3/15/01 The House Committee on Appropriations 77th Legislature March 15, 2001 7:00 a.m. Capitol Extension, E1.030 Pursuant to a notice posted on March 8, 2001, the House Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to order by the chair, Representative Junell, at 7:05 a.m. The roll was answered as follows: Present: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy"; Allen; Coleman; Delisi; Glaze; Hamric; Heflin; Janek; Maxey; Mowery; Pickett; Pitts; Puente (14). Absent: Representatives Eiland; Farrar; Flores; Gallego; Giddings; Gutierrez; Hochberg; King, Tracy; Luna, Vilma; McReynolds; Moreno, Paul; Smith; Turner, Sylvester (13). A quorum was present. Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.) Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (Representative Luna, Vilma now present.)(Representative Eiland now present.)(Representative McReynolds now present.)(Representative Flores now present.)(Representative Farrar now present.)(Representative Turner, Sylvester now present.)(Representative Gallego now present.)(Representative Giddings now present.)(Representative Smith now present.) Representative Maxey moved the adoption of LBB recommendations with the following changes: 3/15/01 Fiscal Changes Funds to maintain current caseloads for child care licensing workers. Funds for strategy A.1.5., Foster Care/Adoption Payments Funds for Strategy A.2.1., Adult Protective Services Riders Amended Capital Budget rider (Maxey #1) Article XI Integrated Family Services With Specialized Child Care Funds to increase supervisor salaries Funds to expand outsourced computer services contract Funds to CPS work-from-home pilot project Funds to provide information technology support staff to work-from-home employees (6 FTEs) Funds to reduce CPS investigative caseloads per employee (364 FTEs) Funds to move medically fragile children living in nursing homes and ICF-MR facilities to specialized foster homes Funds to add trainers for CPS (14 FTEs) Funds for information and referral staff at PRS statewide intake call center (30 FTEs) Funds to expand to statewide the child and family assessment program (9 FTEs) Funds for 5% increase for adoption subsidy payments Funds to provide payments to kinship caregivers (12 FTEs) Funds to add contract monitoring staff (23 FTEs) 3/15/01 Funds to improve infrastructure for automated systems 3/15/01 Funds to establish a two-tiered rate schedule for adoption subsidy payments Funds add licensing staff to inspect foster homes (24 FTEs) Funds increased compensation for CPS investigators Funds for senior management recruitment (6 FTEs) Funds for additional emergency child care and respite services Funds for additional staff for early childhood program expansion (5FTEs) Funds for youth program staff (5 FTEs) Funds to expand substance abuse treatment Funds to upgrade voice systems Funds for lease renewals and relocations Funds to expand STAR program (Services To At-Risk Youth) Funds for additional attorneys to support permanency planning (28 FTEs) Funds to create certification program for Adult Protective Services workers Funds to create certification program for Child Care Licensing workers Funds to create certification program for Statewide Intake workers Funds for additional training for APS, Child Care Licensing and Statewide Intake workers Funds to expand CPS training by one month (64 FTEs) Funds to provide student intern stipends Funds to convert Micro Systems to Oracle Funds to enhance Intranet reports Funds for voice recognition technology for field workers Funds for additional drug testing services Funds for after school initiative Funds to expand Parents As Teachers program Funds to expand Runaway Hotline Funds to recruit foster and adoptive families TANF Funds to expand Communities-in-Schools program TANF Funds to expand Healthy Families program TANF Funds to expand Second Chance parenting program 3/15/01 Integrated Family Services with Specialized Child Care Pilot Project rider Without objection, the motion was adopted. Interagency Council on Early Childhood Intervention (Representative West, George "Buddy" in chair.)