MINUTES 
                                         
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 
                            Thursday, March 25, 1999 
                                     3:00 pm 
                         Capitol Extension, Room E1.016 
                                         
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Natural  
         Resources was held on Thursday, March 25, 1999 in the Capitol  
         Extension, Room E1.016, at Austin, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator J. E. "Buster" Brown, Chair     Senator Teel Bivins 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister              Senator Bill Ratliff 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos 
         Senator Tom Haywood 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:15 pm.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted.   
          
         Along with the House Committee on Agriculture & Livestock and  
         Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, the Committee heard  a  
         presentation from Doug Farquhar with the National Conference  
         of State Legislature's Environment, Energy and Transportation  
         office and Tim Galvin from the U.S. Department of  
         Agriculture's Foreign Agriculture Service.  The presentation  
         focused on agriculture and international trade and the impacts  
         that trade agreements may have at the state level. 
          
         Senator Armbrister gave the Subcommittee on Agriculture  
         Report. 
          
         The Chair laid out CSSB 631 and Senator Duncan, the author,  
         explained the bill. 
          
         At 3:52, Senator Armbrister assumed the Chair. 
          
         Witnesses registering and testifying on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list. 
          
         Senator Brown moved that CSSB 631 be reported favorably to the  
         full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Brown moved that  
  
         CSSB 631 be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 754 and Senator Lucio explained the  
         bill. 
          
         No public testimony was taken on the bill. 
          
         Senator Brown moved that SB 754 be reported favorably to the  
         full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Brown moved that SB  
         754 be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         There being no further business, at 4:52 pm  Senator Lucio  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the Chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         _____________________________                 
                                                      __________________ 
                                                      ______ 
         Senator J.E. "Buster" Brown, Chair                     Carol  
                                                                McGarah 
                                                                , Clerk