H_PHC_2017A 04/04/2017 Committee Summary

01:31 PM -- SB 17-234



Representative Thurlow, bill sponsor, presented Senate Bill 17-234 to the committee and distributed amendment L.003 (Attachment A). Under current law, reports to the General Assembly are scheduled to repeal after three years, unless the General Assembly continues them through a bill. The reengrossed bill, recommended by the Statutory Revision Committee, continues various reports submitted to the General Assembly by the Colorado Department of Human Services, allows other reports to repeal, and adds future repeal dates for others.



170404 AttachA.pdf

01:36 PM -- SB 17-246



Representative Michaelson Jenet and Representative Singer presented Senate Bill 17-246 to the committee. The reengrossed bill renames an existing oversight committee to the "Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning the Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems" (committee). It makes corresponding changes to the task force and cash fund and updates statutory terminology to read "mental health disorder" rather than "mental illness." Finally, it clarifies that the committee report due each January 15 to the General Assembly continues indefinitely, removes obsolete statutory language, and corrects statutory references to the Office of Behavioral Health in the Department of Human Services.

01:38 PM -- SB 17-214



Representative Exum and Representative Pettersen presented House Bill 17-214 to the committee. The bill allows municipalities, special districts, fire authorities, and county improvement districts that employ one or more firefighters to participate in a voluntary firefighter cancer benefits program. Participation constitutes payment of contributions into a multiple employer health trust designed to pay awards to covered individuals diagnosed with cancer or their surviving family members. The trust must establish award levels between $100 and $225,000 based on the category and stage of the cancer. The trust must also make payments to the covered individual for the actual cost, up to $25,000, for rehabilitative or vocational training employment services and educational training and for cosmetic disfigurement costs, if necessary, up to $10,000. Any benefits paid by the trust must be offset by any payments made under the Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado. Firefighters, including those who work on a part-time or volunteer basis, must meet certain criteria to be eligible for benefits under the trust.



01:47 PM -- Mike Rogers, Colorado Professional Fire Fighters, testified in support of the bill.











01:51 PM -- Chief Don Lombardi, Colorado State Fire Chiefs, testified in support of the bill.



01:54 PM -- Ann Terry, Special District Association, testified in support of the bill.



01:55 PM



Mr. Rogers, Chief Lombardi, and Ms. Terry responded to questions from the committee.



02:08 PM



Representative Pettersen and Representative Exum gave concluding remarks.

02:12 PM -- HB 17-1304



Representative Ransom and Representative Singer presented House Bill 17-1304 to the committee. Under current law, a child legally available for adoption must be present in the state at the time the petition for adoption is filed. This bill allows an adoption petition to be filed for a child located out of state if the child has been under a Colorado court's jurisdiction for at least six months. The bill sponsors responded to committee questions regarding the bill.



02:23 PM -- Jeanne Banghart, Boulder County, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Banghart responded to questions from the committee.



02:29 PM -- Jennifer Bergdolt, Larimer County, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Bergdolt responded to questions from the committee.









02:37 PM -- Dorothy Macias, Colorado Office of the Child's Representative, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Macias responded to questions from the committee.



02:45 PM



Representative Singer and Representative Ransom gave concluding remarks.

02:48 PM



The committee adjourned.