MINUTES 
                                           
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE 
                               Tuesday, March 6, 2001 
                                     9:00 a.m. 
                           Lt. Governor's Committee Room 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Business &  
         Commerce was held on Tuesday, March 6, 2001, in the Lt.  
         Governor's Committee Room 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT: 
         Senator David Sibley, Chairman           
         Senator Troy Fraser, Vice Chairman 
         Senator John Carona 
         Senator Mike Jackson 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The Chairman called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         The chairman laid out SB866 and SB867 and recognized the author,  
         Senator Nelson, to explain the bills. Witnesses testifying and  
         registering on the bills are shown on the attached list.  The  
         chairman moved that the public testimony on SB 866 and SB 867 be  
         closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapleigh  
         sent up Committee Amendment 1 to SB866 and moved adoption;  
         without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Nelson  
         explained the amendment; Senator Carona  requested unanimous  
         consent to roll the amendment into a committee substitute;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Carona then moved  
         that the committee substitute be adopted; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.  Senator Carona moved that SB866 do not pass but  
         that CSSB866 be reported back to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
         voting, and 0 absent.   
          
         Senator Shapleigh sent up Committee Amendment 1 to SB 867 and  
         moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.   
         Senator Nelson explained the amendment.  Senator Shapleigh moved  
         that SB866, as amended, be reported back to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
  
         voting, and 0 absent.  Senator Carona moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB377 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Shapiro, to explain the bill.  Witnesses testifying and  
         registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The  
         chairman moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Van de Putte moved that  
         SB377 be reported favorably to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
         voting, and 0 absent.  Senator Shapleigh moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB341 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Carona, to explain the bill.  Senator Carona sent up a committee  
         substitute and explained the difference between the committee  
         substitute and the bill as filed.  Senator Carona moved adoption  
         of the committee substitute; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are  
         shown on the attached list.  The chairman moved that the public  
         testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  
         Chairman Sibley moved that SB341 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB431 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Carona, to explain the bill.  Senator Carona sent up a committee  
         substitute and explained the difference between the committee  
         substitute and the bill as filed.  Senator Carona moved adoption  
         of the committee substitute; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are  
         shown on the attached list.  The chairman moved that the public  
         testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Carona moved that SB431 do not pass but that CSSB431 be  
         reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do  
         pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 6  
         ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.   
          
         Senator Shapleigh welcomed the Director of the Mexico office of  
         the Texas Department of Economic Development, Julio  
         Bastarrachea, to the hearing and invited him to join the members  
         during the meeting. 
          
         The chairman laid out SCR21 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Lucio, to explain the bill.  Arthur T. Moreno, representing  
         TDH/Offices of Border Health, Austin, Texas, registered on the  
         bill but did not testify.  The chairman moved that the public  
         testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Lucio moved that SCR21 be reported favorably to the  
         Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.   
         The motion carried with a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nay, 0  
         present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator Lucio moved that the  
         bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The chairman laid out SB693 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Lucio, to explain the bill. David Durden, representing Texas  
         Department of Insurance, testified on the bill.  Bob Huxel,  
         representing Farmers Insurance Group, registered in favor of the  
         bill but did not testify.  The chairman moved that the public  
         testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Lucio sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption;  
         without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Lucio  
         requested unanimous consent to roll the amendment into a  
         committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Lucio then moved that the committee substitute be  
         adopted; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Lucio  
         moved that SB693 do not pass but that CSSB693 be reported back  
         to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be  
         printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 5 ayes, 0  
         nay, 0 present not voting, and 2 absent.  Senator Lucio moved  
         that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 10:50 a.m. Chairman Sibley moved that the committee stand  
         recessed until one hour after adjournment of the Senate; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 2:05 p.m. the committee reconvened.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB365 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Armbrister, to explain the bill.  Senator Sibley sent up a  
         committee substitute; Senator Armbrister explained the  
         difference between the committee substitute and the bill as  
         filed.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are  
         shown on the attached list.  The chairman moved that the public  
         testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Senator Sibley moved that SB365 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB366 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Armbrister, to explain the bill.  Witnesses testifying and  
         registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The  
         chairman moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Lucio moved that SB366 be  
         reported favorably to the Senate with the recommendation that it  
         do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote  
         of 6 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator  
         Jackson moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the  
         Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB965 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Jackson, to explain the bill.  Witnesses registering on the bill  
         are shown on the attached list.  Senator Lucio moved that SB965  
         be reported favorably to the Senate with the recommendation that  
         it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record  
         vote of 6 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.   
  
         Senator Jackson moved that the bill be recommended for placement  
         on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.   
          
         At 3:40 p.m. Senator Jackson assumed the chair, laid out SB712  
         and recognized the author, Senator Sibley, to explain the bill.   
         Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on  
         the attached list.  The chairman moved that the public testimony  
         be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Sibley  
         moved that SB712 be reported favorably to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
         voting, and 1 absent.  Senator Sibley moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chairman laid out SB990 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Sibley, to explain the bill.  Diane Moellenberg, representing  
         Texas Department of Insurance, registered on the bill but did  
         not testify.  The chairman moved that the public testimony be  
         closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Sibley  
         moved that SB990 be reported favorably to the Senate with the  
         recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion  
         carried with a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not  
         voting, and 1 absent.  Senator Sibley moved that the bill be  
         recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 3:55 p.m. Senator Sibley resumed the chair and laid out SB584  
         by Senator Carona which was pending in Committee.  Senator  
         Carona explained the committee substitute previously sent up and  
         moved adoption; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator  
         Carona moved that SB584 do not pass but that CSSB584 be reported  
         back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and  
         be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 6 ayes, 0  
         nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator Carona moved  
         that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local &  
         Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 3:58 p.m. Senator Jackson assumed the chair, laid out SB991  
         and recognized the author, Senator Sibley, to explain the bill.   
         There were no witnesses testifying or registering on the bill.   
         Senator Sibley moved that SB991 be reported favorably to the  
         Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.   
         The motion carried with a record vote of 6 ayes, 0 nay, 0  
         present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator Sibley moved that the  
         bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested  
         Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 4:00 p.m. Senator Sibley resumed the chair, laid out SB393  
         and recognized the author, Senator Carona, to explain the bill.   
         Senator Carona sent up a proposed committee substitute and  
         explained the difference between the committee substitute and  
         the bill as filed. Senator Carona then sent up Committee  
         Amendment 1, explained the amendment  and moved adoption;  
  
         without objection, the amendment was adopted.   
          
         At 4:15 p.m. Senator Jackson assumed the chair and testimony on  
         SB 393 continued.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the  
         bill are shown on the attached list.  The chairman moved that  
         the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.  Senator Jackson moved that SB393 be left pending;  
         without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The Chairman announced that the following bills were referred to  
         the Subcommittee on Border Affairs: 
          
              SCR 5 
              SB 905 
          
         There being no further business, at 4:47 p.m. Senator Jackson  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chairman.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ___________________________ 
         Senator David Sibley, Chairman 
          
         ___________________________ 
         Barbara Henderson, Clerk