MINUTES 
          
                        SENATE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL 
                          RELATIONS, TRADE & TECHNOLOGY 
                             Wednesday, May 14, 1997 
                                    1:00 p.m. 
                          Lt. Governor's Committee Room 
                                 Public Hearing 
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on  
         International Relations, Trade & Technology was held on  
         Wednesday, May 14, 1997 in Lt. Governor's Committee Room, at  
         Austin, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
              Senator Carlos F. Truan, Chairman       Senator Teel  
         Bivins 
              Senator John Carona, Vice-Chairman      Senator Bill  
         Ratliff 
              Senator Kenneth Armbrister              Senator David  
         Sibley 
              Senator Jon Lindsay 
              Senator Steve Ogden 
              Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Chairman Truan called the public meeting to order at 12:55  
         p.m.  There being a quorum present, the following business was  
         transacted. 
          
         Chairman Truan laid out HB 3380 and recognized the Senate  
         sponsor, Senator Lucio, Jr., to explain the bill.  A  
         discussion followed.  Witnesses testifying and registering on  
         the bill are shown on the attached list.  The Chair moved that  
         HB 3380 be left pending to await a quorum; without objection  
         it was so ordered.  Upon arrival of a quorum, Senator Carona  
         moved HB 3380 be reported back to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting,  
         and 3 absent.  Senator Carona moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar,  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Chairman Truan laid out HB 1391 and recognized the Senate  
         sponsor, Senator Barrientos, to explain the bill.  A  
         discussion followed.  Witnesses testifying and registering on  
         the bill are shown on the attached list.  Senator Truan moved  
         that HB 1391 be left pending; without objection, it was so  
  
         ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 2115 and recognized Senator Armbrister  
         on behalf of the Senate sponsor, Senator Bivins, to explain  
         the bill.  A discussion followed.  Senator Armbrister moved  
         that HB 2115 be reported favorably to the full Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  By unanimous  
         consent of the Committee, the vote was left open for the  
         duration of the hearing.  When the vote was closed at the end  
         of the hearing, the motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0  
         nays, 0 present not voting, and 4 absent.  Senator Carona  
         moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local  
         & Uncontested Calendar, without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Chairman Truan laid out HB 1898 and recognized the Senate  
         sponsor, Senator Fraser, to explain the bill.   A discussion  
         followed.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill  
         are shown on the attached list.  Senator Carona moved that HB  
         1898 be reported favorably to the full Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  By unanimous  
         consent of the Committee, the vote was left open for the  
         duration of the hearing.  When the vote was closed at the end  
         of the hearing, the motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0  
         nays, 0 present not voting, and 4 absent.  Senator Lindsay  
         moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local  
         & Uncontested Calendar, without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The Chair laid out HB 2025 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Carona, to explain the bill.  A discussion followed.   
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list.  Senator Carona moved that HB 2025 be  
         reported favorably to the full Senate with the recommendation  
         that it do pass and be printed.  By unanimous consent of the  
         Committee, the vote was left open for the duration of the  
         hearing.  When the vote was closed at the end of the hearing,  
         he motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not  
         voting, and 4 absent.  Senator Carona moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar,  
         without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         At 1:37 p.m. Vice-Chairman Carona assumed the chair, laid out  
         HB 540 and recognized Senator Truan to explain the bill.  A  
         discussion followed.  Senator Truan moved that HB 540 be  
         reported favorably to the full Senate with the recommendation  
         that it do pass and be printed.  By unanimous consent of the  
         Committee, the vote was left open for the duration of the  
         hearing.  When the vote was closed at the end of the hearing,  
         the motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present  
         not voting, and 4 absent.  Senator Carona moved that the bill  
         be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar, without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 1:39 p.m.  Senator Truan resumed the chair and laid out HB  
         479, recognizing the Senate sponsor, Senator Lindsay, to  
         explain the bill.  A discussion followed.  Witnesses  
  
         testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the  
         attached list.  Senator Lindsay moved that HB 479 be reported  
         favorably to the full Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass and be printed.  By unanimous consent of the  
         Committee, the vote was left open for the duration of the  
         hearing.  When the vote was closed at the end of the hearing,  
         the motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present  
         not voting, and 4 absent.  Senator Lindsay moved that the bill  
         be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar, without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 2940 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Carona, to explain the bill.  A discussion followed.   
         Senator Carona moved that HB 2940 be reported favorably to the  
         full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  By unanimous consent of the Committee, the vote was  
         left open for the duration of the hearing.  When the vote was  
         closed at the end of the hearing, the motion carried with a  
         vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 3 absent.   
         Senator Carona moved that the bill be recommended for  
         placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar, without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Chairman Truan laid out HB 3246 and recognized Senator Carona  
         on behalf of the Senate sponsor, Senator Madla, to explain the  
         bill.  A discussion followed.  Senator Carona moved that HB  
         3246 be reported favorably to the full Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  By unanimous  
         consent of the Committee, the vote was left open for the  
         duration of the hearing.  When the vote was closed at the end  
         of the hearing, the motion carried with a vote of 6 ayes, 0  
         nays, 0 present not voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Carona  
         moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local  
         & Uncontested Calendar, without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Chairman Truan recognized Senator Shapleigh to register his  
         aye votes on the following bills:  HB 479, HB 2025, HB 2115,  
         HB 2940, HB 3246, HB 1898, HB 540, and HB 3380.  The Chair  
         closed and announced the votes and moved all bills reported  
         favorably to the Local and Uncontested Calendar without  
         objection. There being no further business, at 2:09 p.m.  
         Senator Truan moved that the Committee stand recessed subject  
         to the call of the Chair.  Without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Carlos F. Truan, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Carla D. Buckner, Clerk