January 26, 2009

This column will run throughout the legislative session. It will include news about major reports, hearings and legislation on topics of interest to a broad cross section of health and human services employees.

Senate Files Base Budget Bill

Senate Bill 1, which will serve as the starting point for the state’s 2010–11 budget, was filed last week. The two-year budget totals $171.5 billion in state and federal funds, which is a 1 percent increase over the current biennial budget.

The Legislative Budget Board developed the base budget, which legislators will now begin to scrub, knead and massage into a budget that must be approved by the House and Senate and signed by the governor.

According to the Legislative Budget Board, highlights of Senate Bill 1 include:

• Medicaid: Caseloads are projected to reach 3 million in fiscal year 2011. Funding totals $43.1 billion in all funds. An increase of $2.8 billion is provided to address caseload growth and to maintain rate increases approved during the last legislative session.
• State Schools: $487 million in all funds ($200 million in state funds) for DADS to expand and reshape the system of care for individuals with developmental disabilities. This funding is part of the Medicaid budget.
• HHSC’s Eligibility Services: Funding totals $1.4 billion in all funds, which is a $100 million increase to maintain August 2009 staffing levels of 9,039 employees and the state-authorized 2009 salary increase.
• Child Protective Services: An increase of $30 million in all funds maintains August 2009 staffing levels and the state authorized 2009 salary increase.
• Adoption Subsidy Caseloads: An increase of $47 million in all funds is included because caseloads are projected to increase by 18 percent or 4,908 children.
• Mental Health Services: The 2007 Legislature appropriated $82 million in state funds to expand community mental health crisis services. The base budget includes an increase of $27 million in state funding to continue service levels achieved in fiscal year 2009.
• Early Childhood Intervention: An increase of $23 million in all funds is provided to address caseloads, which are expected to increase to 31,530 in fiscal year 2011.

House and Senate versions of the base budget, along with summaries, can be found on the Legislative Budget Board website.

Legislation

The Connection will track legislation of broad interest to health and human services agencies and employees, especially bills affecting employee benefits. The following bills have been filed:

• House Bill 251 relating to the use of public resources to make communications that contain political advertising; providing a criminal penalty.
• House Bill 282 and Senate Bill 138 relating to the designation of certain election days as state holidays.
• House Bill 437 relating to a limitation on the use by state agencies of credit information regarding certain job applicants.
• House Bill 538 relating to the prohibition of employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
• House Bill 605 relating to state employees mileage reimbursement.
• House Bill 615 relating to the right of an employee who is a parent of a child enrolled in a special education program to time off from work to meet with certain persons affecting the education of the child.
• House Bill 706 relating to the imposition of background and criminal history check requirements for certain employees of and applicants for employment with DFPS and Senate Bill 67 relating to the imposition of background and criminal history check requirements for operators and employees of certain facilities and agencies serving children, the elderly or persons who are disabled.
• Senate Bill 60 relating to the right of an employee who is a victim of a crime to time off from work to attend court proceedings related to that crime.
• Senate Bill 71 relating to the limitation on paid leave for state employees at health and human services agencies pending a criminal history background check.
• Senate Bill 72 relating to training and other human resources functions of health and human services agencies.

Links:

Guide to Texas Legislative Information
Texas Legislature Online
Texas Senate
Texas House of Representatives