Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Date:03/13/2014
ATTENDANCE
Time:02:19 PM to 03:46 PM
Becker
X
Foote
X
Place:LSB A
Joshi
X
Kagan
*
This Meeting was called to order by
Melton
X
Representative Court
Pabon
*
Priola
X
This Report was prepared by
Saine
X
Matt Kiszka
Swalm
X
Szabo
X
Wilson
X
Labuda
X
Court
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
HB14-1270
HB14-1278
HB14-1263		Referred to Appropriations
Referred to Appropriations
Laid Over


02:20 PM -- HB14-1270

Representative Court, Chair, called the meeting to order.

Representative Lebsock came to the table to present House Bill 14-1270, which he explained continues the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA) in the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) until July 1, 2019, and implements some of the recommendations of the sunset review conducted by the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). He responded to questions on the cap increase of PACFA license fees, and the additional FTE requirements laid out in the fiscal note for the bill. A copy of the license fees associated with PACFA from the DORA sunset review report was distributed to the committee (Attachment A).

14HseFin0313AttachA.pdf14HseFin0313AttachA.pdf

02:26 PM -- Kate Anderson and Jeff Stalter, representing the Department of Agriculture, came to the table for questions. Mr. Stalter responded to questions on the additional FTE required by the bill and the increase in license fees. Committee discussion ensued.

02:33 PM -- Maxine Mager, representing herself, spoke in favor of the bill. She spoke to the qualifications of inspectors who work for the CDA. Ms. Mager raised concerns with incidents of rabies in PACFA-regulated facilities and the reporting of animal cruelty by the CDA.







02:42 PM

Representative Lebsock made his closing comments on the bill, noting how it works towards increased animal health and welfare, as well as how it prevents the spread of animal diseases to humans. Committee discussion of the merits of the bill ensued.
BILL:HB14-1270
TIME: 02:48:20 PM
MOVED:Court
MOTION:Refer House Bill 14-1270 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 8-5.
SECONDED:Melton
VOTE
Becker
Yes
Foote
Yes
Joshi
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Melton
Yes
Pabon
Yes
Priola
No
Saine
No
Swalm
No
Szabo
No
Wilson
No
Labuda
Yes
Court
Yes
Final YES: 8 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


02:49 PM -- HB14-1278

Representative Rosenthal came to the table to present House Bill 14-1278. He explained that the bill, as amended, continues the Workers' Compensation Accreditation Program (WCAP) administered by the Division of Workers Compensation (DWC) in the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment until September 1, 2025. He also noted that the bill removes the cap on registration fees for accreditation. Representative Rosenthal responded to questions on additional appropriations required by the bill.

02:53 PM -- Clare Pramuk, Legislative Council Staff, came to the table to answer questions on the fiscal note for the bill. She explained that the costs laid out in the fiscal note were only for the continuation of the WCAP. Representative Rosenthal responded to a question on the removal of the cap on registration fees for accreditation.










02:56 PM -- Paul Tauriello, director of the DWC, came to the table for questions. He spoke to an amendment to the bill made in the House Business, Labor, Economic, and Workforce Development Committee, which removed a requirement for the DWC to conduct a study on the potential impact on the state's workers' compensation system if it adopts the most current version of the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides). He responded to a question on the fees associated with accreditation, where these fees will go, the removal of the fee cap, and the fact that the department will not be conducting a new study of the state's workers' compensation system.
BILL:HB14-1278
TIME: 03:05:53 PM
MOVED:Szabo
MOTION:Refer House Bill 14-1278 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 10-3.
SECONDED:Court
VOTE
Becker
Yes
Foote
Yes
Joshi
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Melton
Yes
Pabon
Yes
Priola
No
Saine
No
Swalm
Yes
Szabo
Yes
Wilson
No
Labuda
Yes
Court
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


03:07 PM -- HB14-1263

Representatives Gerou and McCann came to the table to present House Bill 14-1263. They described the purpose of the bill, which, as amended by the House Health Insurance and Environment Committee, increases the age limit so that cigarettes may not be sold to or purchased or possessed by a person under the age of 21. They spoke to the harmful health effects of smoking, smoking rates in the United States, and the fiscal impact of the bill. The representatives responded to questions on the availability of data surrounding the differing levels of addiction to cigarettes by age, how much of the revenue raised by the bill would be directed towards educational non-smoking programs, whether the bill adequately protects the people it is seeking to protect, and which individuals can be convicted of a criminal offense under the bill.










03:26 PM -- Dr. Bill Burman, representing Denver Public Health, spoke in favor of the bill. Dr. Burman stated that the fiscal note for the bill only provides analysis of the effect of the bill on revenue, and does not incorporate the public healthcare costs of smoking. He explained the largest healthcare costs that arise from smoking-related diseases. Dr. Burman responded to questions on the costs of smoking-related diseases, and the smoking habits of people of different ages.

03:32 PM -- Anita Roberts, representing the March of Dimes, spoke in favor of the bill. Ms. Roberts spoke to the health care costs of smoking-related diseases, and the prevalence of smoking in Colorado.


03:38 PM

Kerry White, Legislative Council Staff, came to the table to respond to questions on the fiscal note for the bill. The bill sponsors spoke to a question on how the bill would affect those in the military.


03:46 PM

The bill was laid over to a future meeting, with the opportunity for more witness testimony, and the meeting was adjourned.