MINUTES 
          
                       SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES 
                               Wed., April 7, 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., April 7, 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 31, 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 1049 by Senator Moncrief, relating to  
         venue for certain judicial actions involving  intermediate  
         care facilities for the mentally retarded, and recognized the  
         author to explain the bill. 
          
         The following persons registered as resource witnesses and  
         provided oral testimony on SB 1049: 
          
              Paul Carmona, division chief, Office of the Attorney  
              General, P.O. Box 12548, Austin, Texas 78741. 
          
              Debra Green, assistant general counsel, Texas Department  
              of Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas  
              78751. 
          
         There being no other persons registered or responding to the  
         chair's call for public testimony relating to SB 1049, the  
         chair closed public testimony. 
          
         Senator Gallegos moved that SB 1049 be reported to the Senate  
         with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The  
  
         motion prevailed by a vote of 4 "ayes," 0 "nays" and 1  
         "absent." 
          
         Senator Gallegos moved that SB 1049 be recommended for the  
         local and uncontested calendar.  There being no objection, the  
         motion prevailed by unanimous consent. 
          
         The chair laid out anew SB 1423 by Senator West, relating to  
         providing supplemental financial assistance and services to  
         certain grandparents, which had been left pending, and  
         recognized Senator West. 
          
         Senator Bernsen sent up a committee substitute and Senator  
         West explained the differences between it and the bill as  
         filed. 
          
         Senator Bernsen moved that the committee substitute for SB  
         1423 be adopted.  There being no objection, the motion  
         prevailed by unanimous consent. 
          
         Senator Bernsen moved that SB 1423 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 4 "ayes," 0 "nays"  
         and 1 "absent." 
          
         At 8:40 a.m. Senator Carona assumed presiding duties. 
          
         The chair laid out SB 967 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to  
         creating a registry for acts of misconduct of certain  
         employees of facilities licensed by the Texas Department of  
         Human Services, and recognized the author to explain the bill. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute for SB 967  
         and explained the differences between it and the bill as  
         filed. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB  
         967 be adopted.  There being no objection, the motion  
         prevailed by unanimous consent. 
          
         The following persons registered as resource witnesses and  
         provided oral testimony on the committee substitute for SB  
         967: 
          
              Renee Clack, director of credentialing, Texas Department  
              of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030, Austin, Texas 78714. 
          
              Amy Harper, assistant director, credentialing department,  
              Texas Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030,  
              Austin, Texas 78714. 
          
         The following persons registered in support of the committee  
  
         substitute for SB 967, but did not testify: 
          
              Susan Baumbach, director of community and government  
              relations, Texas Health Care Association, 4214 Medical  
              Parkway, #300, Austin, Texas 78765. 
          
              Terry Childress, associate director, Private Providers  
              Association of Texas, 8711 Burnet Road, #A-19, Austin,  
              Texas 78757.  
          
              Paul Fairbrother, executive director, Adult Day Care  
              Association of Texas, P.O. Box 26310, Austin, Texas  
              78755. 
          
         There being no other persons registered or responding to the  
         chair's call for public testimony relating to the committee  
         substitute for SB 967, the chair closed public testimony. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 967 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 4 "ayes," 0 "nays"  
         and 1 "absent." 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB  
         967 be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar.   
         There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous  
         consent. 
          
         The chair laid out SB 1095 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to  
         nutritional assistance for certain legal immigrants, and  
         recognized the author to explain the bill. 
          
         The following person registered as a resource witness on SB  
         1095, but did not testify: 
          
              Boyd Graves, policy unit supervisor, Texas Department of  
              Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas  
              78759. 
          
         The following person provided oral and written testimony in  
         support of SB 1095: 
          
              Celia Hagert, policy analyst, Center for Public Policy  
              Priorities, 900 Lydia Street, Austin, Texas 78704.  
          
         The following persons provided oral testimony in support of SB  
         1095: 
          
              Maria Luisa Bautista, 70 Julius, Austin, Texas 78702. 
          
