S_SA_2018A 05/02/2018 01:42:59 PM Committee Summary

Senator Sonnenberg asked the committee to postpone indefinitely House Bill 18-1290 concerning the continuation of the Certification of Conservation Easement Holders in the Division of Real Estate.

Senator Sonnenberg introduced House Bill 18-1291, concerning the Conservation Easement Oversight Committee.  The bill continues the Conservation Easement Oversight Commission in the Division of Real Estate.  He distributed a strike below amendment L.009 (Attachment A).  

Belinda Groner, Heritage Defenders, spoke about the bill.  She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment B).

Mr. Glenn responded to questions from the committee.

Julie Gentz, representing herself, spoke about the bill. She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment C).

Senator Sonnenberg made comments on the preceding testimony.

Ms. Gentz responded to questions from the committee.

Senator Sonnenberg responded to comments from the committee.

Senator Sonnenberg made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senators Moreno and Gardner introduced House Bill 18-1006, concerning newborn screening.  The bill expands newborn screening for genetic and metabolic diseases, increases access to follow-up services, and creates a funding source for newborn hearing loss screening.  Senator Moreno responded to questions from the committee.

Sara Kennedy, Colorado Hands and Voices, spoke in favor of the bill.

Erin Swetnam, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Dr. David Horst, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, spoke in favor of the bill.

Chris Wells, Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, made himself available to answer questions.

Senator Gardner made closing comments on the merits of the bill.  He distributed amendments L.019, L.020, and L.022 (Attachments D, E, and F).

Senator Gardner introduced House Bill 18-1319, concerning foster youth.  The bill allows counties to provide services to former foster care youth who have aged out of the foster care system if the county department develops a plan for the services.

Jamie Ulrich, Weld County Department of Human Services, spoke in favor of the bill.  She responded to questions from the committee.

Senator Gardner made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senator Moreno introduced House Bill 18-1356.  The bill adds nonsubstantive cross references in statute concerning the crime of failure to register as a sex offender.

Senator Moreno introduced House Bill 18-1197, concerning alternative accountability systems in school districts.  The bill creates a grant program in the Colorado Department of Education to provide grants to local education providers to design and pilot local, student-centered accountability systems that focus on measuring and improving student academic achievement.

Bree Lesser, La Veta School District, spoke in support of the bill.

Senator Gardner introduced House Bill 18-1393, concerning implementation of the READ Act.  The Colorado Department of Education must adopt advisory lists of instructional programming and professional development.  The bill specifies that reading assessments and instruction must be evidence- or science-based, and must be aligned with each other and with preschool through elementary and secondary education stadards for reading.

Senators Moreno and Martinez-Humenik introduced House Bill 18-1321, concerning efficient medicaid transportation.  The bill requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to create and implement an efficient and cost-effective method to meet urgent transportation needs within the existing medicaid non-medical transportation benefit.

Amy Freedman, Denver Health, spoke in favor of the bill.

Jeannette Hensley, Colorado Senior Lobby, spoke in favor of the bill.

Ms. Freedman responded to questions from the committee.

Senators Martinez-Humenik and Moreno introduced House Bill 18-1094, concerning youth mental health treatment. The bill extends the Child Mental Health Treatment Act indefinitely.

Ellen Stern, Children's Hospital Colorado, distributed a letter to the committee and spoke in favor of the bill (Attachment G).

Michael Choy, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.  He provided a handout to the committee (Attachment H).

Andrew Babor, Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), responded to questions from the committee.

Ms. Stern responded to questions from the committee.

Mr. Williams responded questions from the committee.

Mr. Babor responded to questions from the committee.

Cristen Bates, CDHS, responded to questions from the committee.

Senator Martinez-Humenik made closing comments on the merits of the bill.  She responded to questions from the committee.

Senators Moreno and Donovan introduced House Bill 18-1377, concerning salary history information.  The bill makes it a discriminatory practice for an employer to seek salary history information, including information about prior compensation and benefits, from an applicant for employment unless an employer has provided a salary range for the open position or the applicant voluntarily agreed to discuss his or her salary with the employer.  Senator Moreno responded to questions from the committee.

Anna Crawford, Women's Lobby of Colorado, spoke in favor of the bill.

Natalie Wood, Bell Policy Center, spoke in favor of the bill.  She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment I).

Karla Gonzales Garcia, COLOR, spoke in favor of the bill.  She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment J).

Emily Alves, 9to5 Colorado, spoke in favor of the bill.  She provided a handout to the committee (Attachment K).

Senator Donovan made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senator Moreno made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

April Giles, Colorado Bioscience Association, spoke in opposition to the bill.

Daniel Smith, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Chewey Lam, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Ms. Malick responded to questions from the committee.

Mr. Smith responded to questions from the committee.

