MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES
Wed., March 24, 1999
8:30 a.m.
Senate Chamber
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Human
Services was held on Wed., March 24, 1999, in the Senate
Chamber at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair Senator Chris Harris
Senator John Carona, Vice Chair
Senator David Bernsen
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
*****
The Chair called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. There
being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The chair laid out the March 17, 1999, minutes and called for
revisions. There being none, Senator Carona moved their
approval. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
The chair laid out SB 558 by Lucio, relating to training
requirements for certain child-care providers, and recognized
the author to explain the bill.
Senator Gallegos sent up a committee substitute and Senator
Lucio explained the difference between it and the bill as
filed.
Senator Gallegos moved that the committee substitute for SB
558 be adopted. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
The following persons registered as resource witnesses on the
committee substitute for SB 558, but did not testify:
Mark Marsh, director of licensing, Texas Department of
Protective and Regulatory Services,
701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78714.
Sarah Winkler, director of education, Children's Trust
Fund of Texas Council, 8929 Shoal Creek Blvd., Suite 200,
Austin, Texas 78757-6854.
The following persons registered in support of the committee
substitute for SB 558, but did not testify:
Kathy Dittman, member, Shaken Baby Alliance, 5000 South
Expressway 83, Harlingen, Texas 78552.
Shannon Noble, public policy director, Texans Care for
Children, 109 East 10th Street, #200, Austin, Texas
78701.
The following persons provided oral testimony in support of
the committee substitute for SB 558:
Bonnie Armstrong, Shaken Baby Alliance, 506 Buena Vista
Ct., Granbury, Texas 76049.
Wendell Teltow, executive director, Prevent Child Abuse
Texas, 12701 Research, #303, Austin, Texas 78759.
The following person provided oral and written testimony in
support of the committee substitute for SB 558:
Cay Quoyeser, volunteer, Shaken Baby Alliance, 10 Trail
View, New Braunfels, Texas 78130.
The following person provided oral testimony in opposition to
the committee substitute for SB 558:
John H. Heeney, Jr., president-elect, Texas Licensed
Child Care Association, 9433 Fredericksburg Road, San
Antonio, Texas 78240.
The following person provided written testimony in support of
the committee substitute for SB 558:
Juan M. Parra, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, Texas
78284-7808.
There being no other witnesses registered or responding to the
chair's call for public testimony related to the committee
substitute for SB 558, the chair closed public testimony.
Senator Gallegos moved that SB 558 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do not pass, but that the
committee substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be
printed. The motion prevailed with a vote of 4 "ayes," 0
"nays" and 1 "absent."
Senator Gallegos moved that the committee substitute for SB
558 be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous
consent.
At 8:53 a.m. Senator Carona assumed presiding duties.
The chair laid out SB 1141 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
surrogate parents for certain public education students with
disabilities, and recognized the author to explain the bill.
Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute and explained
the differences between it and the bill as filed.
Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB
1141 be adopted. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Zaffirini sent up committee amendment 1 and moved its
adoption. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
Senator Zaffirini moved that the amendment adopted be rolled
into a new committee substitute for SB 1141 and that the new
committee substitute be adopted. There being no objection,
the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The following persons registered as resources witnesses on the
committee substitute for SB 1141, but did not testify:
Cindy Alexander, analyst - TPR, Comptroller of Public
Accounts, 111 East 17th Street, Austin, Texas 78703.
Gene Lenz, senior director, Texas Education Agency, 1701
North Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701.
Sarah Webster, director of child protective services,
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services,
701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78714.
The following persons provided oral testimony in support of
the committee substitute for SB 1141:
Linda Brown, president, Texas State Foster Parents, Inc.,
16443 Boss Gaston, Richmond, Texas 77469.
Judy Foster, 2910 Birdwell Street, Tyler, Texas 75701.
Richard LaVallo, attorney, Advocacy, Incorporated, 7800
Shoal Creek Blvd., Suite 171-E, Austin, Texas 78757.
Sharon Marie Long, 821 East Bear Creek Road, Glenn
Heights, Texas 75154.
Judy Newby, 15107 Morning Pine Lane, Houston, Texas
77068.
Lisa Reynosa Perez, 821 East Bear Creek Road, Glenn
Heights, Texas 75154.
Sharon Pinkerton, 2401 Harrow, Fort Worth, Texas 76117.
Marlene Steiner, P.O. Box 720695, McAllen, Texas 78504.
The following person provided written testimony in support of
the committee substitute for SB 1141:
Colleen Horton, board member, Texas Advocates Supporting
Kids with Disabilities, 4004 Shadow Oak, Austin, Texas
78746.
There being no other witnesses registered or responding to the
chair's call for public testimony related to the committee
substitute for SB 1141, the chair closed public testimony.
Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 1141 be reported to the Senate
with the recommendation that it do not pass, but that the
committee substitute adopted in lieu thereof do pass and be
printed. The motion prevailed with a vote of 4 "ayes," 0
"nays" and 1 "absent."
Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB
1141 be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous
consent.
At 9:27 a.m. Senator Zaffirini resumed presiding duties.
The chair announced that the Staff Working Group for SB 374 by
Zaffirini, relating to the creation of and transfer of certain
programs to a long-term care agency on human services, aging,
health and rehabilitation and the transfer of certain
functions from the Department on Aging to the Independent
Aging Policy Council, would meet March 25, at 4 p.m. The chair
invited interested parties to attend.
With no other business to come before the committee and upon a
motion by Senator Carona, the chair recessed the committee by
unanimous consent at 9:28 a.m., subject to the call of the
chair.
_______________________________________
Judith Zaffirini, Chair
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Scott Caffey, Committee Clerk