Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

_____________________ A PPROPRIATIONS
PPROPRIATIONS ACT
77 th Texas Legislature
• Distribution of $23.4 million in General Revenue Funds for the hold harmless formula, to address
potential shortfalls during the 2002–2003 biennium.
Provides Health-Related Institutions:
• Continuation of the $31.6 million increase in General Revenue Funds for fiscal year 2000–2001
nonfaculty salary increases and fiscal year 2000 faculty salary increases added by the 76 th
Legislature.
• An increase in General Revenue Funds of $64.7 million for new and enhanced special items,
including $34.2 million to support research special items, $16.5 million for special items related to
instruction, and $14 million for health care-related special items.
• An increase of $5.6 million in General Revenue Funds to provide formula hold harmless to ensure
that all institutions receive at least the same amount of formula funding as in 2000–2001.
Education Appropriation items vetoed by Governor Perry
• Special provisions relating only to state agencies of higher education: deletes the utility funding
increase for public higher education institutions. The veto action deletes a rider contingent upon the
certification of additional revenue by the comptroller.
• Contingency Appropriation: S.B. 1783 - Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board. This veto
action deletes a rider that was contingent upon proposed legislation that did not pass.
Judiciary
S.B. 1 appropriated $430.7 million from All Funds for the 2002-2003 biennium for the judiciary agencies,
which is an increase of $47.1 million, or 12.3 percent, from the previous biennium. General Revenue and
General Revenue-Dedicated Funds appropriations total $353.1 million, an increase of $35.3 million, or 11.1
percent, when compared to the 2000–2001 biennium. Significant budget recommendations for agencies
and courts in the judiciary function include the following:
• An increase of $4.3 million for providing unexpended balance authority between biennia for the
appellate courts and the Basic Civil Legal Services Program.
• An increase of $2.3 million for the Court of Criminal Appeals to annualize costs of expanded
training programs.
• An increase of $1.1 million for the Prison Prosecution Unit for additional staff and expanded
operations, including costs for a projected increase in death penalty cases.
• A contingency appropriation of $19.8 million and five FTEs for the establishment of the Task Force
on Indigent Defense within the Texas Judicial Council. The Task Force will have authority to make
grants to counties for indigent defense services.
• A General Revenue Funds increase of $0.9 million to annualize costs of the Foster Care Courts
Program, funded in the second year of the 2000–2001 biennium; and a General Revenue–
Dedicated Funds (Compensation to Victims of Crime Funds) increase of $2.2 million and an
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