The House Committee on Appropriations
88th Legislature
March 16, 2023
8:00 a.m.
E1.030
Pursuant to a notice posted on March 10, 2023, and permission granted on March 16, 2023, to meet while the House was in session, the House Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to order by the chair, Representative Bonnen, at 8:06 a.m.
The initial quorum call was answered as follows: Representatives Bonnen; González, Mary; Allison; Bell, Cecil; Bryant; DeAyala; Gates; Gervin-Hawkins; Howard; Isaac; Jetton; Martinez; Morrison; Orr; Ortega; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver; Walle; and Wu.
A quorum was present.
(Representative Martinez Fischer now present.)
Article II
(Representative Jetton in chair.)
The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Article II.
(Representative Bonnen in chair.)
Agencies included in Article II
Department of Family and Protective Services
Department of State Health Services
Health and Human Services Commission
Special Provisions relating to Article II
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative Howard moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article II.
The motion was adopted without objection.
Articles I, IV, V
(Representative González, Mary in chair.)
The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Articles I, IV, and V.
(Representative Bonnen in chair.)
Agencies included in Article I
Commission on the Arts
Office of the Attorney General
Bond Review Board
Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Fiscal Programs - Comptroller of Public Accounts
Social Security and Benefit Replacement Pay
Commission on State Emergency Communications
Texas Emergency Services Retirement System
Employees Retirement System
Texas Ethics Commission
Facilities Commission
Lease Payments, Facilities Commission
Texas Public Finance Authority
General Obligation Bond Debt Service Payments, TPFA
Office of the Governor
Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor
Historical Commission
Department of Information Resources
Library & Archives Commission
Pension Review Board
Preservation Board
State Office of Risk Management
Secretary of State
Veterans Commission
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative Spiller moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article I.
The motion was adopted without objection.
Agencies in Article IV
Supreme Court of Texas
Court of Criminal Appeals
14 Courts of Appeals
Office of Court Administration Office of Capital and Forensic Writs
Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney
State Law Library
State Commission on Judicial Conduct
Judiciary Section, The Comptroller’s Department
Special Provisions relating to all Article IV agencies
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative DeAyala moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article IV.
The motion was adopted without objection.
Agencies in Article V
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Department of Criminal Justice
Commission on Fire Protection Commission on Jail Standards
Juvenile Justice Department
Commission on Law Enforcement
Texas Military Department
Texas Department of Public Safety
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative Allison moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article V.
The motion was adopted without objection.
Articles VI, VII, and VIII
(Representative Rose now present.)
(Representative Walle in chair.)
The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Articles VI, VII, and VIII.
(Representative Bonnen in chair.)
Agencies included in Article VI
Texas Department of Agriculture
Animal Health Commission
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
General Land Office and Veterans’ Land Board
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Railroad Commission
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
Water Development Board
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative Bell moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article VI.
The motion was adopted without objection.
At 9:47 a.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed until upon final adjourn./recess or bill referral if permission granted.
The committee reconvened at 11:20 a.m. and was called to order by the chair, Representative Bonnen.
The quorum call was answered as follows: Representatives Bonnen; González, Mary; Allison; Bell, Cecil; Bryant; Gates; Gervin-Hawkins; Howard; Isaac; Martinez; Morrison; Orr; Ortega; Rose; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver; and Wu.
A quorum was present.
The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Articles VII, and VIII.
(Representatives Jetton, Thimesch, and Walle now present.)
Agencies included in Article VII
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Texas Lottery Commission
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
Texas Department of Transportation
Texas Workforce Commission
Reimbursements to the UC Benefit Account
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative Thompson, Ed moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article VII.
The motion was adopted without objection.
Agencies included in Article VIII
State Office of Administrative Hearings
Board of Chiropractic Examiners
Board of Dental Examiners
Funeral Service Commission
Board of Professional Geoscientists
Health Professions Council
Office of Injured Employee Council
Department of Insurance
Office of Public Insurance Counsel
Board of Professional Land Surveying
Department of Licensing and Regulation
Texas Medical Board
Board of Nursing
Optometry Board
Board of Pharmacy
Executive Council of Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy Examiners
Board of Plumbing Examiners
Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Racing Commission
State Securities Board
Public Utility Commission
Office of Public Utility Counsel
Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners
Special Provisions relating to all of Article VIII
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative Toth moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article VIII.
The motion was adopted without objection.
Article III
(Representatives Martinez Fischer, and DeAyala now present.)
(Representative VanDeaver in chair.)
