MINUTES 
                                           
                  SENATE COMMITTEE ON WATER POLICY, SELECT INTERIM 
                            Wednesday, January 14, 2004 
                                     10:00 a.m. 
                           Capitol Extension, Room E1.012 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Water Policy,  
         Select Interim was held on Wednesday, January 14, 2004, in the  
         Capitol Extension, Room E1.012, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister              Senator Bob Deuell 
         Senator Kip Averitt                     Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Troy Fraser                     Senator Jon Lindsay 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.                Senator Todd Staples 
         Senator Frank Madla 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Tommy Williams 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The chair called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m.  There being  
         a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         Senator Armbrister introduced committee staff that will be  
         handling the Select Committee on Water Policy. 
          
         Senator Lucio asked to make  comments on water issues in South  
         Texas and the chair recognized him to do so. 
          
         Senator Shapleigh moved adoption of committee rules, without  
         objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         Senator Armbrister went over Charge 1 of the Select Committee.   
         He then went over the interim work plan and  dates for future  
         meetings. 
          
         The Chair then recognized Senator Madla, the Chair of the  
         Subcommittee on the Lease of State Water Rights.  Senator Madla   
         gave comments on the Subcommittee's meeting on December 18,  
         2003, and plans for the subcommittee's next meeting which will  
         be held in Dell City on February 11, 2004. 
         The Chair then introduced invited testimony from Commissioner  
         Susan Combs, Texas Department of Agriculture, Margaret Hoffman,  
         Executive Director of Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,  
         Chairman Rod Pittman, Chairman, and Kevin Ward, Executive  
         Administrator of the Texas Water Development Board, and Robert  
  
         Cook, Executive Director of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department,  
         to give briefings relating to Charge 1.  A complete witness list  
         is attached. 
          
         There being no further business, at 12:20 p.m. Senator  
         Armbrister moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to  
         the call of the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Kelly Gilbert, Clerk