MINUTES 
                                           
                           Committee on Veteran Affairs & 
                               Military Installations 
                                           
                               Wednesday, May 7, 2003 
            1:30 p.m. (or upon adjournment of the Senate--whichever is  
                                       later) 
                             Betty King Committee Room 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Texas Senate Committee on Veteran  
         Affairs and Military Installations was held on Wednesday, May 7,  
         2003, in the Betty King Committee Room (2E.20) of the State  
         Capitol Building, behind the Senate Chamber, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                             MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Chair          Senator Frank Madla 
         Senator Craig Estes, Vice Chair              Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Troy Fraser 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The Chair called the hearing to order at 4:22 p.m.,  
         pursuant to the RECESS of the Committee's last  
         regularly-posted hearing, which was held on  
         Wednesday, April 23, 2003. 
          
         The Chair requested that former Texas State  
         Representative John R. Cook, Attorney at Law,  
         currently present to testify relative to a bill on  
         today's agenda, to lead the audience, the members,  
         and the Committee staff, in the Pledge of  
         Allegiance to the American Flag.  Mr. Cook did so. 
          
         The Chair laid before the Committee House Bill No.  
         545, by Representative Wohlgemuth, ET AL., and  
         called upon its Senate sponsor, Senator Jeff  
         Wentworth, to explain the bill.  Senator Wentworth  
         did so. 
         The Vice Chair offered a complete committee  
  
         substitute for House Bill No. 545 (Legislative  
         Council Inventory number 78R14919 JRD-D).  The  
         Chair laid before the Committee the complete  
         committee substitute for House Bill No. 545 and  
         called upon Senator Wentworth to explain the  
         differences between the proposed substitute and the  
         engrossed version of House Bill No. 545.  Senator  
         Wentworth did so. 
          
         The Chair recognized The Honorable John R. Cook,  
         Attorney, representing Title Data, Inc., to testify  
         IN FAVOR OF the complete Committee Substitute for  
         House Bill No. 545.  Mr. Cook did so. 
          
         The Chair recognized The Honorable Nancy Rister,  
         County Clerk of Williamson County, and representing  
         the Texas County and Districts Clerks Association,  
         to testify IN FAVOR OF the Committee Substitute for  
         House Bill No. 545.  Ms. Rister did so. 
          
         Senator Fraser now present (4:31 p.m.) and--as a  
         consequence--a quorum was now present for the very  
         first time. 
          
         Ms. Rister continued her testimony. 
          
         The Chair noted that Mr. Seth Mitchell,  
         Intergovernmental Services Manager, Bexar County  
         Commissioners Court, had registered IN FAVOR OF  
         House Bill No. 545 and--although present--Mr.  
         Mitchell did not wish to actually testify. 
          
         The Chair asked if there were any other persons  
         present wishing to testify for, against, or on, the  
         Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 545.  There  
         was no response.  The Chair announced that public  
         testimony relative to the Committee Substitute for  
         House Bill No. 545 would now be closed. 
          
         The Chair noted the presence of a quorum and asked  
         that the Clerk call the roll.  The Clerk did so,  
         and it was officially ascertained that the Chair,  
         the Vice Chair, and Senator Fraser were present and  
         constituted a quorum of the Committee. 
          
         On motion of the Vice Chair, the Committee voted (3  
         YEAS--Chair Van de Putte, Vice Chair Estes and  
         Fraser; 0 NAYS; 2 ABSENT--Madla and Shapleigh; and  
         0 PNV) to favorably report the Committee Substitute  
         for House Bill No. 545--in lieu of the engrossed  
         House Bill No. 545--back to the full Senate with  
         the recommendation that it do pass. 
          
         On motion of the Vice Chair, and without objection,  
         the Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 545 was  
  
         recommended for placement upon the Local and  
         Uncontested Calendar. 
          
         The Chair laid before the Committee House Bill No.  
         405, by Representative Miller, ET AL., and called  
         upon its Senate sponsor, Senator Troy Fraser, a  
         member of the Committee, to explain the bill.   
         Senator Fraser did so. 
          
         The Chair noted that Ms. Jane Caldwell, Director,  
         Grants/Special Programs, Texas Higher Education  
         Coordinating Board, had registered ON House Bill  
         No. 405 and--although present--Ms. Caldwell did not  
         wish to actually testify. 
          
         The Chair asked if there were any other persons  
         present wishing to testify for, against, or on,  
         House Bill No. 405.  There was no response.  The  
         Chair announced that public testimony relative to  
         House Bill No. 405 would now be closed. 
          
