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