BD94EF2AEF7C7BE88725822700727FC3 Hearing Summary CLICS/CLICS2018A/commsumm.nsf PUBLICBILL SUMMARY For SB18-042SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, & ENERGYDate Feb 1, 2018 Location SCR 357 SB18-042 - Referred to Senate Appropriations Attachment Tag File Name Attachment http://www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2018A/commsumm.nsf/0/86A2C3A8D991...$File/180201 AttachE.pdf?OpenElement 180201 AttachE.pdf 01:50:39 PM Senator Donvan and Senator Crowder, co-prime sponsors, discussed the provisions of SB18-042 concerning the Agricultural Workforce Development Program. This bill, recommended by the Young and Beginning Farmers Interim Study Committee, requires the Colorado Department of Agriculture to create by rule an agricultural workforce development program to incentivize agricultural businesses to hire interns by January 1, 2019. Eligible businesses may be reimbursed up to 50 percent of the costs to employ an intern, including wages, fixed expenses, and other costs. The program is repealed July 1, 2024. 01:53:09 PM Molly Pitts, Colorado Timber Industry Association, spoke in support of the bill. She requested that the program be expanded to allow internships for foresters if such internships are not currently allowed by the bill. 01:59:25 PM Emily Ibach, Colorado Farm Bureau, spoke in support of the bill. She also responded to questions from the committee about why farmers and ranchers would need the internship program. 02:03:14 PM Meghan Lovelace, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, spoke in support of the bill. 02:04:45 PM James Dula, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, spoke in support of the bill. 02:06:16 PM Allen Funk, National Young Farmers Coalition, spoke in support of the bill and distributed a letter of support for the bill from Richard Murphy, Veterans to Farmers, [Attachment D]. 02:08:17 PM The chair closed testimony on the bill. Senator Crowder and Senator Donovan closed their remarks on the bill and explained that the bill drafter said the internship program authorized by the bill would be available to foresters, as well as farmers and ranchers. 02:11:30 PM Motion Refer Senate Bill 18-042 to the Committee on Appropriations. Moved Donovan Seconded Cooke Yes Coram Yes Donovan Yes Fenberg Yes Fields Yes Garcia Yes Jones Yes Marble No Scott Yes Baumgardner No Sonnenberg Yes Final YES: 9 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS