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First Regular Session | 75th General Assembly
Colorado General Assembly

PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For SB18-042

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, & ENERGY
Date Feb 1, 2018       Location SCR 357

SB18-042 - Referred to Senate Appropriations
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  The program is repealed July 1, 2024.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