HBA-NLM, S.B. 472 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 472 By: Ratliff (Junell) Appropriations 3/23/1999 Engrossed BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, some agencies are expecting budgetary shortfalls and experiencing other funding difficulties. S.B. 472 appropriates funds to benefit state agencies that will experience a shortfall prior to the end of fiscal year 1999 and for other purposes. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY: TEACHER TRAINING FOR THE SOCIAL PROMOTION INITIATIVE. Appropriates $18, 840,000 from the general revenue fund to the Texas Education Agency for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act to provide teacher training to assist Texas schoolchildren in developing reading skills. SECTION 2. DEPARTMENT OF PROTECTIVE AND REGULATORY SERVICES: CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES DIVISION. (a) Appropriates $8,876,750, consisting of $6,701,946 from the general revenue fund and $2,174,804 from the federal matching fund source, to the Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (DPRS) to provide protective child services for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. Establishes the legislative intent that the appropriations made by this section be used to reduce the number of cases per worker, reduce the number of workers per supervisor, and increase purchased services for families and children. (b) Specifies the intent of the legislature that the amount of salaries expended from the appropriation made by this section not exceed $1,344,481 in fiscal year 1999. (c) Estimates the amount of employee benefit cost for fiscal year 1999 to be $370,942, as authorized by H.B. 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (General Appropriations Act). (d) Increases by 60 DPRS full-time equivalent employee limitation for fiscal year 1999, above the amount set by H.B. 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (General Appropriations Act), for the third quarter of fiscal year 1999. (e) Increases by 220 DPRS full-time equivalent employee limitation for fiscal year 1999, above the amount set by H.B. 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (General Appropriations Act), for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 1999. SECTION 3. THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM. Appropriates $7,132,134 from the general revenue fund to The Texas A&M University System components for reimbursement of extraordinary expenses related to the suppression of forest fires. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 4. TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF: SALARIES. Appropriates $717,361 from the general revenue fund to the Texas School for the Deaf for the purpose of payment of increased salary expenses. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 5. TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED: SALARIES. Appropriates $498,000 from the general revenue fund to the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired for the purpose of payment of increased salary expenses. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 6. TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND: EDUCATION AND TREATMENT. Appropriates $724,518 from the general revenue fund to the Texas Commission for the Blind to pay for Blindness Education, Screening, and Treatment Program costs and expenses. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. Specifies that these appropriated funds are provided from donations under Section 91.027 (Blindness Education, Screening, and Treatment Program), Human Resources Code. SECTION 7. STATE OFFICE OF RISK MANAGEMENT: WORKERS' COMPENSATION PAYMENTS. Appropriates $6,000,000 from the general revenue fund to the State Office of Risk Management to pay for workers' compensation benefits. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 8. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: CAPACITY. Appropriates $27,600,000 from the general revenue fund to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to pay for additional prison capacity construction and additional temporary capacity contracts with counties. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 9. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: DROUGHT RELIEF. Appropriates $25,000,000 from the general revenue fund to the Department of Agriculture to pay for costs and expenses related to providing drought relief. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 10. TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION: LOCAL PROGRAM ASSISTANCE. (a) Appropriates $350,000 from the Advance Interest Trust Fund, Fund 935, to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to pay for extraordinary expenses associated with local program assistance only as provided by Subsection (b) of this Section. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. (b) Authorizes the appropriation made under this section to be used by TWC to reimburse Strategy A.2.2 (Wage Assistance and Child Labor Protection) due to the termination of contracts for delivery or workforce services to five local workforce development boards, and subsequent actions by TWC to ensure continuation of local workforce services (including paying salaries and related costs for December 16-31, 1998, and contracted services). Requires the reduction of appropriation amounts received by TWC in settlement of claims arising out of the terminated contracts. Requires the recovered funds to be used to repay Fund 935. SECTION 11. THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM: TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE. Appropriates $874,648 from the general revenue fund to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service to pay for the expansion of the Financial and Risk Management Assistance Program (FARM Assist). Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 12. TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: OYSTER TESTING. Appropriates $103,000 from the general revenue fund dedicated account number 5022, Oyster Sales, to the Texas Department of Health (TDH), no more than $10,000 of which may be used by TDH to pay for collecting and delivering oyster and water samples to the Seafood Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston. Authorizes $93,000 of appropriated funds to be used by TDH only for entering into an agreement with Texas A&M University at Galveston for the testing of vibrio parahaemolyticus levels in Texas oysters and Texas bay waters. Provides that the funds are to be used for the two-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act. SECTION 13. EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF TEXAS: CERTAIN TRANSFERS. Authorizes the chief administrative officer of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) to transfer from one appropriated item to another, funds appropriated by H.B. 1, Chapter 1452, 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (General Appropriations Act), to institutions of higher education other than those institutions belonging to The University of Texas or Texas A&M systems, for the purpose of applying appropriations in excess of actual general revenue group insurance premium costs at any of the institution of higher education to appropriation shortfalls for general revenue group insurance premiums at any of the other institutions of higher education. Requires ERS to file a report that provides details regarding transfers of funds with the Legislative Budget Board, the governor, and the comptroller before November 1, 1999. SECTION 14. SOURCE FOR APPROPRIATIONS. (a) Provides that the appropriations from the general revenue fund made by this Act are from nontax revenue and prohibits the interpretation of this Act as an increasing the total appropriations from state tax revenue not dedicated by the Texas Constitution for the current biennium above the level, with authorized adjustments, adopted by the Legislative Budget Board on November 20, 1996. (b) Specifies an $18,840,000 reduction of the contingency appropriation made by Rider 198, page IX-127, H.B. 1, Chapter 1452, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997 (Section 198, Contingency Appropriation: Enrollment Growth, Article IX, General Appropriations Act). SECTION 15. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.