HBA-CCH H.B. 1333 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1333
By: Junell
Appropriations
3/14/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The state's general revenue budget is driven by public school enrollment,
caseloads in the Medicaid program, and the prison population.  Each
legislative session, state agencies project the number of individuals in
these systems and the costs of providing services.  Actual caseloads in
Medicaid and the prison population have exceeded projections made during
the 76th legislative session.  House Bill 1333 appropriates additional
funds out of the general revenue fund to the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice and the Texas Department of Health for the remainder of the fiscal
year.    

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 1333 appropriates additional funds out of the general revenue
fund to the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Texas Department of
Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for the remainder of the fiscal year ending August
31, 2001.  H.B. 1333 appropriates $1 million to TDH for the state Medicaid
program, but only if Medicaid expenditures exceed available revenue because
of changes in caseloads and costs, and TDH has used all revenue available
to the Medicaid program, including but not limited to premium credits and
vendor drug rebates.  Due to a lower federal match, the bill also
appropriates $45 million to TDH for the state Medicaid program  but only to
the extent the funds are necessary to offset a lower federal match rate, or
address changes in Medicaid caseloads or costs. 

H.B. 1333 appropriates $74,600,000 to TDCJ for the purpose of providing for
expenditures relating to the operation of additional prison capacity and to
contracts with counties for additional temporary capacity. The bill also
appropriates $35,700,000 to TDCJ for the purpose of providing for
expenditures relating to correctional officer, sergeant, and food service
and laundry manager career ladder salary adjustments. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage.