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H_SA_2017A 04/05/2017 Committee Summary

Final

STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING



HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Date: 04/05/2017
ATTENDANCE
Time: 02:19 PM to 05:48 PM
Benavidez
X
Hooton
X
Place: LSB A
Humphrey
X
Leonard
*
This Meeting was called to order by
Melton
*
Representative Foote
Weissman
X
Williams D.
X
This Report was prepared by
Lontine
X
Amanda King
Foote
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
HB17-1255

SB17-130

HB17-1261

HB17-1262

HB17-1260

HB17-1259

SB17-209
Referred to the Committee of the Whole

Postponed Indefinitely

Referred to the Committee of the Whole

Referred to the Committee of the Whole

Referred to House Appropriations

Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only

Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only





02:20 PM -- HB17-1255



Representative Nordberg, bill sponsor, presented House Bill 17-1255. Under current law, any report that is required to be submitted to the General Assembly by an executive agency or the Judicial Department expires after three years, unless otherwise specified in statute. Recommended by the Statutory Revision Committee, the bill indefinitely continues the requirement of the Board of Veterans Affairs to report to the Governor and the State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committees in the House and Senate on the status of all programs providing services to the state's veterans.






































BILL: HB17-1255
TIME: 02:21:35 PM
MOVED: Humphrey
MOTION: Refer House Bill 17-1255 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 8-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED: Hooton
VOTE
Benavidez
Yes
Hooton
Yes
Humphrey
Yes
Leonard
Yes
Melton
Excused
Weissman
Yes
Williams D.
Yes
Lontine
Yes
Foote
Yes
Final YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





02:22 PM -- SB17-130



Representative Lawrence and Representative Covarrubias, co-prime bill sponsors, presented Senate Bill 17-130. The bill reduces the number of practical work experience hours required to become a registered sprinkler fitter with the Division of Fire Prevention and Control in the Department of Public Safety to a level similar to what is required for a journeyman plumber, from 8,000 hours to 6,800 hours.





02:33 PM



Representative Covarrubias and Representative Lawrence answered questions from the committee.



02:38 PM --
Steve Clapham, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters and Colorado State Fire Chiefs, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Clapham answered questions from the committee.



02:43 PM --
Phil Hayes, Rocky Mountain Pipe Trades, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Hayes answered questions from the committee.



02:54 PM --
Shad Lewis, Extreme Fire Protection, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Lewis answered questions from the committee.



02:58 PM --
Eric Gleason, National Fire Sprinkler Association, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Gleason answered questions from the committee.





















03:03 PM



Representative Covarrubias and Representative Lawrence made concluding remarks about the bill. Committee members made comments about the bill.

BILL: SB17-130
TIME: 03:12:20 PM
MOVED: Humphrey
MOTION: Refer Senate Bill 17-130 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion failed on a vote of 3-6.
SECONDED: Williams D.
VOTE
Benavidez
No
Hooton
No
Humphrey
Yes
Leonard
Yes
Melton
No
Weissman
No
Williams D.
Yes
Lontine
No
Foote
No
YES: 3 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL: SB17-130
TIME: 03:13:48 PM
MOVED: Melton
MOTION: Postpone Senate Bill 17-130 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 6-3.
SECONDED: Lontine
VOTE
Benavidez
Yes
Hooton
Yes
Humphrey
No
Leonard
No
Melton
Yes
Weissman
Yes
Williams D.
No
Lontine
Yes
Foote
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS















03:14 PM -- HB17-1261



Representative K. Becker and Representative Bridges, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 17-1261. The bill requires any person expending $1,000 or more per year on electioneering communications or regular biennial school electioneering to state in the communication the name of the person making the communication in accordance with current independent expenditure communication requirements. Under current law, such communication is defined as communication broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, or distributed within 30 days of the primary election and 60 days of the general election. The bill expands this time frame to include communications that are broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, or distributed at any point between the primary and general election.



03:20 PM --
Peg Perl, Colorado Ethics Watch, testified in support of the bill.



03:23 PM --
Suzanne Staiert, Department of State, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Staiert answered questions from the committee.



03:34 PM --
Elena Nunez, Colorado Common Cause, testified in support of the bill.



03:36 PM --
Danny Katz, Colorado Public Interest Research Group, testified in support of the bill.



03:37 PM --
Daniel Silbaugh, Represent.Us Denver, testified in support of the bill.





03:39 PM



Representative K. Becker and Representative Bridges made concluding remarks about the bill. Committee members made comments about the bill.

BILL: HB17-1261
TIME: 03:42:33 PM
MOVED: Weissman
MOTION: Refer House Bill 17-1261 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 6-3.
SECONDED: Melton
VOTE
Benavidez
Yes
Hooton
Yes
Humphrey
No
Leonard
No
Melton
Yes
Weissman
Yes
Williams D.
No
Lontine
Yes
Foote
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS













03:44 PM -- HB17-1262



Representative K. Becker and Representative Bridges, co-prime bill sponsors, presented House Bill 17-1262. Under current law, electioneering communication means communication that unambiguously refers to a candidate and is broadcast, printed, directly mailed, or delivered by hand within 30 days of a primary election and 60 days of a general election. The bill changes this time frame to include communications that are broadcast, printed, directly mailed, or delivered by hand at any point between the primary election and general election.



