MINUTES 
                                         
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES 
                             Tuesday, March 9, 1999 
                                     2:00 pm 
                                 Senate Chamber 
                                         
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Natural  
         Resources was held on Tuesday, March 9, 1999 in the Senate  
         Chamber at Austin, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator J. E. "Buster" Brown, Chair     Senator Gonzalo  
                                                 Barrientos 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister              Senator Bill Ratliff 
         Senator Teel Bivins 
         Senator Tom Haywood 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 2:10 pm.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted.   
          
         Senator Lucio moved that the Minutes from the previous hearing  
         be adopted.  There being no objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 533 and Senator Armbrister explained the  
         bill in Senator Ratliff's absence.  No testimony was taken on  
         the bill.   
          
         Senator Armbrister moved that SB 533 be reported favorably to  
         the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 2 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved  
         that SB 533 be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was  so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 144 and Senator Armbrister explained the  
         bill in Senator Nelson's absence.  No testimony was taken on  
         the bill. 
          
         Senator Armbrister moved that SB 144 be reported favorably to  
         the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 2 absent.  Senator Armbrister moved  
         that SB 144 be recommended for placement on the Local &  
  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was  so ordered. 
          
         At 2:15 pm, Senator Armbrister assumed the Chair and laid out  
         SB 812.  Senator Brown then explained the bill.   
          
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list. 
          
         Senator Brown sent up a Committee Substitute, moved its  
         adoption and motioned to change the spelling of a word in the  
         text of the bill.   
          
         Senator Bivins moved to reconsider the vote on the misspelling  
         of the word in the bill. 
          
         Senator Brown sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved its  
         adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.   
          
         Senator Brown moved to roll Committee Amendment 1 into a new  
         Committee Substitute and then be adopted.  It was so ordered.   
         Senator Brown moved that CSSB 812 be reported favorably to the  
         full Senate.  The motion carried with a vote of 5 ayes, 0  
         nays, 0 present not voting, and 2 absent.  Senator Brown moved  
         that CSSB 812 be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was  so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 813 and Senator Brown explained the  
         bill.  No testimony was taken on the bill. The bill was left  
         pending until a quorum was present. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 814 and Senator Brown explained the  
         bill.  No testimony was taken on the bill.  
         Senator Brown moved that SB 814 be reported favorably to the  
         full Senate with the recommendation  that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 3 absent. 
          
         Senator Brown moved that SB 813 be reported favorably to the  
         full Senate with the recommendation  that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Brown moved that SB  
         813 and SB 814 be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was  so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 815 and Senator Brown explained the  
         bill.  No testimony was taken on the bill.  Senator Brown  
         moved that SB 815 be reported favorably to the full Senate  
         with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The  
         motion carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not  
         voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Brown moved that SB 815 be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chair laid out SB 816 and Senator Brown explained the  
         bill.  No testimony was taken on the bill.    
  
         Senator Brown moved that SB 816 be reported favorably to the  
         full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a vote of 4 ayes, 0 nays, 0  
         present not voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Brown moved that SB  
         816 be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         Senator Haywood asked to be shown voting on SB 813; without  
         objection, it was so ordered, which changed the vote to 5  
         ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 2 absent.   
          
         There being no further business, at 2:42 pm Senator Lucio  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the Chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         ___________________________                   
                                                      __________________ 
                                                      ____________ 
         Senator J.E. "Buster" Brown, Chair                     Carol  
                                                                McGarah 
                                                                , Clerk