Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

_____________________ A PPROPRIATIONS
General Government
PPROPRIATIONS ACT
77 th Texas Legislature
S.B. 1 appropriated $2,626 million of All Funds for the 2002-2003 biennium for agencies in the General
Government function. This is an increase of $156.3 million, or 6.3 percent, from the previous biennium.
General Revenue and General Revenue-Dedicated Funds appropriations total $1,895.5 million, an
increase of $163.7 million, or 9.5 percent, when compared to the 2000–2001 biennium. Significant budget
recommendations for agencies in the General Government function include the following:
Provides the Office of the Attorney General an increase of $65.8 million General Revenue–Dedicated
Funds from the Compensation to Victims of Crime Fund.
Provides the Office of the Governor an increase of $8.4 million in General Revenue unexpended balances
for emergency/deficiency and disaster grant and a $2.7 million increase due to residential substance abuse
programs.
Provides an increase of $18.2 million in General Revenue Funds for the comptroller due to increased
spending demands for unclaimed property, mixed beverage sales, and tort claims and federal court
judgment program areas.
Provides the Comptroller of Public Accounts-Fiscal Programs an increase of $27.9 million in General
Revenue Funds for advanced tax compliance and debt collections and an increase of $13 million in
General Revenue Funds for the Unclaimed Property Program.
Provides the Commission on State Communications an increase of $15.5 million due primarily to an $8
million additional appropriation for wireless 9-1-1 service improvements contingent on the collection of
additional fees from wireless service providers and a $4 million increase to fund recurring equipment
maintenance and addressing costs for the statewide 9-1-1 system.
Provides the General Services Commission an increase of $1.3 million for building design and construction
management (a portion of this increase was appropriated through H.B. 1333, 77 th Legislature, relating to
making emergency appropriations) and the authority to carry forward unexpended balances.
Provides the Trusteed Programs within the Office of the Governor an increase of $2.5 million in General
Revenue Funds, including $1.5 million for criminal justice grants to drug courts $1 million for grants to
eligible counties that have reached or exceeded the constitutional limit on property tax rates, and an
increase of $2.9 million in funding for programs to combat drug-related crimes and violence.
Provides the Texas Historical Commission the continuation of $50 million in General Revenue Funds for
the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, $2.5 million in General Revenue Funds for the
Preservation Trust Fund, and continuation of $1.1 million in General Revenue Funds Juneteenth funding.
Provides an increase of $0.6 million in General Revenue Funds to the Department of Information
Resources for implementation of statewide Internet security study recommendations, and an increase of
$0.5 million in Other Funds for continued operation and expansion of the TexasOnline Project.
Senate Research Center 8