MINUTES 
                                           
                         SENATE COMMITTEE ON JURISPRUDENCE 
                              Tuesday, March 28, 2000 
                                     9:00 a.m. 
                    University of Houston Law Center, Krost Hall 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence  
         was held on Tuesday, March 28, 2000, in the University of  
         Houston Law Center, Krost Hall 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Rodney Ellis                    Senator Chris Harris 
         Senator J. E. Brown 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         Senator Ellis opened the hearing by thanking the University of  
         Houston Law Center for hosting the Senate Jurisprudence  
         Committee. 
          
         Senator Ellis laid out Charge 2, to monitor the implementation  
         of SB 368, relating to court-ordered child support, including  
         the child support enforcement functions of the Office of the  
         Attorney General and the sunset review of those functions and  
         the implementation of the child support enforcement provisions  
         of the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity  
         Reconciliation Act of 1996. 
          
         The Committee convened a panel to discuss the charge.  The panel  
         included Howard Baldwin, Director of Child Support Enforcement  
         in the Office of Attorney General, and Charles Bacarisse, Harris  
         County District Clerk.  The panel discussed the State  
         Disbursement Unit, CHIP outreach, and other child support  
         enforcement functions of the Office of Attorney General.  
          
         At 10:19 a.m. Senator Van de Putte assumed the chair.   
          
         At 10:25 a.m. Senator Van de Putte moved that the committee  
         stand recessed until 10:35 a.m; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         At 10:25 a.m. Senator Ellis resumed the chair.   
  
         Senator Ellis laid out Charge 1, to review Chapter 153 of the  
         Family Code to identify ways to improve the enforcement of child  
         custody orders, alternative methods of enforcement to improve  
         court time efficiency and to expedite the process. 
          
         The Committee convened a panel of invited testimony to discuss  
         the charge.  The panel included Sharron Wall and David Simpson,  
         Harris County Domestic Relations Office, Jane Waters, Harris  
         County District Attorneys Office, Stewart Gagnon, Houston, Ellen  
         Yarrell, Houston, Alicia Nuzzie, Houston Area's Womens Center,  
         and Professors Ellen Marrus and Laura Oren, University of  
         Houston Law Center. 
          
         The panel discussed the mechanisms available to enforce child  
         custody orders. 
          
         Testimony was also heard regarding supervised visitation  
         centers, domestic violence issues relating to child custody,  
         increased use of mediation and alternative dispute resolution  
         methods in family law cases, parental abduction and missing  
         children, costs of family law litigation, children's rights,  
         parental education, driver's license suspensions, friend of the  
         court programs, and domestic relations offices. 
          
         Public testimony was heard. 
          
         There being no further business, at 12:25 p.m. Senator Ellis  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Rodney Ellis, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Kenneth Besserman, Clerk