The House Committee on Appropriations

88th Legislature

March 16, 2023

8:00 a.m.

E1.030

 

Pursuant to a notice posted on March 10, 2023, and permission granted on March 16, 2023, to meet while the House was in session, the House Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to order by the chair, Representative Bonnen, at 8:06 a.m.

 

The initial quorum call was answered as follows: Representatives Bonnen; González, Mary; Allison; Bell, Cecil; Bryant; DeAyala; Gates; Gervin-Hawkins; Howard; Isaac; Jetton; Martinez; Morrison; Orr; Ortega; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver; Walle; and Wu.

 

A quorum was present.

 


 

(Representative Martinez Fischer now present.)

 

Article II

 

(Representative Jetton in chair.)

 

The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Article II.

 

(Representative Bonnen in chair.)

 

Agencies included in Article II

 

Department of Family and Protective Services

Department of State Health Services

Health and Human Services Commission

Special Provisions relating to Article II

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative Howard moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article II.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

Articles I, IV, V

 

(Representative González, Mary in chair.)

 

The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Articles I, IV, and V.

 

(Representative Bonnen in chair.)

 

Agencies included in Article I

 

Commission on the Arts

Office of the Attorney General

Bond Review Board

Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas

Comptroller of Public Accounts

The Fiscal Programs - Comptroller of Public Accounts

Social Security and Benefit Replacement Pay

Commission on State Emergency Communications

Texas Emergency Services Retirement System

Employees Retirement System

Texas Ethics Commission

Facilities Commission

Lease Payments, Facilities Commission

Texas Public Finance Authority

General Obligation Bond Debt Service Payments, TPFA

Office of the Governor

Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor

Historical Commission

Department of Information Resources

Library & Archives Commission

Pension Review Board

Preservation Board

State Office of Risk Management

Secretary of State

Veterans Commission

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative Spiller moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article I.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

Agencies in Article IV

 

Supreme Court of Texas

Court of Criminal Appeals

14 Courts of Appeals

Office of Court Administration Office of Capital and Forensic Writs

Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney

State Law Library

State Commission on Judicial Conduct

Judiciary Section, The Comptroller’s Department

Special Provisions relating to all Article IV agencies

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative DeAyala moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article IV.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

Agencies in Article V

 

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission

Department of Criminal Justice

Commission on Fire Protection Commission on Jail Standards

Juvenile Justice Department

Commission on Law Enforcement

Texas Military Department

Texas Department of Public Safety

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative Allison moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article V.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

Articles VI, VII, and VIII

 

(Representative Rose now present.)

 

(Representative Walle in chair.)

 

The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Articles VI, VII, and VIII.

 

(Representative Bonnen in chair.)

 

Agencies included in Article VI

 

Texas Department of Agriculture

Animal Health Commission

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

General Land Office and Veterans’ Land Board

Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Railroad Commission

Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board

Water Development Board

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative Bell moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article VI.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

At 9:47 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed until upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted.

 

The committee reconvened at 11:20 a.m. and was called to order by the chair, Representative Bonnen.

 

The quorum call was answered as follows: Representatives Bonnen; González, Mary; Allison; Bell, Cecil; Bryant; Gates; Gervin-Hawkins; Howard; Isaac; Martinez; Morrison; Orr; Ortega; Rose; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver; and Wu.

 

A quorum was present.

 

The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Articles VII, and VIII.

 

(Representatives Jetton, Thimesch, and Walle now present.)

 

Agencies included in Article VII

 

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

Texas Lottery Commission

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

Texas Department of Transportation

Texas Workforce Commission

Reimbursements to the UC Benefit Account

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative Thompson, Ed moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article VII.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

Agencies included in Article VIII

 

State Office of Administrative Hearings

Board of Chiropractic Examiners

Board of Dental Examiners

Funeral Service Commission

Board of Professional Geoscientists

Health Professions Council

Office of Injured Employee Council

Department of Insurance

Office of Public Insurance Counsel

Board of Professional Land Surveying

Department of Licensing and Regulation

Texas Medical Board

Board of Nursing

Optometry Board

Board of Pharmacy

Executive Council of Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy Examiners

Board of Plumbing Examiners

Board of Examiners of Psychologists

Racing Commission

State Securities Board

Public Utility Commission

Office of Public Utility Counsel

Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners

Special Provisions relating to all of Article VIII

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative Toth moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article VIII.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

Article III

 

(Representatives Martinez Fischer, and DeAyala now present.)

 

(Representative VanDeaver in chair.)

 

The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Article III Public Education and Higher Education.

 

(Representative Bonnen in chair.)

