MINUTES 
                                           
                             Wednesday, March 28, 2001 
                           3:00 p.m. or upon adjournment 
                     Lt. Governor Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Veteran Affairs & Military  
         Installations Committee was held on Wednesday, March 28, 2001,  
         in the Lt. Governor Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20, at Austin,  
         Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Carlos F. Truan                 None 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Troy Fraser 
         Senator Tom Haywood 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Chairman Truan called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         Chairman Truan laid out SB 1449 and recognized the author,  
         Senator Haywood, to explain the bill.  Rusty Martin,  
         representing the Veterans' Land Board, testified on the bill.   
         David Dewhurst, representing the General Land Office, registered  
         on the bill but did not testify.  Jerry Patterson, representing  
         the Texas Coalition of Veterans' Organizations, registered in  
         favor of the bill but did not testify.  Chairman Truan moved  
         that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was  
         so ordered.  Senator Haywood moved that SB 1449 be reported  
         favorably to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass  
         and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 4  
         ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator  
         Haywood moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the  
         Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so  
         ordered.   
          
         At 4:11 p.m. Senator Van de Putte assumed the chair.   
          
         The chair laid out SB 1159 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Truan, to explain the bill.  David Dewhurst, representing the  
         General Land Office, James Nier, representing the Texas Veterans  
         Commission, John Brieden, representing the Texas Veterans  
         Commission, and Mike Olen, representing the Texas Workforce  
         Commission, testified on the bill.  Jerry Patterson,  
  
         representing the Texas Coalition of Veterans' Organizations,  
         registered in favor of the bill but did not testify.  Senator  
         Van de Putte moved that SB 1159 be left pending to await a  
         quorum; without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The chair laid out SB 1160 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Truan, to explain the bill.  Senator Truan sent up a committee  
         substitute; the chair recognized Senator Truan to explain the  
         difference between the committee substitute and the bill as  
         filed.  Senator Truan moved adoption of the committee  
         substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  David  
         Dewhurst, representing General Land Office, testified on the  
         bill.  Lisa Aleman, representing Jose Eloy Pulido, Hidalgo  
         County Judge, Cristobal Escamilla, representing the Hidalgo  
         County Advisory Committee on Veterans Affairs, Scott Haviland,  
         representing the Hidalgo County Advisory Committee on Veterans  
         Affairs, and Jerry Patterson, representing the Texas Coalition  
         of Veterans Organizations, testified in favor of the bill.   
         Hector Gutierrez, representing City of El Paso, registered in  
         favor of the bill but did not testify.  Senator Truan moved that  
         SB 1160 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chair laid out SB 1163 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Truan, to explain the bill.  David Dewhurst, representing the  
         General Land Office, testified on the bill.  Lisa Aleman,  
         representing Jose Eloy Pulido, Hidalgo County Judge, Cristobal  
         Escamilla, representing the Hidalgo County Advisory Committee on  
         Veterans Affairs, and Scott Haviland, representing the Hidalgo  
         County Advisory Committee on Veterans Affairs, testified in  
         favor of the bill.  Hector Gutierrez, representing the City of  
         El Paso, registered in favor of the bill but did not testify.   
         Senator Truan moved that SB 1163 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         The chair laid out SB 1556 and recognized the author, Senator  
         Shapleigh, to explain the bill.  The chair then laid out SB 1699  
         and recognized the author, Senator Truan, to explain the bill.   
         Senator Truan moved that SB 1699 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         At 5:07 p.m. Senator Truan resumed the chair. 
          
         David Dewhurst, representing the General Land Office, testified  
         on SB 1556.  Jerry Patterson, representing the Texas Coalition  
         of Veterans Organizations, registered in favor of SB 1556 but  
         did not testify.  The chair moved that the public testimony be  
         closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Truan  
         moved that SB 1556 be left pending to await a quorum; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Senator Shapleigh moved adoption of the minutes from the  
         previous hearing held on March 21, 2001; without objection, it  
         was so ordered.   
          
         There being no further business, at 5:14 p.m. Senator Shapleigh  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Carlos F. Truan, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Rhonda Pointer, Clerk