Bill Summary for Bill Number HB09-1043

Date: 04/16/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1043

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 09-1043 to the Committee on Appro	PASS

10:47 AM -- House Bill 09-1043

Senator Williams, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1043. This bill creates a new income tax checkoff as a funding mechanism for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado Fund. The checkoff would be added to the state income tax form for tax years 2009 through 2011 as a voluntary contribution. Senator Williams explained that the checkoff would provide funding for children with life-threatening illnesses, and that the average wish costs about $6,000. She explained that the fund is new, and the General Assembly would appropriate the money from the new fund to the Department of Revenue through the annual budget process. After subtracting these costs, she stated, the money would be transferred to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado.

The following person testified on the bill:

10:51 AM -- Ms. Becky Schilling, representing the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. She explained that the Make-A-Wish Foundaton is the largest wish-granting foundation in the world. Ms. Schilling stated that the foundation has been granting wishes in Colorado for 250 children per year, and explained that children are referred to the foundation with a doctor certifying that the child has the illness. She said that all the money raised in Colorado assists children in Colorado. Ms. Schilling explained that the wishes usually fall into four categories, including a wish to travel, a wish to have something, a wish to meet someone, and a wish to be something. She gave examples of the children's wishes.

10:58 AM -- Ms. Eileen Danahy, representing the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. She distributed information to the committee, including background about the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Colorado (Attachment A), the mission statement of the foundation (Attachment B), a fact sheet supporting House Bill 1043 (Attachment C), and a copy of the foundation's Fall/Winter 2008 edition of the Wish Colorado newsletter, available at www.wishcolorado.org/resources/publications.html. Ms. Danahy provided the committee with ways in which the foundation will notify the public about the tax checkoff so that it can raise $75,000, the amount required to stay on the tax checkoff form. She also provided information about Tax Checkoff Colorado, an organization that publicizes the checkoff programs. Ms. Danahy responded to questions from the committee about other wish-granting organizations in the Colorado area.

11:03 AM

Senator Sandoval closed public testimony. Senator Williams also provided closing comments about children who have received wishes by the foundation.


BILL:	HB09-1043
TIME:	11:05:47 AM
MOVED:	Brophy
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 09-1043 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed 7-0.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Brophy	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Isgar	Yes
	King K.	Yes
	Scheffel	Yes
	Hudak	Yes
	Sandoval	Yes

Final YES: 7 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS