Joint Committee Committee on Joint Business Affairs & Labor (11/22/2013)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT BUSINESS AFFAIRS & LABOR

Date:	11/22/2013	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:30 PM to 04:45 PM	Balmer	X
		Baumgardner	X
Place:	HCR 0107	Exum	*
		Hamner	*
This Meeting was called to order by		Holbert	X
	Senator Tochtrop	Jahn	X
		Kefalas	*
This Report was prepared by		Kraft-Tharp	X
	Erin Vanderberg	Navarro	E
		Nordberg	*
		Rivera	E
		Rosenthal	E
		Ryden	X
		Schwartz	E
		Szabo	E
		Wright	X
		Williams	X
		Tochtrop	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
Presentation from the OSA Presentation from the CDLE Presentation from DORA Public Testimony		Presentation and Committee Discussion Only Presentation and Committee Discussion Only Presentation and Committee Discussion Only Presentation and Committee Discussion Only

01:33 PM -- Presentation from the OSA

Deputy State Auditor Monica Bowers and Legislative Auditor Trey Standley, representing the Office of the State Auditor (OSA), made a presentation concerning the Division of Human Resources and State Personnel Board performance audits (Attachments A and B).

131122 AttachA Afternoon.pdf

131122 AttachB Afternoon.pdf

1:45 PM

Mr. Standley responded to questions from the committee on the State Personnel Board performance audit.

01:51 PM

Legislative Auditors Crystal Dorsey and Jenny Page joined Deputy Director Bowers at the table to present on the recommendations not fully implemented for the departments for which the Joint Business committee has legislative oversight (Attachment C). OSA representatives responded to questions from the committee.

131122 AttachC Afternoon.pdf

02:02 PM

Ms. Page discussed the specific unimplemented audit recommendations for the Departments of Labor and Employment (CDLE), Personnel and Administration (DPA), and Regulatory Agencies (DORA).

02:08 PM

OSA representatives responded to questions from the committee and concluded their presentation.

02:15 PM -- Presentation from the CDLE

Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) Executive Director Ellen Golombek came to the table. Director Golombek introduced Deputy Executive Director Kristin Corash and Budget Director Matthew Blackmon and the division heads in the room. A copy of the CDLE's regulatory agenda was provided to committee members in advance of the meeting (Attachment D). Director Golombek distributed a handout on her SMART Act presentation (Attachment E). She began a department overview and discussion of CDLE strategic initiatives.

131122 AttachD Afternoon.pdf

131122 AttachE Afternoon.pdf

02:25 PM

Director Golombek continued her presentation of CDLE's FY 2012-13 accomplishments. She discussed the department's flood relief efforts and the Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, North Dakota consortium (WyCan).

02:35 PM

Director Golombek discussed CDLE's regulatory and legislative agenda. She discussed Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) claims. She responded to questions from the committee. Ms. Alexandra Hall, chief economist for CDLE, came to the table to address a question on CDLE's data collection and offered to provide the committee with a report on the job market in the state.

02:45 PM

Director Golombek continued to respond to questions from the committee. Mr. Paul Tauriello, Director of the Division of Worker's Compensation, came to the table to respond to questions on worker's compensation.

02:55 PM

Ms. Hall returned to the table to answer committee questions on the economic recovery and rural economic challenges.

03:05 PM

Director Golombek responded to questions about undocumented workers and requests for data.

03:15 PM

Mr. Tauriello returned to the table to respond to a question about the Worker's Compensation Cost Containment Board. Questions from the committee continued about call center technology. CDLE representatives concluded their presentation.

03:28 PM -- Presentation from DORA

Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Executive Director Barbara Kelley introduced Budget Analyst Justin Lippard and began an overview of DORA. Materials on the department's regulatory agenda were provided to committee members in advance of the meeting (Attachment F).

131122 AttachF Afternoon.pdf

03:38 PM

Director Kelley continued her presentation on DORA's philosophy and discussed specifics related to the department's efforts in flood-affected counties. She discussed improvements in the department's performance plan.

03:48 PM

Director Kelley discussed the department's process for stakeholder input.

03:56 PM

Director Kelley discussed the department's 2014 budget requests and its legislative agenda.

04:07 PM

Director Kelley responded to questions from the committee. DORA's Insurance Commissioner Marguerite Salazar came to the table to address committee questions about health insurance. Director Kelley responded to questions about her work as the Wildfire Task Force chair, about plumbing inspections pursuant to Senate Bill 13-162, and about the regulation of public insurance adjusters pursuant to House Bill 13-1062.

04:18 PM

Director Kelley continued to respond to questions from the committee related to real estate professions, and complaint times. Director Kelley concluded her presentation.

04:24 PM -- Public Testimony

Ms. Diana Blum, representing herself, came to the table to discuss the Wildfire Insurance and Forest Health Task Force Report. Ms. Blum provided a handout on her presentation to the committee (Attachment G). She stated that she has been working on a fire and safety committee in Genessee. She shared her concerns that homeowner's associations were not represented on the task force, that the state budget does not adequately support healthy forests, and that state and federal lands have room for forest health improvement and should also be required to undergo the Colorado Wildlife Risk Assessment Portal (CO-Wrap) scoring process.

131122 AttachG Afternoon.pdf

04:35 PM

Committee members and Director Kelley responded to Ms. Blum's comments. Questions continued on general wildfire matters.

04:45 PM

Part II of the 2013 Joint Business SMART Government Act meeting adjourned.