MINUTES 
                                           
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE 
                              Thursday, April 10, 2003 
                                     8:00 a.m. 
                      Betty King Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Business &  
         Commerce was held on Thursday, April 10, 2003, in the Betty King  
         Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman           None 
         Senator Kip Averitt, Vice Chairman 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister 
         Senator Kim Brimer 
         Senator Craig Estes 
         Senator Mike Jackson 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
         Senator Tommy Williams 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Chairman Fraser called the meeting to order at 8:15 a.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         The Chairman advised that SB 1647 would not be heard and would  
         be left pending.   
          
         The Chairman laid out SB 732 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Brimer.  Senator Brimer sent up a committee substitute and  
         explained the difference between the committee substitute and  
         the bill as filed.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the  
         bill are shown on the attached list.  The Chairman moved that  
         the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  The Chairman moved that SB 732 be left pending to  
         await a quorum; without objection, it was so ordered.  Upon  
         arrival of a quorum, Senator Fraser moved adoption of the  
         committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Fraser then moved that SB 732 do not pass but that CSSB  
         732 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that  
         it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record  
         vote of 9 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.   
         After the vote, Senator Brimer advised the committee that he  
         would not accept any amendments to CSSB 732.  
         The Chairman laid out SB 770 and recognized the author, Senator  
  
         Madla, to explain the bill.  Senator Averitt assumed the chair  
         and called for public testimony to begin.  At 9:58 the Chairman  
         moved that the committee stand recessed until 15 minutes after  
         adjournment of the Senate and that testimony on SB 770 would be  
         resumed at that time.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         At 1:00 p.m. the committee reconvened with Senator Fraser in the  
         chair and testimony on SB 770 continued.  At 1:22 p.m. Senator  
         Brimer assumed the chair.  Witnesses testifying and registering  
         on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The Chairman moved  
         that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.  The Chairman then moved that SB 770 be left  
         pending; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Senator Van de Putte assumed the chair, laid out SB 1775 and  
         recognized Senator Brimer, in the absence of the author, to  
         explain the bill.  Senator Brimer sent up a committee substitute  
         and explained the difference between the committee substitute  
         and the bill as filed.  Senator Brimer then sent up Committee  
         Amendment 1 to the committee substitute.  Witnesses testifying  
         and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The  
         Chairman moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Brimer moved that SB 1775  
         be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Upon arrival of a quorum, Senator Estes moved that  
         Committee Amendment 1 be adopted; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Senator Estes requested unanimous consent to roll the  
         amendment into a committee substitute; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.  Senator Estes then moved that the new committee  
         substitute be adopted; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Estes moved that SB 1775 do not pass but that CSSB 1775  
         be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote  
         of 9 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.  Senator  
         Estes moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the  
         Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         The Chairman laid out SB 646 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Wentworth, to explain the bill.  The witness registering on the  
         bill is shown on the attached list.  The Chairman moved that the  
         public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Senator Van de Putte moved that SB 646 be left pending  
         to await a quorum; without objection, it was so ordered.  Upon  
         arrival of a quorum, Senator Armbrister moved that SB 646 be  
         reported favorably to the Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote  
         of 8 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator  
         Armbrister moved that the bill be recommended for placement on  
         the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         Senator Fraser resumed the chair, laid out SB 1803 and  
         recognized the author, Senator Duncan, to explain the bill. 
                                                                            
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list.  The Chairman moved that the public testimony  
         be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator  
         Armbrister moved that SB 1803 be reported favorably to the  
         Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.   
         The motion carried with a record vote of 8 ayes, 0 nay, 0  
         present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved that  
         the bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The Chairman laid out SB 381 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Armbrister.  Senator Armbrister sent up a committee substitute  
         and explained the difference between the committee substitute  
         and the bill as filed.  Witnesses registering on the bill are  
         shown on the attached list.  The Chairman moved that the public  
         testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Chairman Fraser moved that SB 381 be left pending to await a  
         quorum; without objection, it was so ordered.  Upon arrival of a  
         quorum, Senator Armbrister moved adoption of the committee  
         substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator  
         Armbrister then moved that SB 381 do not pass but that CSSB 381  
         be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote  
         of 8 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.   
          
         Senator Lucio assumed the chair, laid out SB 1251 and recognized  
         the author, Senator Armbrister, to explain the bill.  Witnesses  
         registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The  
         Chairman moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  The Chairman moved that SB 1251  
         be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Upon arrival of a quorum, Senator Armbrister moved  
         that SB 1251 be reported favorably to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 9 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
         voting, and 0 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.    
          
         The Chairman laid out SB 1380 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Armbrister.  Senator Armbrister sent up a committee substitute  
         and explained the difference between the committee substitute  
         and the bill as filed.  Witnesses testifying and registering on  
         the bill are shown on the attached list.  The Chairman moved  
         that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.  The Chairman moved that SB 1380 be left pending at  
         the request of the author; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The Chairman laid out SB 1261 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Armbrister.  Senator Armbrister sent up a committee substitute  
         and explained the difference between the committee substitute  
         and the bill as filed.  The witness registering on the bill is  
         shown on the attached list.  The Chairman moved that the public  
         testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  The                                                                              
         Chairman moved that SB 1261 be left pending to await a quorum;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.  Upon arrival of a quorum,  
         Senator Armbrister moved adoption of the committee substitute;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Armbrister then  
         moved that SB 1261 do not pass but that CSSB 1261 be reported  
         back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and  
         be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 9 ayes, 0  
         nay, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.  Senator Armbrister  
         moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The Chairman laid out SB 1829 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Averitt.  Senator Averitt sent up a committee substitute and  
         explained the difference between the committee substitute and  
         the bill as filed.  Senator Averitt sent up Committee Amendment  
         1 and Committee Amendment 2. Senator Fraser resumed the chair  
         and called for public testimony to begin.  Witnesses testifying  
         and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The  
         Chairman moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Averitt then moved that  
         Committee Amendment 1 be adopted; without objection, the  
         amendment was adopted.  Senator Averitt moved that Committee  
         Amendment 2 be adopted; without objection, the amendment was  
         adopted.  Senator Averitt requested unanimous consent to roll  
         the amendments into a committee substitute; without objection,  
         it was so ordered.  Senator Averitt then moved that the new  
         committee substitute be adopted; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Senator Averitt moved that SB 1829 do not pass but  
         that CSSB 1829 be reported back to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 9 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
         voting, and 0 absent.  Before requesting unanimous consent for   
         placement on the Local and Uncontested Calendar, Senator Averitt  
         advised the committee that he would not accept any amendments to  
         CSSB 1829.  Senator Averitt then moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The Chairman read Motions in Writing requesting unanimous  
         consent to be shown voting aye submitted by:  Senator Lucio on  
         SB 1803; Senator Williams on SB 646, CSSB 732, SB 1251, CSSB  
         1775, SB 1803, and CSSB 1829; Senator Averitt on SB 646, CSSB  
         732 and SB 1803;  Senator Jackson on CSSB 381, CSSB 732, SB  
         1251, CSSB 1261, CSSB 1775 and CSSB 1829; Senator Armbrister on  
         SB 646, CSSB 732, CSSB 1775 and SB 1803.  Without objection, it  
         was so ordered.   
          
         There being no further business, at 2:45 p.m. Chairman Fraser  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the Chairman.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         __________________________                                                                             
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman 
          
         __________________________ 
         Barbara Henderson, Clerk