MINUTES 
          
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 
                             Thursday, May 13, 1999 
                                     2:00 pm 
                         Capitol Extension, Room E1.012 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         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, May 13, 1999 in the Capitol  
         Extension, Room E1.012, 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.   
          
         The Chair laid out HB 2000 and opened public testimony.   
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list.  Public testimony was closed on the bill.   
         The bill was left pending. 
          
         At 3:42 pm, Senator Armbrister assumed the Chair and laid out  
         SB 1911.  Senator Brown, the author, explained the bill.  No  
         public testimony was taken and Senator Brown moved that SB  
         1911 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.  The  
         motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not  
         voting and 2 absent.  Witnesses registering on the bill are  
         shown on the attached list. 
          
         At 3:47 pm, Senator Brown assumed the Chair and laid out HB  
         2000.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are  
         shown on the attached list.  Public testimony was closed and  
         the bill was left pending.   
          
         At 5:10 pm, Senator Lucio assumed the Chair and laid out HB  
         2274 and Senator Barrientos, the sponsor, explained the bill.   
         Public testimony was closed and the bill was left pending  
         awaiting the arrival of a quorum.  Witness registering on the  
         bill is shown on the attached list. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 3849 and Senator Barrientos explained  
         the bill for the sponsor, Senator Bivins.  The bill was left  
         pending, awaiting the arrival of a quorum.  No public  
         testimony was taken on the bill.   
         The Chair laid out HB 1260 and Senator Armbrister explained  
         the bill for the sponsor, Senator Ellis.  Public testimony was  
         closed and the bill was left pending, awaiting the arrival of  
         a quorum.  Witnesses registering on the bill are shown on the  
         attached list. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 2275 and Senator Barrientos explained  
         the bill for the sponsor, Senator Wentworth.  No public  
         testimony was taken and the bill was left pending, awaiting  
         the arrival of a quorum.  Witnesses registering on the bill  
         are shown on the attached list. 
          
         At 5:29 pm, Senator Armbrister assumed the Chair and laid out  
         HB 3620.  Senator Barrientos explained the bill for the  
         sponsor, Senator Bernsen.  The bill was left pending, awaiting  
         the arrival of a quorum.  Witnesses registering on the bill  
         are shown on the attached list. 
          
         At 5:34 pm, Senator Brown assumed the Chair and laid out HB  
         3817.  Senator Armbrister, the sponsor, explained the bill.   
         The bill was left pending, awaiting the arrival of a quorum.   
         No public testimony was taken on the bill. 
          
         At 5:35 pm, Senator Armbrister assumed the Chair and laid out  
         HB 3079.  Senator Brown, the sponsor, explained the bill and  
         sent up Committee Amendments One and Two.  Senator Brown moved  
         adoption of the Amendments; without objection, the Amendments  
         were adopted.  The bill was left pending, awaiting the arrival  
         of a quorum.  No public testimony was taken on the bill. 
          
         At 5:37 pm, Senator Brown assumed the Chair and laid out HB  
         722.  Senator Nixon, the sponsor, explained the bill. Witness  
         registering on the bill is shown on the attached list.  The  
         bill was left pending, awaiting the arrival of a quorum. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 3446 and Senator Armbrister explained  
         the bill for the sponsor, Senator Ogden.   
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list. 
          
         The bill was left pending, awaiting the arrival of a quorum. 
         At 5:47 pm, Senator Armbrister assumed the Chair and laid out  
         HB 687.  Senator Brown, the sponsor, explained the bill and  
         requested that the bill be left pending temporarily.  Senator  
         Brown assumed the Chair at 5:52 pm and laid out HB 597.   
         Senator Armbrister explained the bill for the sponsor, Senator  
         Lucio.   
          
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list.   
  
         Senator Armbrister moved that HB 597 pass and be reported  
         favorably to the full Senate.  The motion carried with a vote  
         of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting and 2 absent.  Senator  
         Armbrister moved that HB 597 be recommended for placement on  
         the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         The Chair laid out HB 722 and Senator Armbrister moved that HB  
         722 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.  The  
         motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not  
         voting and 2 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved that HB 722 be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The Chair laid out HB 2274 and Senator Barrientos moved that  
         HB 2274 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.   
         The motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present  
         not voting and 2 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved that HB  
         2274 be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 2275 and Senator Barrientos moved that  
         HB 2275 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.   
         The motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present  
         not voting and 2 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved that HB  
         2275 be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 3446 and Senator Haywood moved that HB  
         3446 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.  The  
         motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not  
         voting and 2 absent.  Senator Haywood moved that HB 3446 be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 3620 and Senator Armbrister moved that  
         HB 3620 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.   
         The motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present  
         not voting and 2 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved that HB  
         3620 be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 3817 and Senator Armbrister moved that  
         HB 3817 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.   
         The motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present  
         not voting and 2 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved that HB  
         3817 be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 3849 and Senator Bivins moved that HB  
         3849 pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.  The  
         motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not  
         voting, and 2 absent.  Senator Bivins moved that HB 3849 be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
  
         without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         At 6:05 pm, Senator Armbrister assumed the Chair and laid out  
         HB 3079 as amended.  Senator Brown moved that HB 3079 as  
         amended pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.   
         The motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present  
         not voting and 2 absent.  Senator Brown moved that HB 3079 as  
         amended be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out HB 1171 and Senator Brown sent up a  
         Committee Substitute.  Senator Brown explained the Substitute  
         and moved adoption of the Substitute; without objection, the  
         Substitute was adopted.  Witnesses registering on the bill are  
         shown on the attached list. Senator Brown moved that CSHB 1171  
         pass and be reported favorably to the full Senate.  The motion  
         carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 1 nay, 0 present not voting and  
         2 absent.   
          
         The Chair laid out HB 1172 and Senator Brown sent up Committee  
         Amendments One and Two.  Senator Brown moved adoption of the  
         Amendments; without objection, the Amendments were adopted. 
         Witnesses registering on the bill are shown on the attached  
         list.  Senator Brown moved that HB 1172 as amended pass and be  
         reported favorably to the full Senate.  The motion carried  
         with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting and 2  
         absent.   
          
         There being no further business, at 6:25 pm Senator Armbrister  
         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