MINUTES 
          
            SENATE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE (INTERIM) 
                            Thursday, August 20, 1998 
                                     9:30 am 
                                     E1.036 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Children's  
         Health Insurance (Interim) was held on Thursday, August 20,  
         1998 in E1.036, at Austin, Texas.   
          
         Note:   The public hearing was a joint hearing of the Senate  
         Interim Committee on Children's Health Insurance, the House  
         Committee on Public Health and the House Committee on  
         Appropriations.  The following reflects only information  
         relating to the Senate committee.   Minutes for the House  
         committees will be provided by the respective committee  
         staffs.  
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Mike Moncrief                   None 
         Senator Bill Ratliff 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:40 am.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted.   
          
         The following members arrived after the roll was called:   
         none. 
          
         The Chair made opening remarks, welcomed invited speakers,  
         state agency staff and the public.  The Chair announced that  
         the purpose of the hearing was to obtain information relating  
         to  finance and budget issues  for the Texas Children's Health  
         Insurance Program (hereafter CHIP) authorized  by the Federal  
         Balanced Budget Act of 1997 and Title XXI of the Social  
         Security Act.   
          
         The Chair called the Commissioner of Health and Human  
         Services, Don Gilbert,  and the Commissioner of Health,  
         William R. Archer, III,  to brief the Committee on the  
         progress of the agencies' Phase II proposal and to provide  
         agency cost estimates of the various CHIP proposals.  The  
         Commissioners responded to questions by Committee Members,  
         were thanked and dismissed. 
          
         The Chair called Dr. Stephen F. Schwartz, DDS, representing  
         the Texas Dental Association, to respond to members' questions  
         regarding the dental related components of the proposed CHIP  
         plan.  The witness responded to questions, was thanked and  
         dismissed. 
          
         The Chair called members of the Legislative Budget Office  
         Staff: Trey Berndt, Kelly Furgeson, and Paul Priest.  The LBB  
         staff presented information relating to cost estimates for  
         various CHIP proposals and  responded to members' questions.   
         The Chair thanked the witnesses and dismissed them. 
          
         General discussion relating to the cost estimate information  
         followed. 
           
         The Chair made closing comments. 
          
         At12:35 p.m., Senator Moncrief, the Chair,  announced that the  
         Committee would stand recessed subject to call of the Chair.     
         Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         ____________________________________ 
         Senator Mike Moncrief, Chair 
          
         ____________________________________ 
         Gina Martin, Clerk