The Senate Committee Substitute to SB 1 which would appropriate $106.3 billion in General Revenue was unanimously voted out of the Senate on March 28.
Highlights of the Substitute published in the Legislative Budget Board Summary include but not limited to:
Article III
- Foundation School Program funding represents a decrease of $347.5 million in program funding, including an estimated $1.5 billion increase in Other Funds and a $1.8 billion decrease in General Revenue Funds.
- Funding for the Teacher Retirement System reflects a state contribution rate of 6.8 percent of employee payroll in each year of the 2018–19 biennium. Funding assumes an annual payroll growth rate of 3.5 percent for public education and growth of 2.9 percent for higher education in each fiscal year of the biennium, based on payroll trend data. Funding provides for an increase of the statutorily required state contribution to TRS-Care from 1.0 percent to 1.25 percent of public education payroll, and for a onetime appropriation of additional funds to cover the remainder of the projected TRS-Care shortfall in the 2018–19 biennium, contingent on the passage of SB 788 or similar legislation This contingent appropriation accounts for $290.0 million of the biennial increase, after cost containment savings are taken into account.
- Funding is not included for the New Instructional Facilities Allotment, funded at $47.5 million in the 2016–17 biennium.
- Included in the Higher Education General Revenue special item funding reduction is an equity adjustment and $273.5 million in special item phase-out support to limit the reductions for these institution types to between six and ten percent from 2016–17 formula and special item General Revenue funding levels.
Article II
- Funding for the Texas Medicaid Program is an increase of $1.9 billion in All Funds, including $1.3 billion in General Revenue Funds.
- Increased funding for Medicaid client services supports caseload growth at fiscal year 2017 average costs for most services in fiscal year 2018. Fiscal year 2019 funding is maintained at the fiscal year 2018 level for each method of financing.
- Funding is increased in the CPS Program Area to improve agency performance related to the average caseload per CPS caseworker and CPS caseworker retention and to ensure the safety of children.
- Funding also includes $62.6 million in All Funds for the biennium to address the current and projected waitlists for community mental health services for adults and children, $59.4 million in General Revenue Funds to maintain purchased psychiatric hospital beds, increase maximum security forensic state hospital beds, and maintain or expand a variety of community mental health programs
Article I & VII
- $24.8 billion in All Funds is provided for highway planning and design, right-of-way acquisition, construction, and maintenance and preservation
- Funding of $800.0 million in state funds is provided to fund border security
