Date: 02/15/2010
Final
JBC Budget Balancing Bills
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES
| Votes: View--> | Action Taken: |
| <none> | <none> |
01:05 PM -- Department of Agriculture Budget Balancing Bills.
Representative Lambert discussed the HB 10-1297, the budget balancing bill for the Department of Agriculture, found on page 8 of the Joint Budget Committee Budget Balancing Package available at http://www.state.co.us/gov_dir/leg_dir/jbc/2010suppnarr.pdf.
01:13 PM -- Department of Natural Resources Budget Balancing Bills.
Representative Lambert discussed the budget balancing bills for the Department of Natural Resources beginning with HB 10-1309, found on page 81 of the Joint Budget Committee Budget Balancing Package. The committee discussed one of the provisions of the bill, a personal services reduction of 5.5 FTE in the Division of Water Resources.
01:15 PM
Representative Lambert briefly described HB 10-1325, which would, over seven years, transfer $1.7 million to the Hazardous Substance Response Fund and $1.0 million to the General Fund. The source of the transfers is the interest earned on $17.4 million that Colorado received last year from Shell Oil Company and the U.S. Army for natural resources damages at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. A description of the bill can be found on page 142 of the Joint Budget Committee Budget Balancing Package.
01:19 PM
Representative Lambert discussed HB 10-1326, which adjusts the authorization of appropriations from the Operational Account of the Severance Tax Trust Fund for tax years beginning on or after July 1, 2009, as follows:
● Decreases the authorization to the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission from up to 40 percent to up to 35 percent of the account;
● Increases the authorization to the Division of Parks and Outdoor recreation (parks division) from up to 5 percent to up to 10 percent of the account; and
● Allows the increased appropriation to supplant moneys that would otherwise be available to the parks division.
He also explained that the bill will decrease the 2009 long bill general fund appropriation to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation by $2,147,415 and increases its cash fund appropriation by the same amount. A description of the bill can be found on page 144 of the Joint Budget Committee Budget Balancing Package.
01:22 PM
Representative Fischer asked Representative Lambert questions about funding for the Colorado Water Conservation Board in HB 10-1327, on page 145 of the Joint Budget Committee Budget Balancing Package.
01:25 PM
The committee further discussed HB 10-1326 and the history of appropriations to the Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation.
01:32 PM
The committee discussed HB 10-1327 and potential cash fund transfers to refinance the Colorado Water Conservation Board Construction Fund.
01:35 PM
The committee adjourned.