MINUTES 
          
                           SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 
                             Thursday, April 3, 1997 
                                     9:30 am 
                         Capitol Extension, Room E1.036 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was  
         held on Thursday, April 3, 1997 in the Capitol Extension, Room  
         E1.036, at Austin, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Bill Ratliff                    None 
         Senator Carlos Truan 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos 
         Senator Teel Bivins 
         Senator J.E. Brown 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Mike Moncrief 
         Senator Jane Nelson 
         Senator David Sibley 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth 
         Senator Royce West 
         Senator Judith Zaffirini 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:30 am.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted.   
          
         The following members arrived after the roll was called:   
         none. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 630 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Duncan, to explain the bill.   
          
         Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute; the Chair  
         recognized Senator Duncan to explain the difference between  
         the committee substitute and the bill as filed.  Senator  
         Zaffirini moved adoption of the committee substitute, without  
         objection, it was so ordered. 
          
              Judge Bill Aleshire, representing Travis County,  
              testified in favor of the bill. 
              Betty Armstrong, representing County Judges and  
              Commissioners, testified in favor of the bill. 
  
              Carl Borchers, representing Harris County Sheriff,  
              testified in favor of the bill. 
              Melinda Bozarth, representing Texas Department of  
              Criminal Justice, testified on the bill. 
              Tony Fabelo, representing Criminal Justice Policy  
              Council, testified on the bill. 
              Margo Frasier, representing Sheriff's Association of  
              Texas; Travis County, testified in favor of the bill. 
              John Johnson, representing Jefferson County, testified in  
              favor of the bill. 
              Donald Lee, representing Conference of Urban Counties,  
              testified in favor of the bill. 
              Lt. Gregory W. Leveling, representing Denton County  
              Sheriff's Department, testified in favor of the bill. 
              Judge Jim Lewis, representing McLennan County, testified  
              in favor of the bill. 
              Larry Oliverez, representing Nueces County Sheriff's  
              Department, testified in favor of the bill. 
              Craig Pardue, representing Dallas County, testified in  
              favor of the bill. 
              Rebecca Rentz, representing Harris County Commissioners  
              Court, testified in favor of the bill. 
              Carla Stone, representing Kaufman County Sheriff's  
              Department, testified in favor of the bill. 
              Wane Davis, representing McLennan County Commissioners,  
              registered in favor of the bill but did not testify. 
              Christopher W. Lawrence, representing Nueces County,  
              registered in favor of the bill but did not testify. 
              David Hays, representing Williamson County, registered in  
              favor of the bill but did not testify. 
              J. Edgar Ruiz, representing Hidalgo County Commissioners  
              Court, registered in favor of the bill but did not  
              testify. 
              Debbie Fillmore, representing Commission on Jail  
              Standards, registered on the bill but did not testify. 
              Susan Wendel, representing Texas Association of Counties,  
              registered in favor of the bill but did not testify. 
          
         The Committee recessed at 10:50 am until 30 minutes upon  
         adjournment of the Senate.  The Committee reconvened at 2:40  
         pm. 
          
         Senator Ratliff moved that SB 630 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         At 2:55 pm Senator Zaffirini assumed the chair.   
          
         The Chair laid out SB 645 and recognized Senator Ratliff, in  
         the absence of the author, to explain the bill.   
          
         Senator Ratliff sent up a committee substitute; the Chair  
         recognized Senator Ratliff to explain the difference between  
         the committee substitute and the bill as filed.  Senator  
  
         Ratliff sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption;  
         without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Ratliff  
         sent up Committee Amendment 2 and moved adoption; without  
         objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Ratliff sent up  
         Committee Amendment 3 and moved adoption; without objection,  
         the amendment was adopted.  Senator Ratliff requested  
         unanimous consent to incorporate amendments into the committee  
         substitute.  Senator Ratliff then moved that the new committee  
         substitute be adopted. 
          
              Larry Janecek, representing Comptroller of Public  
              Accounts, testified on the bill. 
              Kenny McLeskey, representing Comptroller of Public  
              Accounts, testified on the bill. 
          
