MINUTES 
          
                        SENATE COMMITTEE ON JURISPRUDENCE 
                          Thursday, September 30, 1999 
                                    3:30 p.m. 
                                 Senate Chamber 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on  
         Jurisprudence was held on Thursday, September 30, 1999 in the  
         Senate Chamber at Austin, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Rodney Ellis                    Senator Gregory Luna 
         Senator Chris Harris 
         Senator J. E. Brown 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.   
          
         The following members arrived after the roll was called:   
         none. 
          
         Senator Ellis opened the hearing by discussing the proposed  
         schedule of hearing for future interim hearings. 
          
         Senator Ellis introduced Margaret Reeves, the new chairwoman  
         of the Judicial Conduct Commission. 
          
         Senator Ellis laid out the interim committee rules. 
         Senator Wentworth moved to adopt the interim committee rules,  
         without objection the interim committee rules were adopted. 
          
         Senator Ellis laid out the two interim charges that were  
         presented to the committee. 
          
         Senator Ellis introduced the invited testimony to discuss the  
         interim charges. 
          
         Judge John Specia, 225th District Court in San Antonio,  
         testified on Charge 2, relating to increasing the efficiency  
         of enforcing child custody orders. 
          
         Howard Baldwin, Office of the Attorney General, testified on  
         Charge 2, relating to monitoring Senate Bill 368 and  
         increasing the collection of court ordered child support.  
  
         There being no further business, at 4:30 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