Date: 10/16/2013

Final
Discussion of Bill 4

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY POVERTY REDUCTION TASK FORCE

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
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11:50 AM -- Discussion of Bill 4

Senator Kefalas introduced Bill 4 (Attachment D) which concerns the Aid to the Needy Disabled (AND) program. He explained that AND functions as an interim aid program, and that in order to qualify a person must be between 18 and 59 years old and must have a disability that cause him or her to not be able to work for at least six months. He said the bill increases the cash assistance amount for the program and that the amount will be adjusted for inflation and to conform to federal poverty guidelines. He talked about the matching requirement for the counties and explained that since the bill increases the cash assistance amount given by the state, it also increases the county match amount. Senator Balmer stated that these types of decisions should remain within the normal budgetary process and should not be changed legislatively. He said that the Joing Budget Committee is able to increase the amount of assistance as needed and expressed concern about setting the adjustment rate to federal poverty guidelines. The committee discussed the financial impacts of the bill and the need to prioritize limited financial resources.

13EconPov1016AttachD.pdf13EconPov1016AttachD.pdf

The following people testified:

12:02 PM -- Pat Ratliff, representing Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI), spoke about the bill. She stated that there may be a way to lessen the impact of the 20 percent county match requirement.

12:03 PM -- Chaer Robert, representing the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, spoke about the bill. She discussed the need for a safety net for those people who are unable to find their way out of poverty because they are destitute and disabled and in need of assistance before they are able to qualify for Supplemental Security Income. Ms. Robert talked about the organizations in Colorado that help people who are at the bottom of the income ladder.


12:06 PM

There were no more witnesses and no amendments to the bill. The task force recessed for lunch.