MINUTES 
          
                           SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 
                             Monday, March 15, 1999 
                                    9:00 a.m. 
                         Capitol Extension, Room E1.036 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was  
         held on Monday, March 15, 1999 in the Capitol Extension, Room  
         E1.036, at Austin, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Bill Ratliff                    None 
         Senator Carlos Truan 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos 
         Senator John Carona 
         Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Troy Fraser 
         Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr. 
         Senator Jon Lindsay 
         Senator Mike Moncrief 
         Senator Steve Ogden 
         Senator Royce West 
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.   
          
         The following members arrived after the roll was called:   
         none. 
          
         The Committee resumed its markup session on the General  
         Appropriations Bill (Senate Bill 2) and worked on the  
         following: 
          
              Veterans Commission 
              Historical Commission 
              Commission on Human Rights 
              Incentive and Productivity Commission 
              Department of Information Resources 
              Library and Archives Commission 
          
              Pension Review Board 
              State Preservation Board 
  
              Office of Risk Management 
                Workers' Compensation Payments 
              Secretary of State 
              State-Federal Relations 
          
         The Committee adopted specific items included in the  
         Legislative Budget Board (LBB) markup document for each  
         agency.  A formal vote will be taken on the adopted items at  
         the end of the markup process. 
          
         Action taken on items not included in the LBB markup document  
         includes the following: 
          
              During the markup session on the Commission on Human  
              Rights, Senator Ratliff directed agency staff  to work  
              with Senators Barrientos, Truan and West to address  
              concerns of the Committee regarding inadequate funding  
              requests.  Senators Truan and West asked the Committee to  
              defer consideration of  this agency pending further  
              review. 
          
              During the markup session on the Department of  
              Information Resources, Senator Barrientos sent up and  
              moved adoption of a rider to give the agency authority to  
              reimburse advisory committee members for costs incurred  
              during participation on the State Strategic Plan.   
              Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
              During the markup session on the Library and Archives  
              Commission, Senator Lindsay sent up  a  rider that will  
              create an endowed fund to aid public libraries in  
              facility construction and the purchase of books  
              contingent on the passage of SB 691 by Lucio.  Senator  
              Truan asked that consideration of the rider be deferred,  
              pending tobacco discussions.  Without objection, it was  
              so ordered. 
          
              During the markup session on the State Office of  Risk  
              Management, Senator Gallegos sent up a rider that would  
              appropriate funds for additional workers' compensation  
              payments, contingent on the passage of SB 1324.  Senator  
              Fraser moved to leave the item pending.  Without  
              objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         Witnesses called on to answer questions of the Committee are  
         shown on the attached list. 
          
         There being no further business, at 5:40 p.m. Senator Truan  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed until 9:00 a.m.,  
         Tuesday, March 16, 1999.  Without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Patricia Hicks, Clerk