MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Wednesday, May 2, 2001
1:00 p.m.
Capitol Extension, Room E1.028
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Criminal
Justice was held on Wednesday, May 2, 2001, in the Capitol
Extension, Room E1.028, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Kenneth Armbrister None
Senator John Whitmire
Senator Teel Bivins
Senator Mike Moncrief
Senator Steve Ogden
Senator Todd Staples
Senator Royce West
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 4:45 p.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted:
James Austin, Ph.D., Research Professor, George Washington
University presented the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Prisoner Classification System Assessment. Questions by the
members followed the presentation.
The chair laid out HB587 and recognized the Senate sponsor,
Senator Ellis, to explain the bill. Witnesses testifying and
registering on the bill are shown on the attached list. The
chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without
objection, it was so ordered. Senator Armbrister moved that
HB587 be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it
was so ordered. Upon arrival of a quorum, Senator West moved
that HB587 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, 1 nay, 0 present not
voting, and 1 absent.
At 6:20 p.m. Senator Whitmire assumed the chair.
At 6:45 p.m. Senator Armbrister resumed the chair.
The chair laid out HB236 and recognized the Senate sponsor,
Senator Ellis, to explain the bill. Senator Moncrief sent up a
committee substitute; the chair recognized Senator Ellis to
explain 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 chair moved that the public
testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.
Senator Armbrister moved that HB236 be left pending; without
objection, it was so ordered.
At 8:30 p.m. Senator Bivins assumed the chair.
At 8:40 p.m. Senator Armbrister resumed the chair.
The chair laid out HB1314 and recognized the Senate sponsor,
Senator Staples, to explain the bill. Witnesses testifying and
registering on the bill are shown on the attached list. The
chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without
objection, it was so ordered. Senator Staples moved that HB1314
be reported favorably 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 Staples moved that the bill be recommended for placement
on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was
so ordered. Senator Whitmire requested unanimous consent to be
shown voting aye on HB1314.
The chair laid out SB1701 and recognized the author, Senator
Staples, to explain the bill. Senator Staples sent up Committee
Amendment 1 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment
was adopted. Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill
are shown on the attached list. The chair moved that the public
testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.
Senator Staples requested unanimous consent to incorporate the
amendment into the committee substitute; without objection, it
was so ordered. Senator Staples then moved that the new
committee substitute be adopted; without objection, it was so
ordered. Senator Staples moved that SB1701 do not pass but that
CSSB1701 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 Staples moved that the bill be recommended for
placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without
objection, it was so ordered.
At 9:00 p.m. Senator Bivins assumed the chair.
The chair laid out SB1453 and recognized Senator Armbrister, in
the absence of the author, to explain the bill. There were no
witnesses on the bill. Senator Bivins moved that SB1453 be left
pending to await a quorum; without objection, it was so ordered.
Upon arrival of a quorum, Senator Moncrief moved that SB1453 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, 1 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent. Senator
Whitmire requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on
SB1453, without objection, it was so ordered.
The chair laid out HB2494 and recognized the Senate sponsor,
Senator Armbrister, to explain the bill. There were no
witnesses on the bill. Senator Armbrister sent up a committee
substitute; the chair recognized Senator Armbrister to explain
the difference between the committee substitute and the bill as
filed. Senator Armbrister moved adoption of the committee
substitute; without objection, it was so ordered. Senator
Bivins moved that HB2494 be left pending to await a quorum;
without objection, it was so ordered. Upon arrival of a quorum,
Senator Moncrief moved that HB2494 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 Ogden moved that the
bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested
Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. Senators
Whitmire and West requested unanimous consent to be shown voting
aye on HB2494, without objection, it was so ordered.
The chair laid out HB2663 and recognized the Senate sponsor,
Senator Armbrister, to explain the bill. Witnesses testifying
and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list. The
chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without
objection, it was so ordered. Senator Bivins moved that HB2663
be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it was so
ordered. Upon arrival of a quorum, Senator Staples moved that
HB2663 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 Staples moved that the bill be recommended for
placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without
objection, it was so ordered. Senators Whitmire and West
requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on HB2663,
without objection, it was so ordered.
At 9:10 p.m. Senator Armbrister resumed the chair.
The chair brought up SB1531 from pending business. Senator
Staples sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption;
without objection, the amendment was adopted. Senator Staples
requested unanimous consent to incorporate the amendment into a
committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.
Senator Staples then moved that the new committee substitute be
adopted; without objection, it was so ordered. Senator Staples
moved that SB1531 do not pass but that CSSB1531 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 Staples moved
that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local &
Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.
There being no further business, at 9:25 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
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Kelly C. Gilbert, Clerk