Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

SENATE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, & ENERGY

Date:05/04/2015
ATTENDANCE
Time:05:11 PM to 05:40 PM
Baumgardner
X
Cooke
*
Place:SCR 354
Donovan
X
Garcia
*
This Meeting was called to order by
Hodge
X
Senator Sonnenberg
Jones
*
Scott
X
This Report was prepared by
Roberts
*
Damion Pechota
Sonnenberg
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
HB15-1320
HB15-1006
HB15-1364
Office of Consumer Counsel
HB15-1325		Postponed Indefinitely
Referred to Appropriations
Postponed Indefinitely
Continue Office of Consumer Counsel
Referred to the Committee of the Whole - Consent Calendar


05:12 PM -- HB 15-1320

Senator Grantham presented House Bill 15-1320 concerning a program for funding the development of agricultural businesses. The bill creates the Agricultural Development and Investment Partnership Program to be administered by the existing Colorado Agricultural Value-Added Development Board (board) in the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). The program includes proof-of-concept and feasibility study grants, early-stage capital and business expansion grants, reimbursement of market development and promotion expenses, and funding for broad-based market promotion activities of the CDA.
BILL:HB15-1320
TIME: 05:14:26 PM
MOVED:Hodge
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1320 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion failed on a 3-3 vote.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Baumgardner
No
Cooke
Excused
Donovan
Yes
Garcia
Excused
Hodge
Yes
Jones
Yes
Scott
No
Roberts
Excused
Sonnenberg
No
YES: 3 NO: 3 EXC: 3 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: TIE
BILL:HB15-1320
TIME: 05:15:52 PM
MOVED:Scott
MOTION:Postpone House Bill 15-1320 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 5-1.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Baumgardner
Yes
Cooke
Excused
Donovan
Yes
Garcia
Excused
Hodge
Yes
Jones
No
Scott
Yes
Roberts
Excused
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 5 NO: 1 EXC: 3 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




05:16 PM -- HB 15-1006

Senator Sonneberg presented House Bill 15-1006 concerning the creation of a grant program related to invasive phreatophytes. The bill creates the two-year Invasive Phreatophyte Grant Program (grant program) to be administered by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) in the Department of Natural Resources for projects that manage invasive phreatophytes, including tamarisk and Russian-olive, within the riparian areas of the state. The grant program receives $2 million from the Severance Tax Operational Fund annually transferred to the CWCB Construction Fund. The bill identifies criteria for prioritizing grant applications and requires that proposed projects be endorsed by the basin roundtable for the basin in which a project is proposed. The CWCB may accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations but the program is not dependent on gifts, grants and donations as a source of funding. The CWCB is required to report annually to the House and Senate agriculture committees on the progress of the grant program, with a final report due by March 1, 2018.
BILL:HB15-1006
TIME: 05:17:41 PM
MOVED:Sonnenberg
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1006 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 8-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Baumgardner
Yes
Cooke
Yes
Donovan
Yes
Garcia
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Jones
Yes
Scott
Yes
Roberts
Excused
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

05:19 PM -- HB 15-1364

Senator Donovan and Senator Sonneberg presented and summarized House Bill 15-1364 concerning a limitation on the scope of an inspection of a small hydroelectric energy facility conducted by the State Electrical Board. The bill clarifies that limited inspections apply to small hydroelectric facilities regardless of whether the facilities are connected to utility or other distribution lines and for both inverter-based and induction-based hydroelectric facilities generating 100 kilowatts or less.

05:20 PM -- Geoff Hier, representing the Colorado Rural Electric Association, spoke in favor of the bill.

05:21 PM -- Michael McReynolds, representing the Colorado Energy Office, spoke in favor of the bill.


05:21 PM -- Brett Moore, representing the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts, spoke in favor of the bill.
BILL:HB15-1364
TIME: 05:23:06 PM
MOVED:Donovan
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1364 to the Committee of the Whole with a recommendation that it be placed on the Consent Calendar The motion passed on a vote of 8-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Baumgardner
Yes
Cooke
Yes
Donovan
Yes
Garcia
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Jones
Yes
Scott
Yes
Roberts
Excused
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




05:24 PM -- Office of Consumer Counsel

Jennifer Berman, Office of Legislative Legal Services, provided information regarding the continuation of the Office of Consumer Counsel.
BILL:Office of Consumer Counsel Sunset
TIME: 05:29:50 PM
MOVED:
MOTION:Move to reestablish the Office of Consumer Counsel. The motion failed on a vote of 4-5.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Baumgardner
No
Cooke
No
Donovan
Yes
Garcia
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Jones
Yes
Scott
No
Roberts
No
Sonnenberg
No
YES: 4 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL
BILL:Office of Consumer Counsel
TIME: 05:31:21 PM
MOVED:Garcia
MOTION:Motion to continue the Office of Consumer Counsel. The motion passed on a vote of 6-3.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Baumgardner
No
Cooke
No
Donovan
Yes
Garcia
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Jones
Yes
Scott
No
Roberts
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 6 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




05:32 PM -- HB 15-1325

Senator Marble presented HB15-1325 concerning allowing registered persons to possess and transport industrial hemp. Current law provides criminal immunity from those processing, selling, and distributing industrial hemp. The bill extends that immunity to transporting and possessing hemp.
BILL:HB15-1325
TIME: 05:34:03 PM
MOVED:Scott
MOTION:Postpone House Bill 15-1325 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 9-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Baumgardner
Yes
Cooke
Yes
Donovan
Yes
Garcia
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Jones
Yes
Scott
Yes
Roberts
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

05:34 PM

The committee recessed.

05:39 PM

The committee returned from recess.

05:40 PM

The committee adjourned.