Highlights 77th Texas Legislature - Senate

_____________________ A PPROPRIATIONS
• A $104.5 million increase in state highway funds.
PPROPRIATIONS ACT
77 th Texas Legislature
• An offset of $12.8 million in State Highway Fund support for a $12.8 million decrease in oil
overcharge funding that is no longer available to support the Public Transportation Program.
Provides an increase of $159 million in federal Child Care and Development funds to the Texas Workforce
Commission and an increase of $36.3 million of TANF funds for the Choices Program.
A $26.3 million recommendation for the Reimbursement to the Unemployment Compensation Benefit
Account is attributable to a slight increase in payout requirements for the 2002–2003 biennium compared
with the 2000-2001 biennium. The requirement that General Revenue and special fund agencies pay 50
percent of their unemployment insurance claims out of appropriated funds is continued.
Regulatory
S.B. 1 appropriated $771.7 million of All Funds for the 2002-2003 biennium for Regulatory agencies, which
is an increase of $243 million, or 45.9 percent, from the previous biennium. General Revenue and General
Revenue-Dedicated Funds appropriations total $753.6 million, an increase of $238.5 million, or 46.3
percent, when compared to the 2000–2001 biennium. Significant budget recommendations for agencies in
the regulatory function include the following:
Provides a $208.4 million increase for the Public Utility Commission associated with electric deregulation
and the System Benefit Fund as the result of the adoption of S.B. 7 by the 76 th Legislature.
Provides the Workers Compensation Commission a $1 million increase in General Revenue Funds for the
Business Process Redesign project to automate processes, ensure network stability, and format required
forms for electronic submittal.
Contingency riders authorizing a fee-generated General Revenue Funds increase of $10.3 million and up to
81.5 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions in the event additional resources are needed to adequately
regulate the financial industry. The Department of Banking could receive up to $8.7 million, the Savings
and Loan Department up to $1.3 million, and the Credit Union Department up to $0.3 million.
Provides a $4.3 million increase in General Revenue Funds related to salary increases for financial
examiners affecting the Department of Banking, Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, Savings and
Loan Department, Credit Union Department, Department of Insurance, and Texas Workers’ Compensation
Commission.
S.B. 1 instructs agencies to explore the feasibility of relocating outside the Austin area for leases which
expire during the biennium.
Article IX General Provisions Appropriation items vetoed by Governor Perry
Contingent reduction items (Sec. 10.16). Contingent upon a finding of fact by the comptroller at the time of
certification of this Act that sufficient revenue is not available from the General Revenue Fund and special
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