 

Agencies included in Article III – Public Education

 

Texas Education Agency

School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

School for the Deaf

Special Provisions - School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and School for the Deaf

Teacher Retirement System

Optional Retirement Program

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

The committee stood at ease briefly.

 

The Chair called the committee back to order.

 

Agencies included in Article III – Higher Education

 

The Higher Education Employees Group Insurance Contributions

The Higher Education Coordinating Board

Available University Fund

Higher Education Fund

National Research University Fund

Support for Military and Veterans Exemptions

General Academic Institutions

Health Related Institutions

Public Community/Junior Colleges

Texas AgriLife Research

Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Texas Engineering Experiment Station

Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Texas Engineering Extension Service

Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab

Texas Division of Emergency Management

Special Provisions Relating Only to Components of Texas State Technical College

Special Provisions Relating Only to State Agencies of Higher Education

 

Testimony taken/registration recorded.  (See attached witness list.)

 

Representative Walle moved to sever rider 186 from the Article III Higher Education Rider Packet and not include the rider in the recommendations.

 

The motion failed by the following record vote:

 

Ayes:                           Representatives González, Mary; Bryant; Gervin-Hawkins; Howard; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; Ortega; Rose; Walle; Wu (10).

 

Nays:                           Representatives Bonnen; Allison; Bell, Cecil; DeAyala; Gates; Isaac; Jetton; Morrison; Orr; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver (16).

 

Present, Not Voting:   None (0).

 

Absent:                        Representative Johnson, Jarvis (1).

 

Representative Morrison moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article III Public Education and Higher Education.

 

Representative Gervin-Hawkins requested a record vote.

 

The motion prevailed by the following record vote:

 

Ayes:                           Representatives Bonnen; González, Mary; Allison; Bell, Cecil; DeAyala; Gates; Howard; Isaac; Jetton; Martinez; Morrison; Orr; Ortega; Rose; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver; Walle; Wu (23).

 

Nays:                           Representative Bryant (1).

 

Present, Not Voting:   Representative Gervin-Hawkins (1).

 

Absent:                        Representatives Johnson, Jarvis; Martinez Fischer (2).

 

Articles IX and X

 

The Chair laid out recommendations for the agencies in Articles IX and X.

 

Agencies included in Article IX and X

 

            General Provisions for all Articles

            Senate

            House of Representatives

            Legislative Budget Board

            Legislative Council

            Commission on Uniform State Laws

            Sunset Advisory Commission

            State Auditor’s Office

            Legislative Reference Library

            Retirement and Group Insurance

            Social Security and Benefit Replacement Pay

            Lease Payments

            Special Provisions Relating to the Legislature

 

Representative VanDeaver moved the adoption of recommendations for Articles IX and X.

 

The motion was adopted without objection.

 

With the consent of the Committee, the Chair directs the Legislative Budget Board staff to do the following in order to produce the committee substitute for House Bill 1:

 

Ensure that FTE adjustments are made to conform to committee decisions.

 

Adjust the informational item on agencies that generate their own revenues to ensure that the agencies generate enough money to cover not only the amounts identified within the bill pattern but also indirect costs such as employee benefits, social security, etc. if appropriated elsewhere in the bill.  This information will be based on the decisions adopted by the full committee for employee benefits.

 

Adjust informational items following each agency's bill pattern that identifies "Object of Expense Informational Listing" to conform to the committee's decisions.

 

Make technical adjustments to riders and performance measure targets to conform to committee's decisions.

 

Align appropriations among strategies and methods of finance, between years and to the appropriate bill patterns to conform to committee decisions.

 

Adjust the informational listing in agency bill patterns for the percentage of funds available to the agency represented in the agency’s bill pattern to conform to committee decisions.

 

Adjust the provisions and informational listings in Article IX, including the informational listing of Appropriations for Mental Health Services, to conform to committee decisions.

 

Adjust capital budget authority to conform to committee decisions.

 

Adjust the employee benefits (retirement, group insurance, social security, benefit replacement) appropriations to reflect final FTE counts based upon the policies established by the House Appropriations Committee.

 

Allocate appropriations from General Provisions and General Government agencies to the appropriate agency or functional grouping of agencies by Method of Financing for items that are made elsewhere, such as Retirement and Group Insurance, Social Security and Benefit Replacement Pay, Bond Debt Service Payments, and Lease Payments.

 

At the discretion of the House Appropriations Committee Chairman, make necessary technical adjustments.

 

At 2:06 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair.

 

 

________________________________________________

Rep. Bonnen, Chair

 

 

________________________________________________

Cameron Cocke, Clerk