House Committee on Appropriations
            75th Legislature
            February 13, 1997
            8:00 am 
            Capitol Extension, E1.030
            
            Pursuant to a notice posted on February 04, 1997, the House 
            Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was 
            called to order by the Chair, Representative Robert Junell at 
            9:20 am.
            
            The roll was answered as follows:  
            
            Present:  Representatives Junell; Averitt; Coleman; Cuellar; 
                      Davis; Eiland; Finnell; Gallego; Glaze;Haggerty; 
                      Heflin; Hernandez; Hochberg; Kubiak; Moreno; Mowery; 
                      Pitts; Raymond; Tillery; Walker; West, George 
                      "Buddy" (21).
            
            Absent:   Representatives Delisi; Greenberg; Hinojosa; Price; 
                      Swinford; Turner (6).
            
            A quorum was present.
            
            (Representatives Delisi; Greenberg; and Turner, Sylvester now 
            present.)  
            
            (Representative Swinford now present.)  
            
            (Representative Hinojosa and Price now present.)  
            
            
            Land Surveying, Board of Professional
            
            Representative Averitt made a motion to adopt LBB and add a 
            rider authorizing exam fee increase.  Motion was adopted.
            
            Licensing and Regulation, Department of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Agency left pending until committee returns.
            
            At 9:54 am, on the motion of the chair and without objection, 
            the meeting was recessed until February 13, 1997 at 11:00 am.
            
            The meeting reconvened at 11:02 a.m.
            
            
            The roll was answered as follows:  
            
            Present:  Representatives Junell; Delisi; Averitt; Cuellar; 
                      Davis; Eiland; Gallego; Glaze; Heflin; Hernandez; 
                      Hochberg; Moreno; Pitts; Raymond; Swinford; Tillery; 
                      Walker; West, George "Buddy" (18).
             
            Absent:   Representatives Coleman; Finnell; Greenberg; 
          
             
            


                      Haggerty; Hinojosa; Kubiak; Mowery; Price; Turner 
                      (9).
            
            A quorum was present.
            
            
            Licensing and Regulation (Cont'd)
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            (Representatives Greenberg and Kubiak now present.)  
            
            (Representative Finnell now present.)  
            
            Representative Gallego requests a rider to ask them to cut 
            their expenses by 50% for out of state trips.  Left pending.
            
            (Representative Price now present.)  
            
            (Representative Hinojosa now present.)  
            
            (Representative Coleman now present.)  
            
            Representative Kubiak moves to adopt LBB with pending items 
            and the following amendments.  Add riders for elevators and 
            architectural barriers.  Reinstate capital budget rider with 
            technical correction.  Add additional full time employees for 
            boiler inspections to Article XI.  The motion was adopted.  
            
            At 12:00 pm, on the motion of the chair and without objection, 
            the meeting was recessed until February 13, 1997 at 1:30 p.m.
            
            
            The meeting was reconvened at 1:35 p.m.
            The roll was answered as follows:  
            
            Present:  Representatives Junell; Delisi; Averitt; 
            Cuellar;Finnell; Glaze; Haggerty; Heflin; Hinojosa; Kubiak; 
            Moreno; Pitts; Swinford; Tillery; Walker; West, George "Buddy" 
            (16).
            
            Absent:   Representatives Coleman; Davis; Eiland; Gallego; 
            Greenberg; Hernandez; Hochberg; Mowery; Price; Raymond; Turner 
            (11).
            
            A quorum was present.
            
            Medical Examiners, Board of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            (Representatives Eiland and Raymond now present.)  
            
            (Representative Greenberg now present.)  
            
            (Representative Cuellar now present.)  
            (Representative Gallego now present.)  
 
            


            
            (Representative Turner, Sylvester now present.)  
            
            (Representative Mowery now present.)  
            
            Representative Delisi offers the proposed rider on Licensing 
            Fee Structure.
            
            (Representative Davis now present.)  
            
            Representative Delisi rider adopted.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Add $269,390, pending LBB confirmation, for 2 currently 
            authorized full time employees.  Add $267,308 for unused 
            workload.  Add $45,304 for board travel expenses.  Put $26,760 
            for .5 full time employee for regulation of auricular 
            acupuncture in Article XI.  Put $170,128 for 2 full time 
            employees for licensing workload in Article XI.  Add Rep. 
            Delisi's rider with comptroller's language.  The motion was 
            adopted.
            
