MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
Tuesday, March 6, 2001
9 :00 a.m.
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was
held on Tuesday, March 6, 2001, in the Capitol Extension, Room
E1.036, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Rodney Ellis
Senator Chris Harris
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Tom Haywood
Senator Mike Jackson
Senator Jon Lindsay
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Senator Steve Ogden
Senator Carlos Truan
Senator John Whitmire
Senator Judith Zaffirini
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted:
The Committee handed out markup packets with pending items and
riders for the following:
The following were pending items and for General Government
(Article I):
Pending Items:(on page 2)
Comptroller of Public Accounts:
a. Startup funding for college savings plan. (Senator
Ellis)
Commission on State Emergency Communications:
a. Use of local funds to reduce GR-D. (Senator Ogden,
Senator Fraser)
General Services Commission:
a. Credit card and electronic transactions contracts.
(Senator Fraser)
Office of the Secretary of State:
a. Request for changes to agency goals and performance
measures.
b. Agency request on Voter Education
The following riders were considered:
Rider on page 2- By Senator Ellis concerning Startup
Funding for College Savings Plan. Without objection, the
rider was adopted.
Commission on State Emergency Communications:
Rider on page 3 - By Senator Ogden and Senator Fraser
regarding the use of Local Funds to Reduce GR-D. Without
objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider on page 4 & 4A - By Senator Ogden regarding
Appropriations, 9-1-1 Services Fee Account. Without
objection, the rider was adopted
Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor:
Rider on page 5 - Proposed by Senator Whitmire involving
Drug Court Grants. Without objection the Committee
adopted the amended version of the rider.
Texas Historical Commission:
Rider on page 6 - Senator Truan's rider involving the
Mexican American Cultural Museum. Without objection the
rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
State Office of Risk Management:
Rider on page 8 - Proposed by the LBB regarding Travel Cap
Authority. Without objection, the rider was adopted.
The following were pending items and riders for Judiciary
(Article IV):
Pending Items: (on page 10)
Court of Criminal Appeals:
a. Cash shortage of $379,540 per year in fund 540.
Adopted without objection and put in Article XI.
Office of Court Administration:
Rider on page 11 - Proposed by Senator Duncan to provide
the Texas Judicial Council with appropriations to conduct a
statewide study on jury service. Without objection, the
rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider on page 12 - Proposed by Senator Duncan to reinstate
fund for video conferencing line charges at the Eighth
Court of Appeals in El Paso. Without objection, the rider
was adopted and put in Article XI.
Judiciary Section, Comptroller's Department:
Rider on page 13 - By Senator Duncan involving
Appropriations to Pay Visiting Judges 100 % of Active
Judges' Salaries. Without objection, the rider was adopted
and put in Article XI.
Rider on page 14 & 15 - Proposed by Senator Duncan
regarding adjustment to authorized payments for the payment
of salaries of Assistant District Attorneys, investigators
and/or secretarial help and expenses. Without objection,
the rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
The following were pending items and riders for Criminal
Justice (Article V):
Pending items:(on page 17)
Texas Military Facilities Commission:
a. Modify rider on Federally Funded Projects
Commission on Private Security:
a. LBB Technical correction to rider on Fee Rates
Department of Public Safety:
a. Rider on travel reimbursement for out of state
funerals. (Senator Whitmire)
b. LBB technical correction on the Clothing Provision
rider
Riders for Article V:
Adjutant General's Department:
Rider page 18 - Proposed by Senator Truan regarding
ChalleNGe Program. Without objection the rider was
adopted and put in Article XI.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice:
Rider page 19 - Proposed by Senator Duncan concerning
Western Regional Medical Facility. The rider was left
pending.
Rider page 19A - By Senator Jackson regarding Study on
State Jail Contracts. The rider was adopted and put in
Article XI.
Rider page 20 - By Senator Duncan regarding Western
Regional Medical Facility. The rider was left pending.