              Bill Beardall, president, Texas Appleseed Advocacy Fund,  
              512 East Riverside Drive, Suite 107, Austin, Texas 78704. 
          
              Delfina Vargas, coordinator, United Network for Immigrant  
      
              & Refugee Rights, 1715 East 6th Street, Suite 206,  
              Austin, Texas 78702. 
          
         The following persons registered in support of SB 1095, but  
         did not testify: 
          
              Teresa Aguirre, legislative assistant, Texas Association  
         of Homes and Services for the Aging, 
              2205 Hancock, Austin, Texas 78756. 
          
              Richard Daly, executive director, Texas Catholic  
              Conference, 1101 St. Edwards Drive, Austin, Texas 78704.   
          
              Karen Miller, legislative chair, Texas Congress Parents &  
         Teachers, 5314 West Minister, 
              Houston, Texas 77069. 
          
         There being no other witnesses registered or responding to the  
         chair's call for public testimony relating to SB 1095, the  
         chair closed public testimony. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini asked unanimous consent to show Senator  
         Gallegos voting "aye" on SB 1095.  There being no objection,  
         the motion prevailed by unanimous consent. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 1095 be reported to the Senate  
         with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The  
         motion prevailed by a vote of 4 "ayes," 0 "nays" and 1  
         "absent."  
          
         The chair laid out SB 1585 by Senator Zaffirini, relating to  
         the use of competitive bidding for certain functions and  
         components of the Medicaid vendor drug program, and recognized  
         the author to explain the bill. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute for SB 1585  
         and explained the differences between it and the bill as  
         filed. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB  
         1585 be adopted.  There being no objection, the motion  
         prevailed by unanimous consent. 
          
         The following person registered as a resource witness and  
         provided oral testimony on the committee substitute for SB  
         1585: 
          
              Cindy Alexander, policy analyst, Comptroller of Public  
              Accounts, 111 East 17th Street, Austin, Texas 78703. 
          
         The following persons registered as resource witnesses on the  
         committee substitute for SB 1585: 
          
              David Freeland, director of information systems, Texas  
              Department of Human Services, P.O. Box 149030, C-733,  
              Austin, Texas 78714.    
                 
              Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human  
              Services Commission, 4900 North Lamar, Austin, Texas  
              78752. 
          
              Patricia C. Gladden, Texas Department of Health, 1100  
         West 49th Street, Austin, Texas 78756. 
          
              Kathy Griffis-Bailey, program specialist, Chronically Ill  
         and Disabled Children's Services, 
              Texas Department of Health, 1100 West 49th Street,  
         Austin, Texas 78756. 
          
         The following person provided oral testimony on the committee  
         substitute for SB 1585: 
          
              David Gonzales, government affairs, Legend Pharmacies,  
              S.W., 1800 Guadalupe, Austin, Texas 78701.   
          
         The following person registered in support of the committee  
         substitute for SB 1585, but did not testify: 
          
              Karen Reagan, senior director of policy affairs, Texas  
              Pharmacy Association, P.O. Box 14709, Austin, Texas  
              78761-4709.    
          
         There being no other persons registered or responding to the  
         chair's call for public testimony relating to the committee  
         substitute for SB 1585, the chair closed public testimony. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini asked unanimous consent to show Senator  
         Gallegos voting "aye" on the committee substitute for SB 1585.   
         There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous  
         consent. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 1585 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 4 "ayes," 0 "nays"  
         and 1 "absent." 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that the committee substitute for SB  
         1585 be recommended for the local and uncontested calendar.   
         There being no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous  
         consent. 
          
         At 9:21 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 on Friday, April 9, at 3 p.m.  
         and on Monday, April 12, at 2 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 9:22 a.m., subject to the call of the  
         chair. 
          
         ________________________________________ 
         Judith Zaffirini, Chair 
          
         ________________________________________ 
         Scott Caffey, Committee Clerk