Texline 154 - Budget and Bill Update

TLA TEXLINE NO. 154
Posted: April 28, 2003
LEGISLATIVE ISSUES NETWORK

I. Budget Update

The House has passed its version of the 2004 and 2005 budget (HB 1), as well as the supplemental bill (HB 7), the 2003 emergency appropriations measure. The Senate Finance Committee just completed its 2004-05 budget, which will likely be debated on the Senate floor on Friday. The Senate companion to the supplemental appropriations bill for 2003 (SB 1860) is still pending in the Senate. Once the Senate passes its versions of the appropriations bills, the Senate and the House will appoint a conference committee to hammer out differences and make one final funding recommendation for both the 2003 supplemental appropriations bill and the 2004/05 biennial budget. Typically, the conference committee will only address areas that differ. Total agency budgets are determined by the state budget and any other bills with a fiscal impact.

HOUSE RECOMMENDATIONS

The House 2004-05 budget funds the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) according to the final Legislative Appropriations Request submitted by the agency. In essence, the House appropriated $7.5 million/year for TexShare. Systems would be funded at approximately $7.5 million in 2004 and $7.55 million in 2005. Loan Star Libraries would be reduced by $250,000. Overall, TSLAC was cut by approximately 12% in General Revenue and 30% in dedicated funds.

The 2004-05 budget for the Texas Education Agency includes no funding for the Long Range Technology Initiative (which includes funding for the Texas Library Connection) and the school library materials match. Overall, TEA's budget was cut by approximately $1.4 billion, approximately 7% of the total current budget.

The 2004-05 budget for the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund (TIF) Board cuts all funding for grants in the 2004-05 biennium. The House budget leaves only a small amount of funding so that the agency can continue to monitor grants and cease operations by the end of 2004.

HB 7, the supplemental budget bill for 2003, cuts funding at TSLAC by approximately $274,000 and returns almost $1 million in lapsed revenue to the state; TEA by almost $25 million in administration and programs, as well as millions in deferred payments and reductions in educational materials and other areas; and TIF by approximately $224 million (all of the grant money originally appropriated for 2003).

SENATE RECOMMENDATIONS

The Senate Finance Committee version of the 2004-05 bill (the final Senate version will be completed after a full floor debate) sets funding for TSLAC at the same level as the House. TEA's budget restores the rider match for school library materials but does not include funding for the Long Range Technology Plan, which covers funding for the Texas Library Connection. The Finance Committee budget completely zeroes out all funding for TIF in 2004 and 2005.

II. Bill Update

HB 46 (Rep. Turner, Sylvester)/ Companion: SB 124

Last Action: 01/30/2003- Referred to House Regulated Industry
Relating to the continuance of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board and the limitation on deposits to the telecommunications infrastructure fund.

HB 228 (Rep. Keel, Terry)

Last Action: 02/06/2003- Referred to House State Cultural and Recreational Resources
Relating to the circumstances in which municipal consent is required for the creation of a library district.

HB 526 (Rep. Smith, Todd)

Last Action: 02/26/2003- Not heard in House County Affairs
Relating to reports on the vulnerability of local government computer systems and electronic data to harm or unauthorized access.

HB 605 (Rep. Mowery, Anna)

Last Action: 04/24/2003- House Public Education hearing set for 04/29/2003
Relating to the number of administrators employed by a school district and the salaries paid to those persons.

HB 854 (Rep. West, G.E.)

Last Action: 04/25/2003- Passed House. Senate Education hearing set for 04/29/2003
Relating to the eligibility of public schools and libraries for certain funds.

HB 906 (Rep. Gallego, Pete)

Last Action: 04/22/2003- Passed House. Referred to Senate Government Organization
Relating to the human resources staff and functions of state agencies.

HB 909 (Rep. Gallego, Pete)/ Companion: SB 265

Last Action: 02/19/2003- Referred to House Public Education
Relating to continuation and functions of the State Board for Educator Certification.

HB 1107 (Rep. Rob Eissler)

Last Action: 03/24/2003- Left pending in House Public Education
Relating to the minimum salary schedule for certain professional public

HB 1228 (Rep. Aaron Pena)

Last Action: 02/27/2003- Referred to House Public Education
Relating to the salary paid to certain professional employees of public schools.

HB 1367 (Rep. McReynolds, Jim)

Last Action: 03/03/2003- Referred to House Public Education
Relating to the minimum salary schedule for certain professional public school employees.

HB 1576 (Rep. Gallego, Pete)/ Companion: SB 555

Last Action: 04/22/2003- Sent to House Local/Consent calendar
Relating to the telecommunications planning and oversight council.

HB 1635 (Rep. King, Phil)

Last Action: 04/09/2003- Left pending in House Regulated Industries
Relating to the uses of the telecommunications infrastructure fund.

HB 1770 (Rep. Keel, Terry)

Last Action: 04/25/2003- Passed House. Received in the Senate
Relating to the creation and taxes of a library district.

HB 1842 (Rep. West, G.E.)

Last Action: 03/11/2003- Referred to House State Cultural and Recreational Resources
Relating to requiring a separate area in a public library for adult computer use.