            Nurse Examiners, Board of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending 
            items and the following amendments.  Add  $167,168 for 
            enforcement, $106,840 for credentialing of Advance Practice 
            Nurses, $60,000 for National Endorsement Data Bank.  Add rider 
            to raise fees with comptroller language.  The motion was 
            adopted.
            
            
            Nurse Examiners, Board of Vocational
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Add $64,870 for enforcement and $52,100 for a capital budget 
            proposal.  Add rider to raise fees with comptroller language.  
            The motion was adopted.
            
            Optometry Board
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            (Representative Price now present.)  
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending 
            items and as amended.  Reinstate Rider 2.  The motion was 
            adopted.
            
            
            Pest Control Board, Structural
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
 
            


            
            Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Change rider 1 to include the word developing.  The motion was 
            adopted. 
            
            Pharmacy, Board of
            
            Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.   
            Add technical correction.  The motion was adopted.
            
            
            Physical and Occupational Therapy Examiners, Executive Council 
            of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB with 
            pending items and as amended.  Add rider requiring the board 
            to adopt rules on disclaimer of services.  The motion was 
            adopted.
            
            
            Plumbing Examiners, Board of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Add $72,000 for one-time capital item.  Add to apportion a 
            representative in El Paso.  Add rider to raise fees and 
            comptroller's language.  The motion was adopted.
            
            Podiatric Medical Examiners, Board of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list. 
            
            Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB with 
            pending items and as amended.  Add $77,536 rider to raise fees 
            and comptroller's language.  The motion was adopted.
            
            Psychologists, Board of Examiners of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Add $50,000 from TEA budget for Licensed Specialist in School 
            Psychology  and technical correction.  The motion was adopted.
            
            (Representative Hernandez now present.)  
            
            Chairman Junell moves the committee stand at ease for 5 
            minutes at 11:00 am.
            
            Committee reconvened at 11:10 am.
            
            
            
            
 
            


            Racing Commission
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB  with 
            pending items.  The motion was adopted.
            
            Real Estate Commission
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Add $48,790 for additional 1-800 lines.  Add comptroller 
            language.  Put $181,416 for 3 full time employees for 
            enforcement and complaint resolution in Article XI.  Put 
            $30,440 for travel expenses in Article XI.  The motion was 
            adopted.
            
            Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB.  The motion 
            was adopted.
            
            Securities Board, State
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Add $456,666 with contingency rider and comptroller language.  
            The motion was adopted.
            
            Tax Professional Examiners, Board of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB.  Put 
            $32,026 for toll free number, internet access and tracking 
            system in Article XI.  Put $25,002 for examinations and 
            education program monitoring in Article XI.  Put rider 
            allowing fee increase in Article XI.  The motion was adopted.
            
            
            
            
            Utility Commission, Public
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended.  
            Add approximately $70,000 in capital budget rider for purchase 
            of 80 PC's in the MELLP and allow for reimbursement of 
            advisory panel.  Increase the number of exempt specialist 
            positions from 22 to 25.  Add technical correction.  The 
            motion was adopted.
            
 
            


            Utility Counsel, Office of the Public
            
            Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB.  The motion 
            was adopted.
            
            Veterinary Medical Examiners, Board of
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending 
            items and technical correction.  The motion was adopted.  
            
            Workers' Compensation Commission
            
            Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
            
            Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending 
            items and as amended.  Add $1,268,112 for 31 full time 
            employees for dispute resolution.  Add $344,016 for 6 
            additional Disability Determination Officers.  Revise Rider 2.  
            Year 2000 computer related requests pending.  Put $385,102 for 
            salary increases and $281,064 for reclassification of 
            ombudsman positions in Article XI.  The motion was adopted.
            
            Workers' Compensation, Research and Oversight Council on
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to leave Research and 
            Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation pending.
            
            Article VIII Special Provision
            
            Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt Rider 1.  The 
            motion was adopted.
            
            
            At 7:42 pm, on the motion of the chair and without objection, 
            the meeting was recessed until February 16, 1997 at 7:00 pm 
            for a working session.
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            _____________________________           ______________________
            Rep. Robert Junell, Chair               Janis Carter, Clerk