Date: 05/01/2013

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB13-270

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer Senate Bill 13-270 to the Committee on ApproPASS



11:22 AM -- Senate Bill 13-270

Representative Fischer, sponsor, presented Senate Bill 13-270. This bill reorganizes and modifies statutes creating the Wildfire Emergency Response Fund (WERF) and the Wildfire Preparedness Fund (WPF). The bill authorizes the Governor to order the transfer of funds from the Disaster Emergency Fund into the WERF if he or she determines an emergency is imminent. The Governor and Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) in the Department of Public Safety may increase expenditures from the WERF as part of plans for aerial tankers or wildfire hand crews presented by the DFPC in its annual Wildfire Preparedness Plan. The bill clarifies that the Governor may increase or decrease expenditures from the WERF if a wildfire situation is more or less severe than anticipated in the Wildfire Preparedness Plan. The DFPC is authorized to contract with other governmental agencies for the use of state firefighting resources. The WPF may be used to pay for such contractual services, as well as the preparation of the Wildfire Preparedness Plan; however, payments to the DFPC pursuant to such contracts are deposited in the Wildland Fire Cost Recovery Fund. The bill also authorizes transfers from the proceeds of insurance premium taxes to the WERF and WPF, including a specific transfer of $500,000 to the WERF in FY 2013-14; changes reporting dates for the Wildfire Preparedness Plan; and makes technical changes to update statutes concerning the authority of the DFPC.

The following persons testified on the bill:

11:25 AM -- Chief Paul Cook, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, spoke in support of the bill. Staff distributed a fact sheet about the bill from the division (Attachment A). Chief Cook talked about the division's budget and average funds spent in a drought year. He also discussed the flexibility that is needed during disaster emergencies and how the WERF addresses this need. Chief Cook also explained the WPF's funding sources and answered questions from the committee regarding how resources and funding are shared in rural areas of Colorado, county annual operating plans, and how the WERF and WPF differ from funds that are currently in existence.

130501 AttachA.pdf130501 AttachA.pdf

11:35 AM -- Sheriff Chris Olson, County Sheriffs of Colorado, spoke in support of the bill. Sheriff Olson discussed how funds that are immediately available are crucial to fighting fires in Colorado.

11:36 AM -- Chief Mike Morgan, Colorado State Fire Chiefs and Colorado River Fire Rescue, spoke in support of the bill. Chief Morgan described the fires that occurred during the summer of 1994, resource availability, and the need for early resource deployment. Chief Morgan also urged support for Senate Bill 13-245 and said that the Colorado Municipal League and Special District Association support Senate Bill 13-270 as well.


11:44 AM

Representative Fischer closed his remarks on the bill.

BILL:SB13-270
TIME: 11:45:11 AM
MOVED:Fischer
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 13-270 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 12-0 with one excused.
SECONDED:Mitsch Bush
VOTE
Buck
Yes
Coram
Excused
Garcia
Yes
Lebsock
Yes
McLachlan
Yes
McNulty
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Rankin
Yes
Rosenthal
Yes
Saine
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Fischer
Yes
Final YES: 12 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS