H_PBH_2022A 04/12/2022 01:31:49 PM Committee Summary

Nina DiSalvo, representing Towards Justice, testified in support of the bill.

Loryn Cesario, representing the Communications Workers of America, testified in support of the bill.

Amie Baca-Oehlert, representing the Colorado Education Association, testified in support of the bill.

Clayton Wire, representing the Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association, testified in support of the bill.

Blake Howell, representing the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 7, testified in support of the bill.

Becky Sassaman, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Rachel Ellis, representing the Colorado Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Written testimony was provided to the committee (Attachment A).

Representative Sullivan provided concluding remarks on the bill.

Representative Kipp and Representative Larson, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 22-1320, concerning the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Savings Program for individuals with disabilities. The bill modifies the administration and operation of accounts under the ABLE Savings Program. First, the bill allows a person other than the individual with a disability to open an ABLE savings account for the individual and to have signature authority over that account. Second, the bill prohibits the state from filing a claim against an ABLE savings account upon the account owner’s death for outstanding payments due for qualified disability expenses. Additionally, the bill allows taxpayers to deduct contributions to an ABLE savings account from their state taxable income. Expenditures from the account for non-qualified disability expenses are subject to tax recapture.

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Angela Baier, representing CollegeInvest, testified in support of the bill.

Brent Jones, representing the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors NAIFA-CO, testified in support of the bill.

Daniel Bohle, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists and Representative Larson responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Kipp explained amendment L.001 (Attachment B).

Representative Larson explained amendment L.002 (Attachment C).

Representative Kipp and Representative Larson provided concluding remarks on the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.

Representative Froelich, prime bill sponsor, presented House Bill 22-1309, concerning the authority of a hospital to dispense a seven-day supply of drugs to a victim of sexual assault in order to treat sexually transmitted infections. Under current law, a hospital employee or agent is allowed to dispense a 72-hour supply of prescription drugs to an emergency room patient. The bill allows a seven-day supply of drugs for prophylaxis of sexually transmitted infections to be dispensed to an emergency room patient who is a victim of sexual assault.

Representative Froelich responded to questions from the committee.

Elizabeth Newman, representing the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, testified in support of the bill.

Denise Abdoo, representing Children's Hospital Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Barb Cardell, representing the Colorado Organizations and Individuals Responding to HIV/AIDS and the U.S. Positive Women's Network, testified in support of the bill.

Written testimony was submitted to the committee (Attachment D).

Representative Froelich provided concluding remarks on the bill.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.

The committee recessed.

Representative Duran and Representative Jodeh, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 22-1259, concerning modifications to the Colorado works program. The bill makes several changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program known as the Colorado Works program in the Colorado Department of Humans Services. The bill will increase program benefits, expand eligibility for specific populations, modify program rules and operations, and require new public outreach, data collection, and reporting. The sponsors provided an informational packet to the committee (Attachment E).

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Commissioner Nancy Jackson, representing Arapahoe County, testified to amend the bill.

Natalie Seils, representing self, testified in opposition to the bill.

Cheryl Ternes, representing Colorado Counties Inc., testified to amend the bill.

Lynnae Flora, representing Jefferson County Human Services, testified to amend the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Byron Kish, representing Easterseals Colorado, testified to amend the bill.

Commissioner Dick Elsner, representing Colorado Counties Inc., testified in opposition to the bill.

Jay Morein, representing the Denver Department of Human Services, testified to amend the bill.

Lyle Smith Graybeal, representing self, testified to amend the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Sarah Barnes, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill.

Coressia Sanders, representing the Clayton Early Learning Parent Ambassadors, testified in support of the bill.

George Davis, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Natasha Rugley, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Kayla Frawley, representing self, testified in support of the bill. She read a statement from Ealasha Vaughner, representing Clayton Early Learning, testified in support of the bill.

Lisa Guthery-Hoffman, representing Clayton Early Learning, testified in support of the bill.

Jillian Fabricius, representing Illuminate Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Chaer Robert, representing the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, testified in support of the bill.

Jamie Ulrich, representing Colorado Counties Inc., testified in a neutral position on the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Written testimony was provided to the committee (Attachment F).