         Senator Fraser requested that House Bill No. 405 be  
         left pending before the Committee.  The Chair  
         announced that House Bill No. 405 would be left  
         pending. 
          
         The Chair laid before the Committee House Bill No.  
         591, by Representative Delisi, ET AL., and called  
         upon its Senate sponsor, Senator Troy Fraser, a  
         member of the Committee, to explain the bill.   
         Senator Fraser did so. 
          
         No witness registration cards were received by the  
         Committee relative to House Bill No. 591. 
          
         The Chair asked if there were any persons present  
         wishing to testify for, against, or on, House Bill  
         No. 591.  There was no response.  The Chair  
         announced that public testimony relative to House  
         Bill No. 591 would now be closed. 
          
         On motion of Senator Fraser, the Committee voted (3  
         YEAS--Chair Van de Putte, Vice Chair Estes and  
         Fraser; 0 NAYS; 2 ABSENT--Madla and Shapleigh; and  
         0 PNV) to favorably report House Bill No. 591 back  
         to the full Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass. 
          
         On motion of Senator Fraser, and without objection,  
         House Bill No. 591 was recommended for placement  
         upon the Local and Uncontested Calendar.  
          
         The Chair laid before the Committee House Bill No.  
         174, by Representative Howard, ET AL., and called  
         upon its Senate sponsor, Senator Craig Estes, Vice  
  
         Chair of the Committee, to explain the bill.  The  
         Vice Chair did so. 
         No witness registration cards were received by the  
         Committee relative to House Bill No. 174. 
          
         The Chair asked if there were any persons present  
         wishing to testify for, against, or on, House Bill  
         No. 174.  There was no response.  The Chair  
         announced that public testimony relative to House  
         Bill No. 174 would now be closed. 
          
         On motion of the Vice Chair, the Committee voted (3  
         YEAS--Chair Van de Putte, Vice Chair Estes and  
         Fraser; 0 NAYS; 2 ABSENT--Madla and Shapleigh; and  
         0 PNV) to favorably report House Bill No. 174 back  
         to the full Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass. 
          
         On motion of the Vice Chair, and without objection,  
         House Bill No. 174 was recommended for placement  
         upon the Local and Uncontested Calendar. 
          
         The Chair asked that Vice Chair Estes temporarily  
         preside over the Committee.  The Vice Chair did so. 
          
         The Vice Chair laid before the Committee House Bill  
         No. 1221, by Representative Telford, ET AL., and  
         called upon its Senate sponsor, Senator Leticia Van  
         de Putte, Chair of the Committee, to explain the  
         bill.  The Chair did so. 
          
         The Vice Chair recognized Mr. Allen Broussard, UI  
         Planner/Analyst, Texas Workforce Commission, to  
         testify ON House Bill No. 1221.  Mr. Broussard did  
         so. 
          
         The Vice Chair asked if there were any other  
         persons present wishing to testify for, against, or  
         on, House Bill No. 1221.  There was no response.   
         The Vice Chair announced that public testimony  
         relative to House Bill No. 1221 would  now be  
         closed. 
         On motion of the Chair, the Committee voted (3  
         YEAS--Chair Van de Putte, Vice Chair Estes and  
         Fraser; 0 NAYS; 2 ABSENT--Madla and Shapleigh; and  
         0 PNV) to favorably report House Bill No. 1221 back  
         to the full Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass. 
          
         On motion of the Chair, and without objection,  
         House Bill No. 1221 was recommended for placement  
         upon the Local and Uncontested Calendar. 
          
         The Chair resumed presiding over the Committee. 
          
         The Chair laid before the Committee the minutes of  
         the Committee's formal meeting held at the Chair's  
         desk in the Senate Chamber on Tuesday, April 22,  
         2003.  On motion of Senator Fraser, and without  
         objection, those minutes were approved. 
          
         The Chair laid before the Committee the minutes of  
         the previous regularly-posted hearing of the  
         Committee which had been held on Wednesday, April  
         23, 2003.  On motion of Senator Fraser, and without  
         objection, those minutes were approved. 
          
         There being no further business, the Chair, at 4:49  
         p.m., RECESSED the Committee subject to the call of  
         the Chair. 
          
         _____________________________________________ 
         LETICIA VAN DE PUTTE, R.Ph., Chair 
          
         ______________________________________________ 
         GREGORY D. WATSON, Committee Clerk