(Representative Junell in chair.) (Representative Gutierrez now present.) Representative Coleman moved the adoption of LBB recommendations with the following changes: Fiscal Changes Funds to reduce waiting lists for respite services Technical Changes Amend Rider 5, Education Funding to include language in memorandum of understanding with Texas Education Agency to ensure federal compliance. Increase in federal funding (IDEA-c grants) for special education grants. Performance Measure Changes Adjust according to technical change, the number of Children Served in Comprehensive Services. Riders Capital Budget rider (Coleman #1) Memorandum of Understanding with Texas Education Agency (Coleman #2) Medicaid Billing of Developmental Services (Coleman #3) Article XI Funds to eliminate waiting lists for respite services. Funds to provide services to children based on a projected growth rate of 11.4%. Funds for 35 Parent to Parent network project grants. Funds to expand eligibility for comprehensive services to low birth weight babies. Funds for 36 infant and family health training seminars throughout the state. Without objection, the motion was adopted. At 9:48 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed until adjournment of the House, March 15, 2001. The committee reconvened at 12:23 p.m. and was called to order by the chair, Representative Junell. The roll was answered as follows: Present: Representatives Junell; West, George "Buddy"; Allen; Eiland; Flores; Glaze; Gutierrez; Heflin; Hochberg; King, Tracy; Luna, Vilma; Maxey; Mowery; Pickett; Puente (15). Absent: Representatives Coleman; Delisi; Farrar; Gallego; Giddings; Hamric; Janek; McReynolds; Moreno, Paul; Pitts; Smith; Turner, Sylvester (12). A quorum was present. Testimony was taken. (See attached witness list.) Comptroller of Public Accounts (Representative Gallego now present.)(Representative Pitts now present.) Representative Flores moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Riders Appropriation of Tax Refunds (Flores #1) Startup Funding for College Savings Plan (Flores #2) Without objection, the motion was adopted. Texas Department of Agriculture Representative Pickett moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Riders Appropriations Limited to Revenue Collections: Prescribed Burn Manager Certification Program rider (Pickett #1) Adopted amended rider entitled Weather Modification Grant Program rider (Pickett #2) Article XI Transfer the Office of Rural Affairs from the Texas Department of Economic Development and the Texas Department of Agriculture, Contingency for H.B. 819 Oyster Program, Contingency Appropriations for H.B. 1954 Grant Program to Provide Surplus Agricultural Products, Contingency for H.B. 1086 Without objection, the motion was adopted. General Land Office Representative Flores moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Article XI Veterans Cemeteries, Contingency Appropriation for H.B. 310 Funds for Southeast Texas Biotechnology Park Without objection, the motion was adopted. Historical Commission (Representative Smith now present.) Representative Puente moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Riders Unexpended Balances: Acquisition of Historical Artifacts (Puente #1) Without objection, the motion was adopted. Animal Health Commission Representative Heflin moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Riders Contingency to Increase the Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Cap for the Scrapie Program (Heflin #1) Without objection, the motion was adopted. Commission on the Arts Representative Heflin moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Rider Capital Budget rider (Heflin #1) Water Development Board (Representative Janek now present.) (Representative West, George "Buddy" in chair.) Representative Puente moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Article XI Funds for Texas Geographic Network Contingency Appropriations: Rural Water Infrastructure Fund Without objection, the motion was adopted. Department of Information Resources Riders Texas Online Project Without objection, the motion was adopted. Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (Representative Junell in chair.) Representative Heflin moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Riders Recovered Costs and Responsible Party Payments rider (Heflin #1) Capital Budget rider (Heflin #2) Article XI Contingency Appropriations for the Remediation of the Gibson Waste Tire Site Appropriations: Refinement and Enhancement of Modeling to Demonstrate Attainment with the Clean Air Act. Without objection, the motion was adopted. State Office of Risk Management Representative Heflin moved to add the following changes to previously adopted recommendations: Riders Risk/Reward Allocation Program Contingency Appropriation for H.B. 2976 (Heflin #1) Article IX Sec. 6.37. Reimbursements for Workers' Compensation Payments Without objection, the motion was adopted. At 12:54 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair. ________________________ Rep. Junell, Chair ________________________ Darshoel Willis, Clerk