S_FIN_2016A 02/16/2016 Committee Summary

The committee was called to order. A quorum was present.



02:02 PM -- SB16-074



Senator Crowder, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 16-074, which allows a voter to opt out of automatically receiving mail ballots by completing a form on the statewide online voter registration system. A voter who has opted out may also choose to resume receiving mail ballots through the process established by the Secretary of State.



In addition, the bill authorizes the Secretary of State's Office to use federal "Help America Vote Act" (HAVA) funds to purchase twenty-four hour ballot drop boxes and video surveillance equipment for every county in the state, unless a county submits a written waiver requesting to opt out of receiving the new equipment.



Senator Crowder addressed questions from the committee about the anticipated fiscal impact of the bill.



02:06 PM -- Ms. Suzanne Staiert, representing the Secretary of State's Office, came to the table to address questions about the bill.

02:17 PM



The committee recessed.





02:24 PM -- SB16-077



The committee returned to order. Senator Kefalas, prime sponsor, presented strike-below Amendment L.001 to Senate Bill 16-077. The bill, as amended, would outline policies designed to increase employment opportunities for persons with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD). The bill specifies five agency partners — the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), the Department of Education (CDE), the Department of Higher Education (DHE), and the Department of Human Services (DHS) — which must work together to identify employment and educational opportunities for persons with disabilities. Second, the bill creates the Employment First Core State Advisory Group (advisory group) within CDLE.































Senator Kefalas distributed Amendments L.001, L.002, and L.003 (Attachments A, B, and C, respectively). Committee members also received a fiscal assessment of Amendment L.002, prepared by Legislative Council Staff (Attachment D).



16SenateFin0216AttachA.pdf 16SenateFin0216AttachB.pdf



16SenateFin0216AttachC.pdf 16SenateFin0216AttachD.pdf



02:27 PM -- Ms. Marilee Boylan, representing the ARC of Larimer County, testified in support of the bill.



02:31 PM -- Mr. Bob Lawhead, representing Colorado Association for Persons in Support Employment (APSE), testified in support of the bill. Mr. Lawhead provided a written copy of his testimony (Attachment E). He responded to a question from the committee about a decline in employment opportunities for individuals with IDD.



16SenateFin0216AttachE.pdf



02:37 PM -- Ms. Joyce Shorthill, representing herself as an employer of individuals with IDD, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Shorthill addressed a question from the committee about how the bill will increase employment opportunities for individuals with IDD.



02:43 PM -- Ms. Valorie Towne, representing herself as the parent of an individual with IDD, testified in support of the bill.



02:45 PM -- Ms. Chrissy Krumm, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



02:49 PM -- Mr. Rick Newell, representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Newell provided a written copy of his testimony (Attachment F) and a fact sheet about the bill, prepared by Mr. Newell (Attachment G) He responded to a question from the committee.



16SenateFin0216AttachF.pdf 16SenateFin0216AttachG.pdf

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02:55 PM -- Mr. Jim Faulstich, representing himself as the sibling of an individual with IDD and as an advocate for finding employment for individuals with IDD, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Faulstich responded to comments and questions from the committee.

























03:14 PM



Senator Kefalas also responded to committee comments and questions.



03:18 PM -- Mr. Michael Hoover, representing the DD Council, testified in support of the bill.



03:22 PM -- Mr. Ed George, representing the DD Council, testified in support of the bill.



03:24 PM -- Mr. Josh Winkler, representing the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Winkler addressed questions and comments from the committee.



03:35 PM -- Ms. Julie Farrar, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Farrar distributed written testimony from Mike Nelson and read from Mr. Nelson's prepared statement (Attachment H). She next discussed her employment experience as an individual with IDD. Ms. Farrar responded to a comment from the committee.



16SenateFin0216AttachH.pdf



03:43 PM -- Mr. Andrew Hagberry, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.



03:48 PM -- Ms. Carol Meredith, representing the ARC of Arapahoe and Douglas Counties, testified in support of the bill.



03:50 PM -- Ms. Katherine Carol, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.





03:58 PM



Members of the committee commented on the merits of the bill. Senator Kefalas discussed Amendments L.001, L.002, and L.003. He also distributed a list of the members of the Employment First State Leadership Mentoring Program Core State Advisory Group (Attachment I).



16SenateFin0216AttachI.pdf

04:07 PM



Senator Kefalas made closing remarks about the bill. Members of the committee commented on the bill.





04:20 PM



The chair laid the bill over for action only.





04:26 PM -- SB16-124



Senator Grantham, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 16-124. Beginning July 1, 2016, this bill expands the current sales and use tax exemption for machinery and machine tools (machinery) used in manufacturing to include machinery purchased by businesses listed in the Department of Public Heath and Environment's inventory of recyclers and solid waste processors (material recovery facilities).



04:29 PM -- Ms. Jessica Burley, representing the Colorado Association of Recycling, testified in support of the bill.



04:31 PM -- Mr. Alek Orloff, representing Alpine Waste and Recycling, testified in support of the bill.



































04:36 PM



Senator Grantham made some closing remarks on the bill and the fiscal note.

04:38 PM -- SB16-086



Senator Neville, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 16-086. Under current law, qualifying taxpayers ages 55 to 64 may deduct up to $20,000 in pension or annuity income from their taxable income each year and qualifying taxpayers ages 65 and older may deduct up to $24,000 each year. This bill eliminates these limitations, allowing taxpayers to deduct the entire amount of their pension and annuity income from state taxable income beginning in tax year 2017. Senator Neville distributed a table prepared by the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research about revenues and expenditures to state and local governments from retirees and non-retirees in Florida in 2010 (Attachment J).



16SenateFin0216AttachJ.pdf

BILL:	SB16-086
TIME:	04:47:11 PM
MOVED:	Kerr
MOTION:	Adopt Amendment L.001 (Attachment K). The motion failed on a vote of 2-3. 16SenateFin0216AttachK.pdf
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Holbert	No
	Johnston	Yes
	Kerr	Yes
	Hill	No
	Neville T.	No
YES: 2 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL

04:53 PM



The committee adjourned.