Brian Warren, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, spoke in opposition to the bill.

Gail DeVore, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Erika Armani, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Diane Robinson, Colorado Senior Lobby, spoke in favor of the bill.

Mr. Warren responded to questions from the committee.

Ms. DeVore responded to questions from the committee.

Erin Gilmer, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Ann King, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Eric King, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Alexis King, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Senator Donovan made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senator Marble asked the committee to reconsider House Bill 18-1291, previously referred to the Appropriations Committee.  Senator Marble asked the committee to refer the bill instead to the Finance Committee.

Senator Priola introduced House Bill 18-1414 concerning higher education emergency grants.  The bill creates the emergency completion and retention grant program in the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) to assist eligible students with qualifying financial emergencies.  He distributed two handouts to the committee (Attachments P and Q).

Shannon McCasland, Aims Community College, spoke in favor of the bill.

Ms. McCasland responded to questions from the committee.

Senator Priola made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senator Priola introduced House Bill 18-1367, concerning professional development for school principals.  The bill creates the School Leadership Pilot Program in the Colorado Department of Education to provide experiential professional development for school principals.

Prateek Dutta, Education Reform Now, spoke in favor of the bill. He responded to questions from the committee.

Senator Priola made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senators Priola and Fields introduced House Bill 18-1310, concerning emergency employment support services.  The bill creates a three-year emergency employment support services pilot program in the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.  

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.

Jesus Loayza, Colorado Center on Law and Policy, spoke in favor of the bill.

Kristopher Grant, Colorado Homebuilding Academy, spoke in favor of the bill.

Laura Ware, Skills2Compete Colorado - Colorado Center on Law and Policy, spoke in favor of the bill.

Senators Priola and Fields made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Bruce Eisenhauer, Department of Local Affairs, made himself available to answer questions.

Senator Court made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senators Jones and Aguilar introduced House Bill 18-1352, concerning oil and gas setbacks.  Current law requires new oil and gas development be located at least 1000 feet from a school building.  This bill would require development be located at least 1000 feet from the school property line.  Senator Jones responded to questions from the committee.

Matt Samuelson, Western Environmental Law Partners, spoke in favor of the bill.

Theresa Conley, Conservation Colorado, spoke in favor of the bill.

Dorothea Steinke, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Marcia Martin, City of Longmont, spoke in favor of the bill.

Kate Christensen, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Rosemary Anderson, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Tim Estep, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Tracee Bentley, Colorado Petroleum Council, spoke in opposition to the bill.

Senator Aguilar and Senator Jones made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senators Jones and Kefalas introduced House Bill 18-1419, concerning disclosures of wellhead integrity.  The bill requires oil and gas operators to notify counties concerning development plans and to notify both the state and local governments concerning the location of subsurface facilities.

Marcia Martin, Longmont City Council, spoke in favor of the bill.

Theresa Conley, Conservation Colorado, spoke in favor of the bill.

Cliff Smedley, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Michael Bellmont, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Jim Cole, Colorado Oil and Gas Association, spoke in opposition to the bill.

Tracee Bentley, Colorado Petroleum Council, spoke in opposition to the bill.

Sara Loflin, League of Oil and Gas Impacted Coloradans, spoke in favor of the bill.

Senators Jones and Kefalas made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Committee discussion ensued.

Senator Jones introduced House Bill 18-1289, concerning forced pooling for school districts.  The bill exempts local governments and school districts that own mineral rights from being force pooled but maintains their ability to engage in voluntary pooling.

Aaron Bloom, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Marcia Martin, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Theresa Conley, Conservation Colorado, spoke in favor of the bill.

Sara Loflin, League of Oil and Gas Impacted Coloradans, spoke in favor of the bill.

Cliff Smedley, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Michael Bellmont, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill.

Tracee Bentley, Colorado Petroleum Council, spoke in opposition to the bill.

Jim Cole, Colorado Oil and Gas Association, spoke in opposition to the bill.  He responded to questions from the committee.

Senator Jones made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senator Aguilar introduced House Bill 18-1376, concerning residential support services.  The bill requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), in conjunction with the Division of Housing, to implement a system of oversight for individual residential services and supports for providers and residences.  She responded to questions from the committee.

Jerry Stricker, Golden Fire Department and Fire Marshalls Association of Colorado (FMAC), spoke in favor of the bill.

Kevin Ferry, FMAC, spoke in favor of the bill.  He responded to questions from the committee.

Colin Laughlin, HCPF, responded to questions from the committee.

Emma Hudson, Alliance, spoke neutrally about the bill.

Christiano Sosa, The Arc of Colorado, spoke in favor of the bill.

Bruce Stahlman, ARC Thrift Stores, spoke in favor of the bill.

Senator Aguilar made closing comments on the merits of the bill.

Senator Hill discussed the preceding testimony.