Rider page 21 - By Senator Duncan regarding Western
Regional Medical Facility. The rider was left pending.
Rider page 22 - Proposed by Senator Duncan concerning
Contingency Appropriations for Senate Bill 553. Without
objection, the rider was adopted and added to Article XI.
Rider page 23 - By Senator Whitmire concerning Board
Meetings. The rider was adopted as amended.
Rider page 24 - By Senator Lindsay involving Correctional
Officer Salary Increase. The rider was left pending.
Rider page 25 - By Senator Lindsay involving Battering
Intervention & Prevention Projects. The rider was left
pending.
Texas Juvenile Probation Commission:
Rider page 26 - Proposed by Senator Ogden regarding
Additional Funding for Mandated and Non-Mandated Counties.
Without objection, the rider was adopted.
Texas Education Agency:
Rider page 28 - By Senator Ogden to amend Rider 43, Funding
for juvenile Justice Alternative Programs. Without
objection, the rider was adopted.
Texas Military Facilities Commission:
Rider page 29 - By Senator Truan concerning Federally
Funded Projects. Without objection, the rider was adopted.
Commission on Private Security:
Rider page 30 - Proposed by Senator Truan concerning
Proposed Modification of Existing Rider Fee Rates. Without
objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider page 32 - Proposed by Senator Whitmire concerning
Funeral Travel Reimbursement. Without objection, the rider
was adopted.
Department of Public Safety:
Rider page 33 - By Senator Truan on Modification of
Existing Rider Clothing Provisions. Without objection, the
rider was adopted.
Rider page 34 - By Senator Harris concerning Proposed Rider
25 Amendment Appropriation Transfers. Without objection,
the rider was adopted.
Rider page 35 - By Senator Lindsay regarding prevention of
dyed diesel fuel was adopted without objection and put in
Article XI.
Rider page 36 - By Senator Whitmire concerning
Appropriations Limited to Revenue Collections: Automobile
Emission Inspections. Without objection, the rider was
adopted.
The following were pending items and riders for Natural
Resources (Article VI):
Pending items: (on page 38)
Department of Agriculture:
a. Request for funds to establish road stations to inspect
truck shipments for invasive pests. (Senator Haywood)
Parks and Wildlife Department:
a. Oyster Bed Leases Rider. (Senator Duncan)
Railroad Commission:
a. See if fees can be raised to pay for the following:
Staffing to perform well determination following the
amendment by FERC to reinstate provision for well category
determinations. (1 FTE)(Senator Ogden)
Texas Water Development Board:
a. Rider for South Texas Border Water Initiative.
(Senator Lucio)
The following riders were considered:
Department of Agriculture:
Rider page 39 - Proposed by Senator Duncan concerning
Contingency Rider for a Grant Program to Provide Surplus
Agricultural Products. Without objection, the rider was
adopted and put in Article XI.
Riders page 38A & 38B - By Senator Lucio and Senator Truan
concerning South Texas Border Water Intervention. Without
objection, both riders were adopted and put into Article
XI.
Rider page 39 - By Senator Duncan for a Grant Program to
Provide Surplus Agricultural Products. Without objection,
the rider was adopted and put into Article XI.
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission:
Rider page 40 - Proposed by Senator Ellis. Without
objection, the rider was adopted and put into Article XI.
Rider page 41 & 42 - Proposed by Senator Truan regarding
Appropriations for Automobile Emission Inspections.
Without objection, the rider was adopted and put in Article
XI.
Rider page 43 - Proposed by Senator Duncan involving
Chances to the FTE Calculation for the TNRCC. Without
objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider page 44 - By Senator Duncan regarding Contingency
Appropriations for Funds Relating to the Permanent
Management of Low-Lever Radioactive Waste. Without
objection, the rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider page 45 - By Senator Lindsay concerning Contingency
Rider for the reallocation of Funds. Without objection,
the rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
Texas Parks and Wildlife:
Rider page 46 - By Senator Duncan concerning Leases of
State-Owned Oyster Beds and Commercial Fishery License
Fees. Without objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider page 46 A - By Senator Duncan was a substitute for
the rider concerning Leases of State-Owned Oyster Beds and
Commercial Fishery License Fees. To the objection of
Senator Lindsay, the rider was adopted.