03:48 PM --
Peg Perl, Colorado Ethics Watch, testified in support of the bill. She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment A). Ms. Perl answered questions from the committee.



17HouseState0405AttachA.pdf17HouseState0405AttachA.pdf



04:04 PM --
Suzanne Staiert, Department of State, answered questions from the committee.



04:05 PM --
Elena Nunez, Colorado Common Cause, testified in support of the bill.



04:07 PM --
Danny Katz, Colorado Public Interest Research Group, testified in support of the bill.



04:08 PM --
Daniel Silbaugh, Represent.Us Denver, testified on the bill.



































































04:09 PM



Representative K. Becker and Representative Bridges made concluding remarks about the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.

BILL: HB17-1262
TIME: 04:11:38 PM
MOVED: Weissman
MOTION: Refer House Bill 17-1262 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 6-3.
SECONDED: Melton
VOTE
Benavidez
Yes
Hooton
Yes
Humphrey
No
Leonard
No
Melton
Yes
Weissman
Yes
Williams D.
No
Lontine
Yes
Foote
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





04:14 PM -- HB17-1260



Representative Kennedy, bill sponsor, presented House Bill 17-1260. The bill establishes contribution limits and disclosure requirements for both primary and general elections for candidates for county offices. The maximum contribution that a candidate or candidate committee for a county office can accept are as follows:



• $1,250 from any person;

• $12,500 from a small donor committee; and

• $22,125 from a political party.



These contribution limits must be adjusted for inflation every four years by the Department of State.



Representative Kennedy provided a handout to the committee (Attachment B). He answered questions from the committee.



17HouseState0405AttachB.pdf17HouseState0405AttachB.pdf



















04:26 PM --
Peg Perl, Colorado Ethics Watch, testified in support of the bill.



04:28 PM --
Suzanne Staiert, Department of State, testified in opposition to the bill.



04:34 PM --
Daniel Silbaugh, Represent.Us Denver, testified on the bill.



04:36 PM --
Elena Nunez, Colorado Common Cause, testified in opposition to the bill.



04:39 PM --
Danny Katz, Colorado Public Interest Research Group, testified in support of the bill.



04:40 PM --
Dianna Orf, Associated of Governments of Northwest Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Orf answered questions from the committee.



04:46 PM --
Casey Tighe, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.





04:49 PM



Representative Kennedy made concluding remarks about the bill. Representative Kennedy answered questions from the committee. Committee members commented on the bill.

BILL: HB17-1260
TIME: 04:59:55 PM
MOVED: Weissman
MOTION: Refer House Bill 17-1260 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 6-3.
SECONDED: Hooton
VOTE
Benavidez
Yes
Hooton
Yes
Humphrey
No
Leonard
No
Melton
Yes
Weissman
Yes
Williams D.
No
Lontine
Yes
Foote
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





05:00 PM



The committee took a brief recess.

















05:06 PM -- HB17-1259



The committee came back to order. Representative Weissman, bill sponsor, presented House Bill 17-1259. The bill makes an independent expenditure committee established, financed, or maintained by a candidate or candidate committee subject to the contribution limits and restrictions that are imposed on candidate committees.



05:09 PM --
Peg Perl, Colorado Ethics Watch, testified in support of the bill.



05:14 PM --
Andrea Wilkins, League of Women Voters of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



05:15 PM --
Elena Nunez, Colorado Common Cause, testified in support of the bill.





05:16 PM



The bill was laid over at the sponsor's request to a date to be determined.





05:17 PM -- SB17-209



Representative Weissman, bill sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-209. The bill makes the following changes related to candidate access to the ballot and the filling of candidate vacancies:



• Designated election officials are prohibited from certifying a candidate for placement on the ballot if the official deems the candidate is unqualified based on residency requirements following a review of the candidate's residency information contained in the statewide voter registration system.

• The time frame for circulating candidate petitions to designate party candidates at a primary election is changed to allow circulation starting on the first Monday in January and require them to be filed by the last day in February.

• The Department of State is authorized to create rules allowing for circulator affidavits with an error to be cured by providing a new, corrected affidavit within five days of receiving notice of the error.

• A party chairperson is authorized to provide notice of a vacancy committee meeting to committee members by email.

• Designated election officials are required to post notice of a candidate vacancy and the name of the replacement on their website and in each voter service and polling center.

• Statutes pertaining to the process for filling candidate vacancies before and after a primary election are reorganized.



Representative Weissman provided a handout to the committee (Attachment C).



17HouseState0405AttachC.pdf17HouseState0405AttachC.pdf



05:23 PM --
Suzanne Staiert, Department of State, testified in support of the bill.



05:27 PM --
Ben Schler, Department of State, testified in support of the bill.



















05:27 PM



Ms. Staiert, Representative Weissman, and Mr. Schler answered questions from the committee.





05:47 PM



Representative Weissman made additional comments about the bill to the committee. The bill was laid over at the sponsor's request to a date to be determined.





05:48 PM



The committee adjourned.


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