfer Authority Rider; Delete CPS Reform Plan Rider; Add Quality Monitoring Program Rider.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Department of Family and Protective Services

 

The chair recognized Rep. Dukes to lay out the recommendations for the Department of Family and Protective Services.  Rep. Dukes moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Foster Care Payments, Statewide Intake Services, CPS Direct Delivery Staff, IT Program Support, Agency-Wide Automated Systems, APS Direct Delivery Staff, APS Program Support, STAR Program, CYD Program, Other At-Risk Prevention Programs, and At-Risk Prevention Program Support Strategies; Increase Funding for Protective Services and Indirect Administration Goals; Realign Budget Structure; Increase the FTE Positions Cap; Delete At-Risk Youth Prevention Services Rider; Add Prevention Services Strategic Plan, Interagency Coordinating Council for Building Healthy Families, Reimbursement of Advisory Committees, Informational Listing -- CPS Reform, Informational Listing -- CPS Reform Continued, Contingency Reduction in Appropriation for House Bill 551, and Contingency Reduction for a Supplemental House Bill.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

 

 

 

At 5:45 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair.

 

 

________________________

Rep. Chisum, Chair

 

 

________________________

Paul Kamprath, Clerk