Date: 05/06/2010

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB10-1407

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Moved to postpone indefinitely House Bill 10-1407.PASS



03:06 PM -- House Bill 10-1407

Senator Steadman, prime sponsor, described the provisions of House Bill 10-1407 concerning the Range Worker Advisory Council. The reengrossed bill creates the 11-member Range Worker Advisory Council and specifies its composition. If $3,872 is received from gifts, grants, and donations by August 1, 2010, the council must meet between 2 and 4 times annually. At least half of these meetings are to be conducted on the western slope. If sufficient gifts, grants, and donations are not received, the council is dissolved. The council is charged with studying and discussing issues concerning range workers in Colorado who are working under the federal H-2A visa program for temporary non-immigrant foreign agricultural workers. By February 1, 2011, it will prepare a report for the business and agriculture committees of the General Assembly that includes its findings and proposed legislation. The bill repeals after the required report has been submitted to the General Assembly.

The following persons testified on the bill:

03:10 PM -- Laura Locke, Colorado Woolgrowers Association, explained that her organization is neutral on the bill and described discussions that her organization is participating in with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Colorado Department of Labor, and other interested persons to address the concerns of the bill sponsors.

03:12 PM -- Joe Wismann-Horther, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, spoke in support of the bill and responded to questions from the committee about progress on issues of concern to his organization and laws in other states that address agriculture immigrant rights.

03:20 PM -- Crystal Korey, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Cattlemen's Association, spoke in opposition to the bill.

03:22 PM

Senator Steadman closed his remarks on the bill.

BILL:HB10-1407
TIME: 03:29:35 PM
MOVED:Harvey
MOTION:Moved to postpone indefinitely House Bill 10-1407. The motion passed on a roll call vote of 6 to 0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Brophy
Yes
Gibbs
Yes
Harvey
Yes
Kester
Excused
Schwartz
Yes
Whitehead
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




03:30 PM

The committee adjourned.