H.R. No. 64

	R E S O L U T I O N
	WHEREAS, Albert Hawkins is retiring as executive
	commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on
	August 31, 2009, and it is most fitting to recognize him for his
	outstanding leadership as his tenure draws to a close; and
	WHEREAS, Appointed by Governor Rick Perry in January 2003,
	Mr. Hawkins directs the operations of five health and human
	services agencies with more than 50,000 employees and a combined
	budget of about $55 billion; during his tenure, he oversaw the
	consolidation of 12 agencies into five and he initiated substantial
	enhancements in child and adult protective services; widely
	recognized as a budget expert, he instituted administrative changes
	in the Texas Medicaid program that have saved millions of dollars,
	as well as innovations that include personalized treatment plans
	for clients with chronic health issues and electronic health
	passports for children from foster homes; and
	WHEREAS, Mr. Hawkins met the challenges of natural disasters
	with compassion and efficiency; by ensuring the availability of
	federal resources, he avoided overburdening Texas taxpayers while
	providing timely aid to victims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and
	Ike; during his tenure, HHSC won increased federal funding for
	services, more than doubling Upper Payment Limits for doctors and
	hospitals and significantly increasing funding for services to the
	deaf and hearing impaired; moreover, Mr. Hawkins worked with the
	legislature to expand community placement options to serve an
	additional 20,000 clients with disabilities and special health care
	needs; and
	WHEREAS, A Fort Worth native, Mr. Hawkins worked his way
	through The University of Texas at Austin as a postal service
	employee and earned his master's degree in public affairs from the
	Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs; he joined the Texas
	Legislative Budget Board in 1978 as a program analyst and
	eventually became deputy director of the agency; from 1995 to 2000,
	he served as budget director for Governor George W. Bush, and he
	went on to serve on the senior staff in the Bush White House as
	assistant to the president and secretary to the cabinet; and
	WHEREAS, This dynamic 35-year veteran of government service
	has received numerous accolades, including the Whitney M. Young
	Award of the Austin Urban League, the Outstanding Leadership Award
	of the Austin Chapter of Blacks in Government, and the Bob Bullock
	Award for Outstanding Public Stewardship; he received an honorary
	doctorate in public service from the University of North Texas
	Health Science Center and was named a distinguished alumnus by the
	LBJ School; in addition, he was named Texas State Administrator of
	the Year for 1998; he has served his local community as chair of the
	Austin Area Urban League, as board treasurer of the Capital Area
	United Way, as a mentor and board member of Project M.A.N., Inc.,
	and as a member of the board of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Austin;
	and
	WHEREAS, Highly respected for his integrity, dedication, and
	uncompromising commitment to excellence and fiscal responsibility,
	Albert Hawkins skillfully guided the Health and Human Services
	Commission through a time of considerable change, and he may indeed
	reflect with pride on his many accomplishments; now, therefore, be
	it
	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
	Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby congratulate Albert
	Hawkins on his retirement as executive commissioner of the Texas
	Health and Human Services Commission and extend to him sincere best
	wishes for continued success and happiness; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
	prepared for Mr. Hawkins as an expression of high regard by the
	Texas House of Representatives.
	Davis of Harris
	Straus Gattis Menendez
	Allen Geren Merritt
	Alonzo Giddings Miklos
	Alvarado Gonzales Miller of Comal
	Anchia Gonzalez Toureilles Miller of Erath
	Anderson Guillen Moody
	Aycock Gutierrez Morrison
	Berman Hamilton Naishtat
	Bohac Hancock Oliveira
	Bolton Hardcastle Olivo
	Bonnen Harless Orr
	Branch Harper-Brown Ortiz, Jr.
	Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Otto
	Brown of Brazos Heflin Parker
	Burnam Hernandez Patrick
	Button Herrero Paxton
	Callegari Hilderbran Peña
	Castro Hochberg Phillips
	Chavez Hodge Pickett
	Chisum Homer Pierson
	Christian Hopson Pitts
	Cohen Howard of Fort Bend Quintanilla
	Coleman Howard of Travis Raymond
	Cook Hughes Riddle
	Corte Hunter Rios Ybarra
	Crabb Isett Ritter
	Craddick Jackson Rodriguez
	Creighton Jones Rose
	Crownover Keffer Sheffield
	Darby Kent Shelton
	Davis of Harris King of Parker Smith of Tarrant
	Davis of Dallas King of Taylor Smith of Harris
	Deshotel King of Zavala Smithee
	Driver Kleinschmidt Solomons
	Dukes Kolkhorst Strama
	Dunnam Kuempel Swinford
	Dutton Laubenberg Taylor
	Edwards Legler Thibaut
	Eiland Leibowitz Thompson
	Eissler Lewis Truitt
	Elkins Lucio III Turner of Tarrant
	England Madden Turner of Harris
	Farabee Maldonado Vaught
	Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey
	Farrar Marquez Villarreal
	Fletcher Martinez Vo
	Flores Martinez Fischer Walle
	Flynn McCall Weber
	Frost McClendon Woolley
	Gallego McReynolds Zerwas
	______________________________
	Speaker of the House
	I certify that H.R. No. 64 was adopted by the House on July 2,
	2009, by a non-record vote.
	______________________________
	Chief Clerk of the House