MINUTES 
                                           
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE 
                              Tuesday, April 26, 2005 
                                     9:00 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 Tuesday, April 26, 2005, in the Betty King  
         Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman           Senator Kip Averitt,  
         Vice Chairman 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister 
         Senator Kim Brimer 
         Senator John Carona 
         Senator Kevin Eltife 
         Senator Craig Estes 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 9:11 a.m.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         The chair laid out the subcommittee report on SB 1253.  Senator  
         Brimer was recognized to explain the subcommittee report on SB  
         1253.  Senator Brimer sent up a committee substitute; the chair  
         recognized Senator Brimer to explain the difference between the  
         committee substitute and the bill as filed.  Senator Brimer  
         moved adoption of the committee substitute in lieu of adopting  
         the subcommittee report; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Witnesses registering on the bill are shown on the attached  
         list.  The chair moved that the public testimony be closed;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   Senator Brimer moved  
         that SB 1253 do not pass but that CSSB 1253 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 Brimer moved  
         that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chair laid out HB 1528 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Madla, to explain the bill.  Senator Brimer sent up  
         Committee Amendment 1 and explained the amendment.  Witnesses  
         registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The  
  
         chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Brimer moved to adopt  
         Committee Amendment 1; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Brimer requested unanimous consent to roll Committee  
         Amendment 1 into a committee substitute; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.  Senator Brimer then moved that the committee  
         substitute be adopted; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Brimer moved that HB 1528 do not pass but that CSHB 1528  
         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  
         Brimer moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the  
         Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         The chair laid out HB 1393 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  
         chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Van de Putte moved that  
         HB 1393 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 Lucio, Jr. moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chair laid out SB 1287 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Lucio, Jr., to explain the bill.  There were no witnesses  
         registered on the bill.  Senator Fraser moved that SB 1287 be  
         left pending; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Senator Fraser announced that SB 1580 would not be heard today. 
          
         The chair laid out HB 885 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Brimer, to explain the bill.   
         Witnesses registering on the bill are shown on the attached  
         list.  The chair moved that the public testimony be closed;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Brimer moved that  
         HB 885 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 Brimer moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.     
          
         At 9:50 a.m. Senator Armbrister assumed the chair.   
          
         The chair laid out HB 2761 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Fraser, to explain the bill.  Witnesses registering on  
         the bill are shown on the attached list.  The chair moved that  
         the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Senator Fraser moved that HB 2761 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 Fraser  
         moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 9:53 a.m. Senator Fraser resumed the chair.   
          
         The chair laid out HB 2870 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Eltife, to explain the bill.  Witnesses testifying and  
         registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The  
         chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Eltife moved that HB 2870  
         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 Eltife moved that the bill be recommended for placement  
         on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.   
          
         The chair laid out HB 2872 and recognized the Senate sponsor,  
         Senator Eltife, to explain the bill.   
         Witnesses registering on the bill are shown on the attached  
         list.  The chair moved that the public testimony be closed;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Eltife moved that  
         HB 2872 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 Eltife moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 9:59 a.m. Senator Van de Putte assumed the chair.  
          
         The chair laid out the subcommittee report on HB 2307.  Senator  
         Fraser was recognized to explain the subcommittee report on HB  
         2307.  Senator Fraser then moved adoption of the subcommittee  
         report; there being no objection, it was so ordered.  Senator  
         Fraser moved that HB 2307 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 Fraser moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.    
          
         At 10:01 a.m. Senator Fraser resumed the chair.   
          
         The chair laid out the subcommittee report on SB 1304.  Senator  
         Fraser explained the subcommittee report on CSSB 1304, adopted  
         in subcommittee.  Senator Van de Putte then moved adoption of  
         the subcommittee report; there being no objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Senator Van de Putte moved that SB 1304 do not pass  
         but that CSSB 1304 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 Van de Putte moved that the bill  
         be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chair laid out SB 237, pending in committee, and recognized  
         Senator Eltife, in the absence of the author, to explain the  
         bill.  Senator Eltife sent up Committee Amendment 1 to the  
         proposed committee substitute and explained the amendment.  The  
         proposed committee substitute was sent up at a previous hearing.   
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list.  The chair moved that the public testimony be  
         closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Carona  
         moved adoption of Committee Amendment 1; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.  Senator Carona requested unanimous consent to  
         roll the proposed committee substitute and amendment into a new  
         committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Carona then moved that the new committee substitute be  
         adopted; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Carona  
         moved that SB 237 do not pass but that CSSB 237 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.   
          
         The chair read Motions in Writing requesting unanimous consent  
         to be shown voting aye submitted the following: Senator Lucio on  
         HB 885, HB 2761, HB 2870, HB 2872, CSSB 1253, HB 2307, CSSB  
         1304, and CSSB 237; Senator Armbrister on HB 1393, CSHB 1528,  
         CSSB 1253, HB 2307, and CSSB 1304; Senator Carona on CSSB 1253,  
         CSHB 1528, HB 1393, HB 885, HB 2761, HB 2870, HB 2872, CSSB  
         1304, and HB 2307.  These votes are reflected in the final votes  
         on the aforementioned bills. 
          
         There being no further business, at 10:21 a.m. Chairman Fraser  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chairman.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         _________________________________ 
         Troy Fraser, Chairman 
          
         _________________________________ 
         Tatum Baker, Clerk