The Chair laid out subcommittee recommendations for the agencies in Article III Public Education and Higher Education.
(Representative Bonnen in chair.)
Agencies included in Article III – Public Education
Texas Education Agency
School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
School for the Deaf
Special Provisions - School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and School for the Deaf
Teacher Retirement System
Optional Retirement Program
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
The committee stood at ease briefly.
The Chair called the committee back to order.
Agencies included in Article III – Higher Education
The Higher Education Employees Group Insurance Contributions
The Higher Education Coordinating Board
Available University Fund
Higher Education Fund
National Research University Fund
Support for Military and Veterans Exemptions
General Academic Institutions
Health Related Institutions
Public Community/Junior Colleges
Texas AgriLife Research
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Texas Engineering Experiment Station
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas Engineering Extension Service
Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab
Texas Division of Emergency Management
Special Provisions Relating Only to Components of Texas State Technical College
Special Provisions Relating Only to State Agencies of Higher Education
Testimony taken/registration recorded. (See attached witness list.)
Representative Walle moved to sever rider 186 from the Article III Higher Education Rider Packet and not include the rider in the recommendations.
The motion failed by the following record vote:
Ayes: Representatives González, Mary; Bryant; Gervin-Hawkins; Howard; Martinez; Martinez Fischer; Ortega; Rose; Walle; Wu (10).
Nays: Representatives Bonnen; Allison; Bell, Cecil; DeAyala; Gates; Isaac; Jetton; Morrison; Orr; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver (16).
Present, Not Voting: None (0).
Absent: Representative Johnson, Jarvis (1).
Representative Morrison moved the adoption of subcommittee recommendations for Article III Public Education and Higher Education.
Representative Gervin-Hawkins requested a record vote.
The motion prevailed by the following record vote:
Ayes: Representatives Bonnen; González, Mary; Allison; Bell, Cecil; DeAyala; Gates; Howard; Isaac; Jetton; Martinez; Morrison; Orr; Ortega; Rose; Spiller; Stucky; Tepper; Thimesch; Thompson, Ed; Toth; VanDeaver; Walle; Wu (23).
Nays: Representative Bryant (1).
Present, Not Voting: Representative Gervin-Hawkins (1).
Absent: Representatives Johnson, Jarvis; Martinez Fischer (2).
Articles IX and X
The Chair laid out recommendations for the agencies in Articles IX and X.
Agencies included in Article IX and X
General Provisions for all Articles
Senate
House of Representatives
Legislative Budget Board
Legislative Council
Commission on Uniform State Laws
Sunset Advisory Commission
State Auditor’s Office
Legislative Reference Library
Retirement and Group Insurance
Social Security and Benefit Replacement Pay
Lease Payments
Special Provisions Relating to the Legislature
Representative VanDeaver moved the adoption of recommendations for Articles IX and X.
The motion was adopted without objection.
With the consent of the Committee, the Chair directs the Legislative Budget Board staff to do the following in order to produce the committee substitute for House Bill 1:
Ensure that FTE adjustments are made to conform to committee decisions.
Adjust the informational item on agencies that generate their own revenues to ensure that the agencies generate enough money to cover not only the amounts identified within the bill pattern but also indirect costs such as employee benefits, social security, etc. if appropriated elsewhere in the bill. This information will be based on the decisions adopted by the full committee for employee benefits.
Adjust informational items following each agency's bill pattern that identifies "Object of Expense Informational Listing" to conform to the committee's decisions.
Make technical adjustments to riders and performance measure targets to conform to committee's decisions.
Align appropriations among strategies and methods of finance, between years and to the appropriate bill patterns to conform to committee decisions.
Adjust the informational listing in agency bill patterns for the percentage of funds available to the agency represented in the agency’s bill pattern to conform to committee decisions.
Adjust the provisions and informational listings in Article IX, including the informational listing of Appropriations for Mental Health Services, to conform to committee decisions.
Adjust capital budget authority to conform to committee decisions.
Adjust the employee benefits (retirement, group insurance, social security, benefit replacement) appropriations to reflect final FTE counts based upon the policies established by the House Appropriations Committee.
Allocate appropriations from General Provisions and General Government agencies to the appropriate agency or functional grouping of agencies by Method of Financing for items that are made elsewhere, such as Retirement and Group Insurance, Social Security and Benefit Replacement Pay, Bond Debt Service Payments, and Lease Payments.
At the discretion of the House Appropriations Committee Chairman, make necessary technical adjustments.
At 2:06 p.m., on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was adjourned subject to the call of the chair.
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Rep. Bonnen, Chair
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Cameron Cocke, Clerk