MINUTES SENATE COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, TRADE & TECHNOLOGY Wednesday, March 26, 1997 1:00 p.m. Lt. Governor's Committee Room Public Hearing ***** Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on International Relations, Trade & Technology was held on Wednesday, March 26, 1997 in Lt. Governor's Committee Room, at Austin, Texas. ***** MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT: Senator Carlos F. Truan, Chairman None Senator John Carona, Vice-Chairman Senator Kenneth Armbrister Senator Teel Bivins Senator Jon Lindsay Senator Steve Ogden Senator Bill Ratliff Senator Eliot Shapleigh Senator David Sibley ***** Chairman Truan called the public meeting to order at 2:50 p.m. There being a quorum present, the following business was transacted. After opening remarks, Chairman Truan announced that SB 813 and SB 814 would not be heard today. At 2:55 p.m., the Chair was passed to Vice-Chairman Carona. The Chair laid out SB 820 and recognized one of the Senate sponsors, Senator Truan, to explain the bill. A discussion followed. Senator Truan sent up and explained Committee Amendment number one; without objection, it was adopted. Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list. Senator Truan moved that SB 820 be reported favorably to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. Senator Bivins and Senator Ogden requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on SB 820 as amended; there being no objection, it was so ordered. The motion to report SB 820 favorably to the full Senate carried with a vote of 9 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent. Senator Sibley requested unanimous consent to certify SB 820 as amended for Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. The Chair laid out SB 1514 and recognized the Senate sponsor, Senator Truan, to explain the bill. A discussion followed. Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list. Senator Truan moved that SB 1514 be reported favorably to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. Senator Bivins requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on SB 1514; there being no objection, it was so ordered. The motion to report SB 1514 favorably to the full Senate carried with a vote of 9 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent. Senator Truan requested unanimous consent to certify SB 1514 for Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. At 3:05 p.m. Senator Truan resumed the chair and laid out SB 1059, recognizing Senator Shapleigh, in the absence of the Senate sponsor, to explain the bill. A discussion followed. Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list. Senator Ogden sent up and explained Committee Amendment number one. A discussion followed. Without objection, Committee Amendment number one was adopted. Senator Ogden sent up and explained Committee Amendment number two. A discussion followed. Without objection, Committee Amendment number two was adopted. Senator Shapleigh moved that SB 1059 as amended be reported favorably to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed. Senator Bivins and Senator Ratliff requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on SB 1059; there being no objection, it was so ordered. The motion to report SB 1059, as amended, favorably to the full Senate carried with a vote of 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent. Senator Shapleigh requested unanimous consent to certify SB 1059 as amended for Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. Senator Ogden moved approval of the March 19, 1997 minutes; without objection, it was so ordered. Chairman Truan appointed Senator Shapleigh, Senator Ogden and Chairman Truan to a subcommittee to study the following bills: SB 87, relating to the authority of certain federal peace officers to enforce state law relating to driving while intoxicated; SB 283, relating to the law enforcement authority of certain criminal investigators of the United States with respect to violations of state law; and SB 1255, relating to granting limited state law enforcement authority to certain special agents of the United States government. Chairman Truan appointed Senator Shapleigh as Chair of the Subcommittee. The Chair recognized Vice-Chairman Carona to introduce the witnesses present on behalf of the Collaborative Visualization Program. The Chair acknowledged Dr. Fred Perez, from the Rio Grande Valley, also in attendance today. A presentation followed. There being no further business, at 3:50 p.m. Senator Carona moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the Chair. Without objection, it was so ordered. ______________________ Senator Carlos F. Truan, Chair ______________________ Carla D. Buckner, Clerk