H_SA_2016A 03/14/2016 01:29:53 PM Committee Summary

01:30 PM -- HB16-1206



Representative Nordberg presented House Bill 16-1206 to the committee. The bill would allow persons with certain connections to post-September 11, 2001, military service to make their current location information exempt from electronic disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act.



Representative Nordberg requested that the bill be postponed indefinitely. Final action was taken on the bill later in the meeting.





01:33 PM -- SB16-034



Representatives Fields and Lawrence, co-prime sponsors, presented Senate Bill 16-034 to the committee. This bill creates a new crime of tampering with a deceased human body. This offense occurs if a person acts without legal authority and with the belief that an official proceeding is pending or in progress and willfully destroys, conceals, or alters a human body with the intent to impair its appearance or availability for an official proceeding. The bill classifies tampering with a deceased human body as a class 3 felony. The bill excludes human remains from the definition of physical evidence, with regard to the existing offense of tampering with physical evidence.



Representative Fields answered questions from the committee.



01:40 PM -- Carrie Thompson, representing the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, testified against the bill.















01:43 PM -- Arnold Hanuman, representing the Colorado Districts Attorney's Council, testified in support of the bill and responded to committee questions.



01:50 PM -- Raymond Harlan, representing Colorado Victims for Justice, testified in support of the bill.



01:54 PM -- Laura Saxton, representing Colorado Victims for Justice, testified in support of the bill.



02:00 PM -- Bev Sanburg, representing Colorado Victims for Justice, testified in support of the bill.



02:02 PM -- Elaine Hall, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



02:05 PM -- Kathy Oatis, representing the Colorado Coroners Association, testified in support of the bill.



Representatives Lawrence and Fields read letters of support for the bill (Attachments A and B).



16HouseState0314AttachA.pdf 16HouseState0314AttachB.pdf



02:21 PM



Representatives Fields and Lawrence responded to committee questions and wrapped up their presentation of the bill.

02:29 PM -- HB16-1221



Representative Joshi, sponsor, presented House Bill 16-1221 to the committee. The bill restricts spending by state agencies and institutions of higher education on lobbying expenses and membership fees beginning in FY 2016-17. Specifically, state agencies and institutions must restrict spending on lobbying expenses and membership fees to no more than 50 percent of the amount spent on these items in FY 2015-16. For FY 2016-17 and beyond, the General Assembly must make a General Fund appropriation to the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to increase Medicaid provider rates by an equal amount as the required spending reduction on lobbying expenses and membership fees.



Representative Joshi provided copies of two research memos concerning lobbying expenses and membership fees (Attachments C and D).



16HouseState0314AttachC.pdf 16HouseState0314AttachD.pdf





No witnesses testified on the bill.

02:35 PM



The committee recessed.





02:36 PM -- HB16-1126



The committee reconvened.



Representative Windholz, sponsor, presented House Bill 16-1126 to the committee. This bill amends current law regarding election watchers. The bill modifies the way election watchers are selected and requires that, to the extent possible, the names of election watchers be submitted no later than 25 days before the election. Further, this bill specifies the oath that election watchers are required to take and the process by which an election watcher may report election discrepancies. This bill also requires that election watchers with access to confidential information be required to pass a background check before being appointed. The Secretary of State's Office (SOS) will research the most cost-effective options for conducting these background checks and post findings on the department's website by January 1, 2017. County clerks are granted access to view the records of an election watcher that has access to confidential election data through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but may not request records more than once each calendar year, and prior to the first election of the year.



Representative Windholz requested that the bill be postponed indefinitely.

02:41 PM -- HB16-1206

02:42 PM



The committee adjourned.