House Committee on Appropriations
         75th Legislature
         February 21, 1997
         8:00 am 
         Capitol Extension, E1.030
         
         Pursuant to a notice posted on February 06, 1997, the House 
         Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was 
         called to order by the Chair, Representative Robert Junell at 
         8:06 am.
         
         The roll was answered as follows:  
         
         Present:  Representatives Junell; Delisi; Cuellar; Eiland; 
                   Glaze; Greenberg; Heflin; Hernandez; Hochberg; Kubiak; 
                   Pitts; Price; Swinford; Walker; West, George "Buddy" 
                   (15).
         
         Absent:   Representatives Averitt; Coleman; Davis; Finnell; 
                   Gallego; Haggerty; Hinojosa; Moreno; Mowery; Raymond; 
                   Tillery; Turner, Sylvester (12).
         
         A quorum was present.
         
         Central Education Agency
         
         Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
         
         Representative Hernandez moved to adopt the LBB budget with a 
         pending item and as amended.  Transfer funds from D.1.1 and 
         D.1.2. to SBEC.  Transfer funds from SBEC to TEA.  Reduce 
         strategy B.3.2.  Add funds for dyslexia and related disorders, 
         site based decision making, and AVANCE.  Add the revised 
         performance measures.  Amend Rider 13,17, 19, 25, 39, 48, and 
         52.  Add new riders on regional education service center 
         dyslexia coordinators, gifted and talented, receipt of federal 
         funds, and site based decision making.  Make a technical 
         correction.  Add the following to Article XI:  $70,000,000 for 
         reading initiative, investment capital fund rider, and 
         communities in schools.  The motion is adopted.    
         
         (Representative Raymond and Tillery now present.)  
         
         (Representative Finnell now present.)  
         
         (Representative Coleman now present.)  
         
         (Representative Averitt now present.)  
         
         (Representative Hinojosa and Turner now present.)  
         
         
         (Representative Mowery now present.)  
         
         Chairman Junell moved to stand at ease for 5 minutes at 10:10 
 
         





         am.  The committee reconvened at 10:17 am.
         
         
         State Board of Educator Certification
         
         Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
         
         Representative Hernandez moved to adopt the LBB budget as 
         amended. Add revised measures. Transfer from TEA D.1.1 and D.1.2 
         funds to SBEC.  Deduct funds from strategy A.1.3 and transfer to 
         B.3.2 and A.3.3.  Add new rider limiting appropriation to 
         revenue collected.  The motion was adopted.
         
         Blind and Visually Impaired, School for the 
         
         (Representative Delisi in chair.)  
         
         Representative Greenberg moved to adopt the LBB as amended.  
         Amend Rider 8.  Add the following to Article XI: funds for 
         instructional technology, funds for renovation of dormitories, 
         and a rider on teacher salaries.  The motion was adopted.
         
         Deaf, School for the
         
         Representative Greenberg moved to adopt LBB budget as amended.  
         Add new riders on tracking system, independent assessment, 
         medical contracts, and EPSDT Screening.  Amend Special provision 
         Riders 8.  Make a technical correction on the Capital Budget 
         Rider. Add a teacher salary increase rider to Article XI.  The 
         motion was  adopted.
         
         Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund
         
         Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
         
         Representative Hernandez moved to adopt the  LBB budget as 
         amended.  Add a new measure.  Add a new rider for library 
         projects and a new rider for telecommunications access. Adjust 
         the bill to take out $51 million and add a contigency rider on 
         passage of legislation.  The motion was adopted.
         
         
         Teacher Retirement System and Optional Retirement Program
         
         Testimony was taken.  See attached witness list.
         
         (Representative Junell in chair.)  
         
         Representative Hernandez moved to adopt the  LBB budget.  The 
         motion was adopted.    
         
         Group Insurance Contributions, Higher Education Employees
         
         Representative Cuellar  moved to adopt the  LBB budget.  The 
         motion was adopted.  
 
         





         
         At 11:46 am, on the motion of the chair and without objection, 
         the meeting was adjourned until February 23, 1997 at 7:00 pm.
         
         
         
         
         ______________________                  ______________________
         Rep. Robert Junell, Chair               Janis Carter, Clerk