S_SA_2019A 04/22/2019 03:17:52 PM Committee Summary

Senator Garcia and Senator Scott, co-prime sponsors, presented Senate Bill 19-250. The bill requires electric utilities currently charging a tiered rate to residential customers to revise the rate design back to a single rate.

The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Amy Oliver Cooke, representing the Coalition of Ratepayers, testified in support of the bill.

Andrew Bennett, representing Energy Outreach Colorado, testified on the bill.

Steve Wishart, representing Xcel Energy, responded to committee questions about the bill.

Ms. Cooke responded to committee questions. Senator Scott provided a handout to committee members (Attachment A).

Committee discussion with Mr. Wishart and Ms. Cooke continued.

Senators Garcia and Scott wrapped up their presentation of the bill.

Committee members discussed the bill with the sponsors.

Senator Fenberg and Senator Coram, co-prime sponsors, presented House Bill 19-1120.  The bill requires the Department of Education to create a mental health resource bank, and allows children between the ages of 12 and 14 years old to access psychotherapy services without parental consent.  Amendment L.025 (Attachment B) was distributed to the committee but not offered.

Rebecca Heath, representing the National Association of Social Workers Colorado Chapter, testified in support of the bill remotely from Durango.

Carolyn Martin, representing herself, testified against the bill.

Evie Hudak, representing Colorado PTA, testified in support of the bill.

Balin Anderson, representing the National Association of Social Workers, testified in support of the bill.

Sarah Lindquist, representing the Colorado School Social Work Association, testified in support of the bill.

The panel of witnesses and the bill sponsors responded to committee questions.

Kelly Erb, representing the Colorado Rural Health Center, testified in support of the bill.

Frank Cornelia, representing the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, testified in support of the bill.

Karla Gonzales Garcia, representing the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, testified in support of the bill.

Valerie Schlect, representing the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, testified in support of the bill.

Becky Zal-Sanchez, representing the National Association of Social Workers, testified in support of the bill.

Tim Lopez, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

The sponsors responded to committee member questions.

Shelby Ross, Office of Legislative Legal Services, responded to committee member questions.

Committee members discussed the bill with the sponsors.

Senator Williams and Senator Winter, co-prime sponsors, presented House Bill 19-1261. The bill sets statewide greenhouse gas pollution reduction goals relative to 2005 statewide greenhouse gas pollution levels and requires the Air Quality Control Commission to adopt rules and regulations for statewide greenhouse gas pollution reduction.

Committee members received a packet of written testimony in support of the bill (Attachment D) and a letter in opposition from EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel (Attachment E).

Erin Overturf, representing Western Resource Advocates, testified in support of the bill.

Pam Kiley, representing the Environmental Defense Fund, testified in support of the bill.

Abbey Pizel, representing the Colorado Fiscal Institute, testified in support of the bill.

Commissioner Matt Jones, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

Dianna Orf, representing the Colorado Mining Association, testified against the bill.

Chris Wright, representing himself, testified against the bill.

Andy Berger, representing Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, testified against the bill.

Trisha Oeth, representing the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, testified on the bill.

Commissioner Elise Jones, representing Colorado Communities for Climate Action and Boulder County, testified in support of the bill.

David Cockrell, representing Pueblo's Energy Future, testified in support of the bill.

Geoff Hier, representing the Colorado Rural Electric Association, testified against the bill.

Nicholas Colglazier, representing the Colorado Competitive Council and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, testified against the bill.

The panel of witnesses responded to committee member questions.

Jonathan Degen, representing La Sportiva, testified in support of the bill.

Matt Segal, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

Dennis Doherty, representing the AFL-CIO, testified in support of the bill.

Ron Ruggiero, representing Service Employees International Union Local 105, testified in support of the bill.

Jill Ozarski, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Christine Berg, representing Moms Clean Air Force, testified in support of the bill.

Jessica Good read testimony from Adrienne Dorsey, representing GRID Alternatives Colorado, in support of the bill.

Tricia Olson, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Chris Linsmeyer, representing Colorado Ski Country USA, testified in support of the bill.

Quinn Antus Middleton read testimony in support of the bill from Ning Mosberger Tang.

The panel of witnesses responded to questions from the committee.

Quinn Antus Middleton read testimony from Peter Tans and Christopher Caskey in support of the bill. Ms. Antus Middleton also testified in support of the bill, representing Campfire Labs.

Ramesh Bhatt, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

Lindsay Bourgoine, representing Protect Our Winters, testified in support of the bill.

