MINUTES
         
                           SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
                            Monday, February 10, 1997
                                     9:30 am
                         Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
         
                                      *****
         
         
         
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was 
         held on Monday, February 10, 1997 in the Capitol Extension, 
         Room E1.036, at Austin, Texas.  
         
                                      *****
         
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT:
         Senator Bill Ratliff
         Senator Carlos Truan
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
         Senator Teel Bivins
         Senator J.E. Brown
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
         Senator Mike Moncrief
         Senator Jane Nelson
         Senator Jeff Wentworth
         Senator Royce West
         Senator Judith Zaffirini
         
         The following members arrived after the roll was called:  
         Senator David Sibley
                                      *****
         
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:35 am.  There being 
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted.  
         
         The Chair laid out SB 211 and recognized the author, Senator 
         Ellis, to explain the bill.  
         
         Senator Lucio, Jr. sent up a committee substitute; the Chair 
         recognized Senator Ellis to explain the difference between the 
         committee substitute and the bill as filed.  Senator West sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption.  
         Senator Brown sent up an amendment to Amendment 1; without 
         objection, the amendment to Amendment 1 was adopted.   Senator 
         West moved adoption of Committee Amendment 1 as amended; 
         without objection, Amendment 1 was adopted.  Senator Lucio, 
         Jr. requested unanimous consent to incorporate Amendment 1 
         into the committee substitute.  Senator Lucio, Jr. then moved 
         that the new committee substitute be adopted.  Senator Lucio, 
         Jr. moved that SB 211 do not pass but that CSSB 211 be 
         reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do 
         pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 13 
 
         





         ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.  
         
              Ed Bloom, Executive Director, representing Texas 
              Association for the Education of Young Children, 
              testified in favor of the bill.
              Melanie Rubin, representing The Child Care Group, 
              testified in favor of the bill.
              Jeannette Watson, representing Self, testified in favor 
              of the bill.
              Cindy Alexander, representing Office of the Comptroller 
              of Public Accounts, testified on the bill.
              Charles Martin, representing Texas Workforce Commission, 
              testified on the bill.
              Patrick Bressette, representing Center For Public Policy 
              Priorities, registered but did not testify in favor of 
              the bill.
              Nancy Engman Holman, representing Texans Care For 
              Children, registered but did not testify in favor of the 
              bill.
              Robert Kamm, representing Texas Assn. of Business and 
              Chambers of Commerce, registered but did not testify in 
              favor of the bill.
              Phyllis Coombs, representing Office of the Comptroller of 
              Public Accounts, registered but did not testify on the 
              bill.
              Leona Person, representing Office of the Comptroller of 
              Public Accounts, registered but did not testify on the 
              bill.
         
         
         The Chair laid out SB 203 and recognized the author, Senator 
         Shapiro, to explain the bill.
         
         Senator Bivins sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved 
         adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  
         Senator Bivins sent up Committee Amendment 2 and moved 
         adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  
         Senator Barrientos sent up Committee Amendment 3 and moved 
         adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  
         Senator Zaffirini requested unanimous consent to incorporate 
         amendments into the committee substitute.  Senator Zaffirini 
         then moved that the new committee substitute be adopted.  
         Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 203 do not pass but that CSSB 
         203 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation 
         that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a 
         vote of 12 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.  
         After the vote was recorded, Senator Lucio, Jr. requested 
         unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on the previous 
         motion; there being no objection, the final vote was 13 ayes, 
         0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.  
         
              Terry Box, representing Self, testified in favor of the 
              bill.
              Wayne Scott, representing Texas Department of Criminal 
              Justice, testified on the bill.
 
         





              David McNutt, representing Texas Department of Criminal 
              Justice, registered but did not testify on the bill.
              Clint Waters, representing Office of Comptroller of 
              Public Accounts, registered but did not testify on the 
              bill.
         
         The Chair laid out SB 263 and recognized the author, Senator 
         Zaffirini, to explain the bill.  
         
         Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute; the Chair 
         recognized Senator Zaffirini to explain the difference between 
         the committee substitute and the bill as filed.  Senator 
         Wentworth sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption; 
         without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator 
         Zaffirini requested unanimous consent to incorporate the 
         amendment into the committee substitute.  Senator Zaffirini 
         then moved that the new committee substitute be adopted.  
         Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 263 do not pass but that CSSB 
         263 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation 
         that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a 
         vote of 10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent  
         After the vote was recorded, Senators Barrientos, Lucio, and 
         Moncrief requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on 
         the previous motion; there being no objection, the final vote 
         was 13 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.  
         
              Justice Paul W. Green, representing Fourth Court of 
              Appeals, testified in favor of the bill.
              Chief Justice Phil Hardberger, representing Fourth Court 
              of Appeals, registered but did not testify in favor of 
              the bill.
         
         The Chair laid out SB 303 and recognized the author, Senator 
         Brown, to explain the bill.  
         
         Senator Brown moved that SB 303 be reported favorably to the 
         full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be 
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 
         present not voting, and 3 absent.  After the vote was 
         recorded, Senators Moncrief and West requested  unanimous 
         consent to be shown voting aye on the previous motion; there 
         being no objection, the final vote was 12 ayes, 0 nays, 0 
         present not voting and 1 absent.  Senator Brown requested 
         unanimous consent to certify the bill for Local & Uncontested 
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.  
              Samuel Bier, representing Veterans of Foreign Wars, 
              testified in favor of the bill.
         
         
         No action was taken on Senate Bill 95.
         
         There being no further business, at 11:10 am Senator Ratliff 
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of 
         the Chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.  
         





         
         
         
         
         
          
         





         
         
         
         ______________________                  
         Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair
         
         ______________________
         Patricia Hicks, Clerk