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Senate Finance adopts Article 8 package: health professions, licensing and regulatory funding changes
Summary
Committee adopted Article 8 work‑group recommendations that provide technical adjustments and appropriations for licensing boards, health professions councils, and regulatory agencies, including IT and staffing increases for multiple boards.
The Senate Finance Committee accepted the Article 8 work‑group recommendations by voice vote after an LBB presentation that itemized technical adjustments and agency requests for licensing and regulatory boards.
George Juke of the Legislative Budget Board walked members through agency‑level changes ranging from the State Office of Administrative Hearings to licensing boards for dental, nursing, pharmacy, veterinary and other professions. Adopted items included appropriations for cybersecurity, case management systems, staff salary increases, and IT modernization across multiple licensing agencies.
Examples included $1,100,000 with five additional FTEs for the Board of Pharmacy, $10,100,000 restored funding for the Texas Medical Board’s HEALS case management system and additional ongoing IT operations funding, and $319,700,000 in general revenue for the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center as presented in the packet. Work‑group writers and riders focused on issues such as unexpended balance authority for licensing system projects and new riders on cybersecurity response.
Senator Nichols moved adoption of the Article 8 recommendations; with no objections the committee adopted the package by voice vote.