Jan Rose, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Additional written testimony in support of the bill was provided for the record (Attachment F).

Charley Olena, representing New Era Colorado, testified in support of the bill. She provided a packet of letters in support of the bill (Attachment G).

Emilie Craig, representing the Climate Reality Campus Corps, testified in support of the bill.

Kevin Hennegan, representing the Denver March for Science, testified in support of the bill.

Amelia Myers, representing Conservation Colorado, testified in support of the bill. She provided a packet of letters in support of the bill (Attachment H).

Debra Brown, representing Good Business Colorado, read testimony from businesses in support of the bill.

Committee members received a letter from the Colorado Petroleum Council against the bill (Attachment I).

Mike Kingsbury, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

Erin Hackett, representing Evraz Rocky Mountain Steel, testified against the bill.

Patty Sullivan, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Senator Williams discussed amendments L.032 (Attachment J), L.042 (Attachment K), and L.043 (Attachment L).

Senators Williams and Winter wrapped up their presentation of the bill.

Senator Moreno and Senator Foote, co-prime sponsors, presented Senate Bill 19-243. The bill prohibits a retail food establishment from distributing an expanded polystyrene product for use as a container for off-premises ready-to-eat food on or after January 1, 2024.

Tim Shestek, representing the American Chemistry Council, testified against the bill.  He provided a packet of letters opposing the bill (Attachment M).

Mr. Shester and Mr. Gunther responded to committee member questions.

Danny Katz, representing the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, testified in support of the bill.

Emily Struzenburg, representing Environment Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Suzanne Jones, representing Eco-Cycle, testified in support of the bill.

The panel of witnesses responded to questions from the committee.

Amelia Myers, representing Conservation Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Patty Sullivan, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Suzanne Bhatt, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Brandy Moe, representing Recycle Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Jackson Hafner, representing himself, testified in support of the bill.

Jan Rose, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Bill Artist, representing McDonald's USA, testified in support of the bill.

Senators Foote and Moreno wrapped up their presentation of the bill.

Senator Winter and Senator Priola, co-prime sponsors, presented House Bill 19-1239. The bill creates the 2020 Census Outreach Grant Program in the Department of Local Affairs to provide grants to eligible recipients in order to support an accurate census count in 2020.

Sarah McAfee, representing the Center for Health Progress, testified in support of the bill.

Jean Fredlund, representing the League of Women Voters of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Debra Brown, representing Good Business Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Sheena Kadi, representing One Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Morgan Cullen, representing the Colorado Municipal League and Colorado Counties, Inc., testified in support of the bill.

Cherry Rose Anderson, representing the Colorado NAACP, testified in support of the bill.

Emily Ibach, representing the Colorado Farm Bureau, testified in support of the bill.

Esther Turcios, representing the Colorado Fiscal Institute, testified in support of the bill.

Riley Kitts, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill.

Patrick Potyondy, representing Colorado Common Cause, testified in support of the bill.

Jen Samano, representing the ACLU of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members received additional letters in support of the bill (Attachment N).

Senators Priola and Winter wrapped up their presentation of the bill.

Committee members commented on the bill.

Senator Gardner and Senator Winter, co-prime sponsors, presented Senate Bill 19-244 to the committee. The bill creates the Office of Legislative Workplace Relations within the Office of Legislative Legal Services.

The sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Erin Hottenstein, representing Colorado 50-50, testified in support of the bill.

Raana Simmons, representing the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, testified in support of the bill.

Tim Lopez, representing the Democratic Party of Denver, testified in support of the bill.

Senator Winter discussed amendment L.001 (Attachment O).

Senators Gardner and Winter wrapped up their presentation of the bill.

Senator Fields and Senator Gardner, co-prime sponsors, presented House Bill 19-1122. The bill creates the Colorado Maternal Mortality Review Committee in the Department of Public Health and Environment.

Karla Gonzales Garcia, representing the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, testified in support of the bill.

Beverly Warner, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

Dr. Bronwen Kahn, representing herself, testified in support of the bill and read additional testimony in support of the bill. She provided a fact sheet to the committee (Attachment P).

Erin Miller, representing the Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill.

The committee received written testimony from Sarah Wilkerson, representing the March of Dimes (Attachment Q).

Senator Fields, sponsor, presented House Bill 19-1285. The bill requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to enter into a direct contract with Denver Health.

Jackie Zheleznyak, representing Denver Health, testified in support of the bill.