Rider page 47 - By Senator Ogden concerning Lake Fort
Parker Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project. Without
objection, the rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider page 47A & B - By Senator Whitmire on Sheldon Lake
Outdoor Learning Center was adopted and put in Article XI..
Railroad Commission:
Rider page 48 - By Senator Ogden regarding Review and
Update of Oil Well Plugging Regulations. Without
objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider page 49 - By Senator Ogden concerning Review and
Update of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)
Regulations. Without objection, the rider was adopted.
Soil and Water Conservation Board:
Rider page 50 - By Senator Ogden involving Waste Water
Management Plans for Poultry Operators. The rider was
adopted without objection and put in Article XI.
Texas Water Development Board:
Rider page 51 - By Senator Ogden regarding Loan Funding for
Hueco Bolson Desalination Project. Without objection, the
rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider page 52 - By Senator Lucio on Unexpended Balance
Authority for Oil Overcharge Funds. The rider was left
pending.
Rider page 53 - By Senator Duncan regarding Loan for El
Paso Wastewater Reclamation Project. Without objection,
the rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
The following were pending items for Business and Economic
Development (Article VII:
Texas Department of Economic Development:
Rider page 55 - By Senator Truan concerning Defense
Infrastructure Revolving Loan. Without objection, the
rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider page 56 - By Senator Truan concerning Strategic
Defense Investment Program. Without objection, the rider
was adopted and put in Article XI.
Texas Department of Transportation:
Rider page 57 - By Senator Ogden to report on discretionary
funds received by the department. Without objection the
rider was adopted.
Texas Workforce Commission:
Rider page 58 - By Senator Zaffirini concerning High Wage
Incentive program. Without objection, the rider was
adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider page 59 - By Senator Duncan on Contracting
Requirement. Without objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider page 60 - By Senator Lucio on Proposed Ferry System
and Causeway Construction. Without objection, the rider
was adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider page 61 - By Senator Lucio on e-Texas and Paving the
Way not included in other specific riders. Left pending.
Rider page 62 - By Senator Lucio concerning Expand the
Reach of the State Infrastructure Bank. Left pending.
Rider page 63 - By Senator Lucio to Improve Texas' Share of
Federal Discretionary Funds. Left pending.
Rider page 64 - By Senator Lucio to Apply Innovative Asset
Management Practices to TxDOT Owned Land and Buildings.
Left pending.
Rider page 65 - By Senator Lucio to implement Paving the
Way issues 3.2, recommendation B. Left pending.
Rider page 66 - By Senator Lucio to implement
recommendations of Paving the Way issue 2.1. Left Pending.
The following were pending items for Regulatory (Article
VIII):
Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying:
a. Contingency Revenue Rider (Senator Fraser)
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation:
a. Additional Lapse appropriation authority (Senator
Barrientos)
b. Licensing system (Senator Barrientos)
c. Capital Budget Authority and increased funding in 2003
of $31,000 (Senator Barrientos)
Texas State Board of Medical Examiners:
a. Physician Profile System. Agency requesting $377,694
for the biennium (Senator Harris)
Structural Pest Control Board:
a. Supervising Investigator and Administrative Technician
III to improve efficiency of complaint resolution (Senator
Truan)
EVERYTHING WAS LEFT PENDING FOR ARTICLE VIII
Resource witnesses are shown on the attached list.
There being no further business, at 10:22 a.m. Senator Ellis
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
______________________
Senator Rodney Ellis, Chair
______________________
Amber Martin, Assistant Clerk