         Senator Ratliff moved that SB 645 do not pass but that CSSB  
         645 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation  
         that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a  
         vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 6 absent.   
         Senators Bivins and Lucio, Jr., requested unanimous consent to  
         be shown voting aye on the previous motion; without objection,  
         the final vote was 9 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 4  
         absent.  Senator Ratliff moved that the bill be recommended  
         for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar, without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 3:00 pm Senator Ratliff assumed the chair.   
          
         The Chair referred the following bills to the Subcommittee on  
         Tuition Exemptions:  SB 178, SB 244, SB 666, SB 678, SB 716,  
         SB 1092, SB 1476, SB 1776, and SB 1788.  The Chair announced  
         that members of the subcommittee will be named at a later  
         date. 
          
         The Chair laid out pending bill, CSSB 126, and recognized the  
         author, Senator Bivins.  Senator  Bivins requested unanimous  
         consent to reconsider previous action on CSSB 126; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Bivins sent up  
         Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption; without objection,  
         the amendment was adopted.  Senator Bivins requested unanimous  
         consent to incorporate the amendment into the committee  
         substitute.  Senator Bivins then moved that the new committee  
         substitute be adopted.  Senator Bivins moved that CSSB 126 be  
         left pending; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 696 and recognized Senator Zaffirini, in  
         the absence of the author, to explain the bill.  Senator  
         Zaffirini sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption;  
         without objection, the amendment was adopted.   
          
              E. Phillip Cannon, representing St. John's School,  
              testified in favor of the bill. 
              Drew Masterson, representing St. John's School, testified  
              in favor of the bill. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 696 be reported favorably to  
         the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 6 absent.  Senators Truan, Lucio, Jr.,  
         and Nelson requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye  
         on the previous motion; without objection, the final vote was  
         10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 3 absent. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 874 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Wentworth, to explain the bill.   
          
              Tom Milholland, representing Texas State Board of  
              Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists, registered in  
              favor of the bill but did not testify. 
              Bobby D. Schmidt, representing Texas State Board of  
              Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists, registered on  
              the bill but did not testify. 
          
         Senator Wentworth moved that SB 874 be reported favorably to  
         the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 6 absent.  Senators Truan, Lucio, Jr.,  
         and Nelson requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye  
         on the previous motion; without objection, the final vote was  
         10 ayes, 0 present not voting, and 3 absent.  Senator  
         Wentworth moved that the bill be recommended for placement on  
         the Local & Uncontested Calendar, without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         The Chair laid out SB 1099 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Wentworth, to explain the bill.  Senator Wentworth sent up a  
         committee substitute; the Chair recognized Senator Wentworth  
         to explain the difference between the committee substitute and  
         the bill as filed.  Senator Wentworth moved adoption of the  
         committee substitute, without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
              April Bacon, representing Travis County Auditor,  
              testified in opposition to the bill. 
              D. August Boto, representing Texas District & County  
              Attorneys Association, testified on the bill. 
              Jim Huff, representing Live Oak County Judge, testified  
              in favor of the bill. 
              Raymond H. Reese, representing De Witt County Attorney's  
              Office, testified in favor of the bill. 
              David Aken, representing Self, registered in favor of the  
              bill but did not testify. 
              Thomas M. Goff, representing Tom Green County Attorney's  
              Office, registered in favor of the bill but did not  
              testify. 
              VaLinda Hathcox, representing Self, registered in favor  
              of the bill but did not testify. 
              Cheryll Mabrey, representing Llano County Attorney's  
              Office, registered in favor of the bill but did not  
              testify. 
              C.H. "Terry" McCall, representing Comanche County  
      
              Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but  
              did not testify. 
              Mark F. Pratt, representing TDCAA and the Hill County  
              Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but  
              did not testify. 
              Robert B. Scheske, representing Gonzales County  
              Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but  
              did not testify. 
              David A. Sheffield , representing Hardin County  
              Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but  
              did not testify. 
              Eugene Taylor, representing Williamson County Attorney's  
              Office, registered in favor of the bill but did not  
              testify. 
          
         Senator Wentworth moved that CSSB 1099 be left pending;  
         without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 964 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Ratliff, to explain the bill.   
          
              Ron Allen, representing Texas State Board of Veterinary  
              Medical Examiners, testified on the bill. 
          
         Senator Ratliff moved that SB 964 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         There being no further business, at 4:00 pm Senator Ratliff  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the Chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Patricia Hicks, Clerk