Representative Jodeh explained amendment L.001 (Attachment G).

Representative Jodeh explained amendment L.002 (Attachment H).

Representative Jodeh explained amendment L.003 (Attachment I). Representative Duran responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Jodeh explained amendment L.004 (Attachment J).

Representative Duran explained amendment L.005 (Attachment K).

Representative Duran amendment L.006 (Attachment L). She responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Duran explained amendment L.007 (Attachment M).

Representative Duran explained amendment L.008 and amendment L.009 (Attachments N and O).

Representative Jodeh and Representative Duran provided concluding remarks on the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.

Representative Lindsay and Representative Michaelson Jenet, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 22-1354, concerning mental health in workers' compensation cases. The bill amends the Workers’ Compensation Act of Colorado to limit the disclosure of records related to a claimant’s mental health. The director of the Division of Workers' Compensation in the Department of Labor and Employment may promulgate rules to implement the bill. The bill also requires a person providing mental health services to a Workers’ Compensation claimant to be a licensed mental health provider.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.

Representative Michaelson Jenet continued discussing the bill and responded to questions from the committee.

Sean Elliott, representing Pinnacol Assurance, testified to amend the bill.

Dr. Idalia Massa-Carroll, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Elizabeth Bisgard, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Moe Keller, representing Mental Health Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Jose Lafosse, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Lindsay explained amendment L.002 (Attachment P).

Representative Lindsay explained amendment L.003 (Attachment Q).

Representative Lindsay explained amendment L.004 (Attachment R).

Representative Lindsay and Representative Michaeson Jenet provided concluding remarks on the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.

Representative Sirota responded to questions from the committee.

Kevin Vick, representing the Colorado Education Association, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Dylan Mori, representing the Colorado People's Alliance, testified in support of the bill.

Phil Hayes, representing the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, testified in support of the bill.

Josh Kuhn, representing Conservation Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Dianna Orf, representing the Colorado Water Congress, testified in opposition to the bill.

Susan Oster, representing the City of Aurora and Aurora Water, testified in opposition to the bill.

Dawn Alexander, representing the Early Childhood Education Association, testified in opposition to the bill.

Jonathan Greenlee, representing the Early Childhood Education Association, testified in opposition to the bill.

The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Angelica Prisciliano, representing the Colorado People's Alliance, testified in support of the bill.

Stacy Carpenter, representing the Colorado Association of Family Child Care, testified in opposition to the bill.

Stuart Boyd, representing the Thompson School District R2J, testified in opposition to the bill.

Sarah Hunt, representing the Charter Advocacy Coalition, testified in opposition to the bill.

Devin Reece, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Aaron Futrell, representing self, testified in support of the bill.

Bret Miles, representing
the Colorado Association of School Executives, testified to amend the bill.




Sterling Leija, representing the Roundup River Ranch, testified to amend
the bill.



Jane Sanborn,
representing the Colorado Camps Network, testified to amend the bill.



Cheri Wrench, representing the Colorado Association of School Boards, testified
to amend the bill.

Jennifer Clanahan, representing Mountain Mamas, testified in support of the bill.

Ean Tafoya, representing GreenLatinos, testified in support of the bill.

Dawn Fritz, representing the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, testified in support of the bill.

Patricia Nelson, representing Weld Air and Water, testified in support of the bill.

Nicole Rowan, representing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, responded to committee questions.

Michael Beck, representing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, responded to committee questions.

Tyson Ingels, representing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, responded to committee questions.

Chris Markuson, representing the BlueGreen Alliance, testified in support of the bill.

Pegah Jalali, representing the Colorado Fiscal Institute, testified in support of the bill.

Corinne Bell, representing the Natural Resources Defense Council, testified in support of the bill.

Written testimony was provided to the committee (Attachment S).

Representative Sirota explained amendment L.002 (Attachment T).

Representative Sirota explained amendment L.003 (Attachment U). She responded to questions from the committee.

Representative Sirota explained amendment L.004 (Attachment V).

Representative Sirota made concluding remarks about the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.