MINUTES SENATE COMMITTEE ON JURISPRUDENCE Monday, March 6, 2000 9:00 a.m. St. Mary's Law School, Center for Legal and Social Justice ***** Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence was held on Monday, March 6, 2000, in the St. Mary's Law School, Center for Legal and Social Justice ***** MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: Senator Rodney Ellis Senator J. E. Brown Senator Chris Harris Senator Leticia Van de Putte Senator Jeff Wentworth ***** The chair called the meeting to order at 9:10 a.m. There being a quorum present, the following business was transacted: Senator Ellis opened the hearing by thanking St. Mary's Law School for hosting the Senate Jurisprudence Committee. Senator Ellis thanked Senator Van de Putte and Senator Wentworth for agreeing to hold the hearing in San Antonio. Senator Ellis laid out Charge 1, to review Chapter 153 of the Family Code to identify ways to improve the enforcement of child custody orders, alternative methods of enforcement to improve court time efficiency and to expedite the process. The Committee convened two panels of invited testimony to discuss Interim Charge 1. Panel One included: Alicia Key, Office of Attorney General, Bree Buchanan, Texas Council on Family Violence, Lt. Rosanna Church-Abreo, Texas Department of Public Safety, Hugh Nations, Mens and Fathers Resource Center, and Sheriff Ralph Lopez, Bexar County. Panel Two included: Judge John Specia, Judge 225th District Court, Professor Ellen Marrus, University of Houston Law School, Professor Ana Novoa, St. Mary's Law School, Victor Negron, San Antonio, and Bob Green, Texas Fathers Alliance. Both panels discussed the mechanisms available to enforce child custody orders. Testimony was also heard regarding supervised visitation centers, domestic violence issues relating to child custody, increased use of mediation and alternative dispute resolution methods in family law cases, parental abduction and missing children, costs of family law litigation, children's rights, parental education, driver's license suspensions, friend of the court programs, and domestic relations offices. At 12:25 p.m. Senator Ellis moved that the committee stand recessed until ; without objection, it was so ordered. At 12:50 p.m. the committee reconvened. Public testimony was heard. There being no further business, at 1:22 p.m. Senator Ellis moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered. ______________________ Senator Rodney Ellis, Chair ______________________ Kenneth Besserman, Clerk