MINUTES 
                                           
                         SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE AFFAIRS 
                               Thursday, May 15, 2003 
                           8:30 a.m., or upon adjournment 
                       of the Local and Uncontested Calendar 
                                   Senate Chamber 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on State Affairs  
         was held on Thursday, May 15, 2003, in the Senate Chamber at  
         Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Bill Ratliff                    Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Todd Staples 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister 
         Senator Rodney Ellis 
         Senator Troy Fraser 
         Senator Chris Harris 
         Senator Frank Madla 
         Senator Jane Nelson 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Chairman Ratliff called the meeting to order at 8:40 a.m., and  
         the following business was transacted:   
         The chairman laid out HB 146 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Estes, to explain the bill.  The chairman opened public  
         testimony.  There being no one present wishing to testify or  
         register on the bill, public testimony was closed without  
         objection. Chairman Ratliff moved that HB 146 be left pending;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out HB 408 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Fraser, to explain the bill. The chairman opened public  
         testimony.  There being no one present wishing to testify or  
         register on the bill, public testimony was closed without  
         objection. Chairman Ratliff moved that HB 408 be left pending;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out HB 948 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Fraser, to explain the bill.  Senator Fraser sent up a  
         committee substitute; the chairman recognized Senator Fraser to  
         explain 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.  Senator Fraser moved adoption of the committee  
         substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Chairman  
         Ratliff moved that HB 948 be left pending; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.   
          
         At 8:50 a.m., Chairman Ratliff passed the gavel to Senator  
         Armbrister.  Senator Armbrister laid out HB 2094 and recognized  
         the Senate sponsor, Senator Harris, to explain the bill.   
         Witnesses registering on the bill are shown on the attached  
         list.  Senator Armbrister moved that the public testimony be  
         closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator  
         Armbrister moved that HB 2094 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Senator Armbrister laid out SB 625 and recognized the author,  
         Senator Shapleigh, to explain the bill.  At 8:52 a.m., Senator  
         Armbrister passed the gavel back to Chairman Ratliff.  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.  Chairman Ratliff moved  
         that SB 625 be left pending; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  
          
         The chairman laid out SB 626 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Shapleigh, 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.  Chairman Ratliff moved that SB  
         626 be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.  During the afternoon session, the chairman  
         announced that the committee would stand at ease and a vote  
         would take place on SB 626 at 3:00 p.m.  At 3: 15 p.m., a quorum  
         could not be established and the bill was left pending.  
          
         Chairman Ratliff laid out SB 627 and recognized the author,  
         Senator Shapleigh, 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.  Chairman Ratliff moved that SB  
         627 be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.  During the afternoon session, the chairman  
         announced that the committee would stand at ease and a vote  
         would take place on SB 627 at 3:00 p.m.  At 3: 15 p.m., a quorum  
         could not be established and the bill was left pending.  
          
         The chairman laid out SB 654 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Shapleigh, 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.  Chairman Ratliff moved that SB  
         654 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered.  
          
         The chairman laid out SB 796 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Shapleigh, to explain the bill.  Senator Shapleigh withdrew SB  
  
         796.  No action was taken on SB 796.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB 1112 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Shapleigh, to explain the bill.  At 9:36 a.m., Chairman Ratliff  
         passed the gavel to Senator Ellis.  Witnesses testifying and  
         registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  At 9:50  
         a.m., Senator Ellis passed the gavel back to Chairman Ratliff .   
         The chairman moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Chairman Ratliff moved that SB  
         1112 be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.  During the afternoon session, the chairman  
         announced that the committee would stand at ease and a vote  
         would take place on SB 1112 at 3:00 p.m.  At 3: 15 p.m., a quorum  
         could not be established and the bill was left pending.  
          
         The chairman laid out HB 1865 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Williams, to explain the bill.  Senator Ellis sent up a  
         committee substitute; the chairman recognized Senator Williams  
         to explain 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.  Chairman Ratliff moved that HB 1865 and the Ellis  
         substitute be left pending; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out HB 725 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Whitmire, 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.  Chairman Ratliff moved that HB  
         725 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 10:50 a.m., Chairman Ratliff moved that the committee stand  
         recessed until after adjournment of the Senate; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 2:05 p.m., the committee reconvened, and the chairman laid  
         out HB 1446 and recognized the Senate sponsor, Senator Averitt,  
         to explain the bill.  Senator Staples sent up a committee  
         substitute; the chairman recognized Senator Averitt to explain  
         the difference between the committee substitute and the bill as  
         filed.  The chairman opened public testimony.  There being no  
         one present wishing to testify or register on the bill, public  
         testimony was closed without objection.  Senator Staples moved  
         adoption of the committee substitute; without objection, it was  
         so ordered. Chairman Ratliff moved that HB 1446 be left pending;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.    
          
         The chairman laid out HB 897 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Nelson, to explain the bill.  Senator Nelson sent up a  
         committee substitute; the chairman recognized Senator Nelson to  
         explain 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.  Senator Nelson moved adoption of the committee  
         substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Chairman  
         Ratliff moved that HB 897 be left pending; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out HB 500 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Carona, 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.  Chairman Ratliff moved that HB 500 be left pending;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out HB 54 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Shapiro, 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.   Chairman Ratliff moved that HB  
         54 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Chairman Ratliff laid out HB 1975 and recognized the Senate  
         sponsor, Senator Ellis, 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.  Chairman Ratliff moved that HB  
         1975 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out as pending business SB 1576 (substitute  
         adopted on 5/8/03).  Senator Nelson moved that SB 1576 do not  
         pass but that CSSB 1576 be reported back to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
         voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Nelson moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         As previously stated in the minutes, votes were to be taken on  
         SB 626, SB 627, and SB 1112 at 3:00 p.m., so at 2:25 p.m., the  
         committee stood at ease.  At 3:15 p.m., the committee  
         reconvened.  A quorum was not established, so there being no  
         further business, at 3:16 p.m., Chairman Ratliff moved that the  
         Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair.   
         Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ________________________ 
         Senator Bill Ratliff, Chairman 
          
         ______________________ 
         Nancy B. Macken, Clerk