HB 1999 (Rep. Gutierrez, Roberto)

Last Action: 03/12/2003- Referred to House Public Education
Relating to compensation for public school classroom teachers and full-time public school librarians, counselors, and nurses for additional days of service.

HB 2110 (Rep. Rangel, Irma)

Last Action: 04/07/2003- Left pending in House Government Reform
Relating to abolishing the State Board for Educator Certification and to transferring its powers and duties to the commissioner of education and the Texas Education Agency.

HB 2121 (Rep. Wilson, Ron)/ Companion: SB 1116

Last Action: 04/23/2003- Left pending in House Regulated Industries
Relating to the criminal and civil consequences of conduct involving the theft of or tampering with certain communication or information services.

HB 2306 (Rep. Jones, Jesse)

Last Action: 03/18/2003- Referred to House Transportation
Relating to new millennium special license plates and to the new millennium reading program account.

HB 2763 (Rep. Timoteo Garza)

Last Action: 03/25/2003- Referred to House State Cultural and Recreational Resources
Relating to the Texas public library endowment fund and funding for the TexShare library consortium program.

HB 2769 (Rep. Chisum, Warren)/ Companion: SB 287

Last Action: 04/22/2003- Sent to House Calendars committee
Relating to changing the composition of certain state agency governing bodies with an even number of members to comply with the changes made to Section 30a, Article XVI, Texas Constitution.
HB 3007 (Rep. Swimford, David)
Last Action: 04/10/2003- Left pending in House Government Reform
Relating to state personnel and other state human resources matters.

HB 3045 (Rep. Cook, Robert)

Last Action: 04/16/2003- Sent to House Local/Consent calendar
Relating to the limitation on the allocation of office space to state agencies.

HB 3418 (Rep. Goodman, Toby)/ Companion: SB 1088

Last Action: 04/22/2003 Left pending in House State Affairs
Relating to eliminating certain requirements for publishing and distributing volumes of legislative acts and for distributing judicial reports and other state publications.

HB 3459 (Rep. Pitts, Jim)/ Companion: SB 1873

Last Action: 04/25/2003- House Appropriations hearing set for 04/30/2003
Relating to statutory authority to reduce appropriations made by the legislature to certain governmental educational entities and to other fiscal matters involving certain governmental educational entities.

SB 124 (Sen. Shapleigh, Eliot)/ Companion: HB 46

Last Action: 01/29/2003- Referred to Senate Finance
Relating to the continuance of the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board and the limitation on deposits to the telecommunications infrastructure fund.

SB 377 (Sen. Armbrister, Kenneth)

Last Action: 02/11/2003- Referred to Senate Business and Commerce
Relating to the regulation of high-speed Internet access and broadband services.

SB 659 (Sen. Brimer, Kim)

Last Action: 03/19/2003- Not heard in Senate Government Organization

Relating to the creation of the economic development coordinator; the abolition of the Texas Department of Economic Development and the transfer of its functions to the economic development coordinator; and the establishment of economic and business development programs to be administered by the economic development coordinator.

SB 682 (Sen. Kyle Janek)

Last Action: 04/15/2003- Left pending in Senate Education
Relating to a state allotment to school districts for teacher salaries.

SB 699 (Sen. Shapleigh, Eliot)

Last Action: 04/25/2003- Passed Senate. Referred to House Public Education
Relating to establishment of a public education Internet portal.

SB 1049 (Sen. Wentworth, Jeff)

Last Action: 03/17/2003- Referred to Senate Intergovernmental Relations
Relating to the creation and taxes of a library district.

SB 1088 (Sen. Staples, Todd)/ Companion: 3418

Last Action: 04/25/2003- Removed from Senate Intent calendar
Relating to eliminating certain requirements for publishing and distributing volumes of legislative acts and for distributing judicial reports and other state publications.

SB 1116 (Sen. Williams, Thomas)/ Companion: HB 2121

Last Action: 03/17/2003- Referred to Senate Criminal Justice
Relating to the criminal and civil consequences of conduct involving the theft of or tampering with certain communication or information services.

SB 1154 (Sen. Shapleigh, Eliot)

Last Action: 04/25/2003- Senate Government Organization hearing set for 04/30/2003
Relating to state publications maintained by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

SB 1401 (Sen. Fraser, Troy)

Last Action: 03/20/2003- Referred to Senate Finance
Relating to the administration of the telecommunications infrastructure fund, including the abolition of the telecommunications infrastructure fund board and the transfer of the board's duties to the comptroller of public accounts.

SB 1436 (Sen. Staples, Todd)

Last Action: 04/25/2003- Senate Business and Commerce hearing set for 04/29/2003
Relating to the creation and administration of the community telecommunications alliance program.

TEXLINE INDEX

TLA-Texline is an irregular publication of the Texas Library Association mailed directly to members interested in legislative and governmental issues affecting libraries. To subscribe--or to offer comments or suggestions-- contact Gloria Meraz, Director of Communications, Texas Library Association. Previous issues of Texline are archived on the TLA website.