Senate Finance Subcommittee Meets at the State Capitol in Austin

AUSTIN - On Tuesday, January 20, the Senate Interim Finance Subcommittee on Articles 2 and 8 Agencies met at the State Capitol in a public hearing to hear testimony from a long list of Texas agencies. Articles 2 and 8 regulate certain health and human service agencies. The subcommittee is responsible for reviewing these agencies' efforts and budgets, appropriations and expenditures, and collecting recommendations for improving performance measures within each agency.

Senator Jane Nelson of Flower Mound chairs the subcommittee that includes Senators Royce West of Dallas and Carlos F. Truan of Corpus Christi.

Among the agencies represented at Tuesday's meeting were the Real Estate Commission, the Department of Insurance, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers, the Funeral Service Commission, the Board of Medical Examiners, the Optometry Board, the Board of Pharmacy, and several others.

The committee will continue its public hearing tomorrow, January 21, in which representatives of the Securities Board, the Board of Tax Professional Examiners, the Workers' Compensation Commission, the Department of Licensing and Regulation and others will provide additional testimony.

Bullock Appoints Senator To Workers' Compensation Council

AUSTIN - On Tuesday, January 20, Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock announced the designation of Senator Ken Armbrister of Victoria as Vice-Chair of a council that will look into workers' compensation issues. The Research and Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation will use the Interim to collect information and make recommendations to the 76th Legislature that convenes in January of next year.

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