The House Committee on Appropriations

80th Legislature

March 9, 2007

8:00 a.m.

E1.030

 

Pursuant to a notice posted on March 2, 2007, the House Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to order by the chair, Representative Chisum, at 8:33 a.m.

 

The roll was answered as follows:

 

Present:              Representatives Chisum; Guillen; Allen, Alma; Brown, Betty; Brown, Fred; Chavez; Crownover; Darby; Davis, John; Dukes; England; Gattis; Harper-Brown; Hopson; Jackson, Jim; Lucio III; McClendon; McReynolds; Noriega, Rick; Otto; Riddle; Taylor; Turner; Van Arsdale; Zerwas (25).

 

Absent:              Representatives Branch; Isett, Carl; Kolkhorst; Menendez (4).

 

A quorum was present.

 

(Representative Kolkhorst now present.)

 

 

 

The Legislature

 

The chair laid out the recommendations for The Legislature.  Rep. Guillen moved the adoption of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) Recommendations.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor

 

The chair recognized Rep. Noriega to lay out the recommendations for the Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor.  Rep. Noriega moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Increase Funding for Regional Planning Commissions; Technical Adjustments to Texas Emerging Technology Fund, Texas Economic Development Bank, and Appropriation of License Plate Unexpended Balances and Receipts Riders; Delete Capital Access Program and Community Development Grants Riders; Add Assistance to Regional Planning Commissions Rider. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

General Provisions and Special Issues Riders

 

The chair recognized Rep. Dukes to lay out the recommendations for General Provisions and to lay out the Special Issues Riders.  Rep. Dukes moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations with the following changes:  Reclassify and Add Positions to the Schedule of Classified Positions; Add Statewide Technology Center Account, Classification Study on Scheduled Exempt Positions, Physical Fitness Standards, and Informational Listing of Supplemental Medicaid Payments Riders; Provide Informational Listing of Data Center Consolidation Appropriations and General Appropriations Authority; Items for Future Consideration:  Add Appropriation for Salary Increase for State Employees and Executive Director of the State Cemetery Riders, Increase Funding in All Funds and General Revenue for State Insurance Contribution Rates, Adjust Exempt Position Salaries, and Increase Targeted Salaries.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Rep. Dukes moved the adoption of the following Special Issues Riders:  Amend the Transportation in Personally Owned or Leased Aircraft and Reagan Building Project Riders; Items for Future Consideration:  Add Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 75, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1056, Pharmacy Benefit Manager Review, Pharmacy Benefit Manager Contract Transparency, Contingency Appropriation regarding the transfer of Building and Procurement Commission functions, Appropriation for State Employee Merit Pay, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 939, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1751, and Adjustment to the Amount Appropriated for Schedule of Exempt Positions. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

Youth Commission

 

The chair recognized Rep. Turner to lay out the recommendations for the Youth Commission.  Rep. Turner moved the adoption of the LBB Recommendations. Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

General Government Riders

 

The chair recognized Rep. Noriega to lay out the General Government Riders.  Rep. Noriega moved the adoption of the following General Government Riders for Article I:  Add Contingency for Supplemental Bill Rider for the Building and Procurement Commission; Add Texas Renewable Energy Resource Assessment Rider for the Comptroller of Public Accounts Fiscal Programs; Amend Regional Planning Commissions Rider and Add Contingent Revenue:  General Revenue-Dedicated 9-1-1 Service Fee Account No. 5050 and Contingent Revenue:  General Revenue-Dedicated Advisory Commission on Emergency Communications Account No. 5007 Riders for the Commission on State Emergency Communications; Delete Texas Museum of Music History Rider and Add Federal Funds for Court Improvement Projects and Children Rider for the Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor; Add Coordination of Resources:  Online Tutoring Program Rider for the Library and Archives Commission; Increase Funding and Add Capital Budget Rider for the State Preservation Board; Amend Appropriation of Unexpended Balances Rider for the State Office of Risk Management; Items for Future Consideration:  Add Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1317 and Senate Bill 537, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 345, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1618, Appropriation for an Ultra Clean Energy Project, Contingency Appropriation for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Grant, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1735, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 2023 Riders; Reallocate Funding between Equipment Replacement and Network Operations Strategies; Increase Funding for Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor and Add Contingency for Musical Instrument Manufacturer's Sales Tax, Online Research and Information Resources, and Colonia Ombudsman Riders.

 

Rep. Noriega moved the adoption of the following General Government Riders for Article VI:  Add Appropriation:  Annualization of the Three Percent Salary Increase and Appropriation:  In-State Travel Restoration Riders for the Department of Agriculture; Amend Appropriation:  Low-Income Vehicle Repair Assistance, Retrofit, and Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Program Rider for the Commission on Environmental Quality; Items for Future Consideration:  Add Appropriation:  Inspection Stations, Appropriation:  Fuel Ethanol and Biodiesel Production Incentive Program, Community Development Block Grant Allocation:  Biotechnology Economic Development in Athens, Administration of the TERP Program, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 1335, Sand Resources Studies, Texas State Railroad, Local Parks Grants, Land Acquisition, Park Land Acquisition, Unexpended Balance Authority:  Alternative Fuels Research and Education Account 101, Salary Increase for Critical Categories to Increase Staff Retention, Underground Pipeline Damage Prevention Program (One-Call Program), Uranium Surface Mining Program, Appropriation:  Bexar-Medina- Atascosa Water Control and Improvement District #1, Appropriation:  Kingsville Water Infrastructure, Appropriation:  North Houston Heights, Desalination, Rainwater Harvesting Projects, and Appropriation:  Nueces County Riders; Increase Funding for the Commission on Environmental Quality and Add Appropriations Limited to Revenue Collections:  Air Permits Allowables Database Rider; Increase Funding for Battleship TEXAS and Add Battleship TEXAS Rider; and Amend Appropriation:  Land Sale Proceeds and Add Proceeds from Sale of Eagle Mountain Lake Riders. 

 

Rep. Noriega moved the adoption of the following General Government Riders for Article VII:  Amend Housing Assistance Rider for the Department of Housing and Community Affairs and Capital Budget Rider for the Department of Transportation; Items for Future Consideration:  Add Weatherization Assistance, El Paso County Disaster Relief, Rural Technology Centers, Appropriation:  Webb County Rural Rail Transportation District, Construction Appropriation:  Four Lane Grade Separation Railroad Adjacent to State Highway 34, Texas Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund, Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 224, The Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge, and Contingency Appropriation for House Bill1887 Riders.

 

Without objection, the motions were adopted.

 

Regulatory Riders

 

The chair recognized Rep. Fred Brown to lay out the Regulatory Riders.  Rep. Fred Brown moved the adoption of the following Regulatory Riders:  Amend State Office of Administrative Hearings performance measures, Billing Rate for Workload, and Texas Medical Board performance measures Riders;  Items for Future Consideration:  Add Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 2170 Rider; Add Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 2169 Rider; Add System Benefit Fund Rider; Add Contingency Appropriation for House Bill relating to the Texas Natural Disaster Catastrophe Fund; and Add Contingency Appropriation for House Bill 716 Rider.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

 

Criminal Justice Riders

 

The chair recognized Rep. Turner to lay out the Criminal Justice Riders.  Rep. Turner moved the adoption of the following Criminal Justice Fiscal Changes:  Increase Funding for Travel Expenses for Field Officers and Driver License Office in the Woodlands; Riders:  Amend Project Rio Referrals and Educational and Workforce Services and Permian Basin Mental Health Deputy Pilot Program Riders; Add Additional Capital Budget -- Helicopter Rider; Items for Future Consideration:  Increase Funding for the Office of the Attorney General and Amend Victims Assistance Grants Rider; Increase Funding for the Judiciary Section, Comptroller's Department and Add District Judge Salaries Rider; Increase Funding for the Office of Court Administration and Add Formation of a Certification Division Rider; Increase Funding for the Department of Public Safety and Amend Capital Budget Rider; Add Appropriation for Family Trust Fund Purposes, Contingency for House Bill 197, Medically Targeted Substance Abuse Treatment, Contingency for House Bill 1887, Transfer of Vehicles to El Cenizo, Rio Bravo, and Grulla, Appropriation for Databases and Clearinghouses Related to Missing Persons and Children Riders.  Without objection, the motion was adopted.

 

At 10:47 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was adjourned until 8:00 a.m., March 12, 2007.

 

 

________________________

Rep. Chisum, Chair

 

 

________________________

Paul Kamprath, Clerk