MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Thursday, February 1, 2001
9 a.m.
Senate Chamber
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and
Human Services was held on Thursday, February 1, 2001, in the
Senate Chamber at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Mike Moncrief, Chairman None
Senator John Carona, Vice Chairman
Senator David Bernsen
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
Senator Chris Harris
Senator Frank Madla
Senator Jane Nelson
Senator Eliot Shapleigh
Senator David Sibley
*****
The chairman called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The chairman laid out the January 25, 2001, minutes and called
for revisions. There being none, Senator Nelson moved their
adoption. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
The chairman called the following individuals to provide a
review and briefing of the Texas Health STEPS Program.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human Services
Commission.
Billy Millwee, director, Texas Health STEPS Program, Texas
Department of Health.
The following person registered as a resource witness, but did
not testify:
Charles Bell, executive deputy commissioner, Texas
Department of Health.
The chairman laid out SB 36 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
training for certain caseworkers employed by health and human
services agencies, and recognized the author to explain the
bill.
Senator Nelson sent up a committee substitute for SB 36 and
Senator Zaffirini explained the differences between it and the
bill as filed.
Senator Nelson moved that the committee substitute for SB 36 be
adopted. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
Witnesses testifying and registering on the committee substitute
for SB 36 are shown on the attached list. There being no other
witnesses registered or responding to the chairman's call for
public testimony relating to the committee substitute for SB 36,
the chairman closed public testimony.
Senator Shapleigh asked unanimous consent to be shown voting
"aye" on the committee substitute for SB 36. There being no
objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Nelson moved that SB 36 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 by a vote of 9 ayes and 0 nays.
Senator Harris moved that the committee substitute for SB 36 be
recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. There being
no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The chairman laid out SB 37 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
establishing a temporary nursing facility license, and
recognized the author to explain the bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 37 are shown on the
attached list. There being no other witnesses registered or
responding to the chairman's call for public testimony relating
to SB 37, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senator Shapleigh asked unanimous consent to be shown voting
"aye" on SB 37. There being no objection, the motion prevailed
by unanimous consent.
Senator Nelson moved that SB 37 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The motion
prevailed by a vote of 9 ayes and 0 nays.
The chairman laid out SB 38 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to
authorizing the conduct of architectural review before the
construction or remodeling of certain long-term and other care
facilities, and recognized the author to explain the bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 38 are shown on the
attached list. There being no other witnesses registered or
responding to the chairman's call for public testimony relating
to SB 38, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senator Moncrief asked unanimous consent to show Senator Harris
voting "nay" on SB 38. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Nelson moved that SB 38 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The motion
prevailed by a vote of 8 ayes and 1 nay.
At 9:53 a.m. Senator Carona assumed presiding duties.
The chairman laid out SB 62 by Senator Moncrief, relating to
county and public health district fees in certain populous
counties, and recognized the author to explain the bill.
Senator Moncrief sent up a committee substitute for SB 62 and
explained the difference between it and the bill as filed.
Senator Moncrief moved that the committee substitute for SB 62
be adopted. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
Witnesses testifying and registering on the committee
substitute for SB 62 are shown on the attached list. There
being no other witnesses registered or responding to the
chairman's call for public testimony, the chairman closed public
testimony.
At the author's request, the committee substitute for SB 62 was
left pending.
The chairman laid out SB 332 by Senator Moncrief, relating to
the provision of a pharmaceutical sample by a physician to
certain indigent patients, and recognized the author to explain
the bill.
Senator Moncrief sent up a committee substitute for SB 332 and
explained the differences between it and the bill as filed.
Senator Moncrief moved that the committee substitute for SB 332
be adopted. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
Witnesses testifying and registering on the committee substitute
for SB 332 are shown on the attached list. There being no other
witnesses registered or responding to the chairman's call for
public testimony relating to the committee substitute for SB
332, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senator Moncrief asked unanimous consent to show Senator Harris
voting "aye" on the committee substitute for SB 332. There
being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Moncrief moved that SB 332 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 by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays and 2
absent.
Senator Shapleigh moved that the committee substitute for SB 332
be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar. There
being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
At 10:27 a.m. Senator Moncrief resumed presiding duties.
The chairman laid out SB 83 by Senator Madla, relating to the
regulation of intermediate care facilities for persons with
mental retardation, and recognized the author to explain the
bill.
Senator Madla sent up committee amendment 1 and explained it.
Senator Madla moved the adoption of committee amendment 1.
There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous
consent.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 83, as amended, are
shown on the attached list. There being no other witnesses
registered or responding to the chairman's call for public
testimony on SB 83, as amended, the chairman closed public
testimony.
Senator Moncrief asked unanimous consent to show Senator Harris
voting "aye" on SB 83, as amended. There being no objection,
the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Madla moved that SB 83, as amended, be reported to the
full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be
printed. The motion prevailed by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays and 2
absent.
Senator Shapleigh moved that SB 83, as amended, be recommended
for the local and uncontested calendar. There being no
objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
The chairman laid out SB 144 by Senator Carona, relating to the
qualifications for a license or provisional license to practice
chiropractic, and recognized the author to explain the bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 144 are shown on the
attached list.
The chairman laid out SB 145 by Senator Carona, relating to
chiropractic facility licenses issued by the Texas Board of
Chiropractic Examiners, and recognized the author to explain the
bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 145 are shown on the
attached list.
The chairman laid out SB 152 by Senator Carona, relating the
appeal of certain determinations by the Texas Board of
Chiropractic Examiners, and recognized the author to explain the
bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 152 are shown on the
attached list.
The chairman laid out SB 171 by Senator Carona, relating to the
renewal of a license to practice chiropractic, and recognized
the author to explain the bill.
Witnesses testifying and registering on SB 171 are shown on the
attached list.
There being no other witnesses registered or responding to the
chairman's call for public testimony relating to Senate Bills
144, 145, 152 and 171, the chairman closed public testimony.
Senator Moncrief asked unanimous consent to show Senator Harris
voting "aye" on SB 144. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Carona moved that SB 144 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The motion
prevailed by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent.
Senator Carona moved that SB 144 be recommended for the local
and uncontested calendar. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Moncrief asked unanimous consent to show Senator Harris
voting "aye" on SB 145. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Carona moved that SB 145 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The motion
prevailed by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent.
Senator Carona moved that SB 145 be recommended for the local
and uncontested calendar. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Moncrief asked unanimous consent to show Senator Harris
voting "aye" on SB 152. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Carona moved that SB 152 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The motion
prevailed by a vote of 6 ayes, 1 nay and 2 absent.
Senator Moncrief asked unanimous consent to show Senator Harris
voting "aye" on SB 171. There being no objection, the motion
prevailed by unanimous consent.
Senator Carona moved that SB 171 be reported to the Senate with
the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. The motion
prevailed by a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays and 2 absent.
With no other business to come before the committee and upon a
motion by Senator Nelson, the chairman recessed the committee by
unanimous consent at 10:42 a.m., subject to the call of the
chairman.
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Senator Mike Moncrief, chairman
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Scott Caffey, committee clerk