Date: 03/25/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1294

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B). The motion p
Refer House Bill 15-1294, as amended, to the Commi		Pass Without Objection
PASS



09:58 AM -- HB15-1294

Representative Pettersen, chair, welcomed the committee. Representatives Lee and Keyser, sponsors, introduced House Bill 15-1294, which aligns state law to recent changes in federal law as it pertains to veterans' ability to use their educational benefits at Colorado's public colleges and universities. Representative Keyser explained the necessity for the bill, and the consequences to Colorado's public colleges and universities if Colorado law is not aligned with federal law.


10:00 AM

The following people testified:

10:00 AM -- Kachina Weaver, representing the Department of Higher Education, spoke in support of the bill. She explained recent changes in federal law and the need for Colorado law to conform. She distributed a handout to the committee (Attachment A), and explained the consequences for Colorado's public colleges and universities if the bill does not pass. Ms. Weaver responded to questions from the committee.

15HouseEd0325AttachA.pdf15HouseEd0325AttachA.pdf

10:04 AM -- Stephen Jordan, representing Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU), spoke in support of the bill. He described MSU's support for veterans and the experiences of the veterans who attend school there. He explained that MSU stands to lose enrolled veteran students and the accompanying tuition revenue.

10:07 AM -- John Johnston, representing himself as a veteran and a student at MSU, spoke in support of the bill. He described his experiences in the military, and the consequences to him personally if Colorado law does not conform to federal law.

10:09 AM -- Mathew Cox, Executive Director of Enrollment Management at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS), spoke in support of the bill. He spoke about UCCS' relationship with its veteran students.

10:11 AM -- Phillip Morris, Director of Veteran and Military Student Affairs at UCCS, spoke in support of the bill. He spoke about the number of veterans and veterans' dependents that attend UCCS.

10:15 AM -- Gary Force, representing the United Veterans Committee of Colorado, spoke in support of the bill. He spoke about veterans' organizations that support the bill. He thanked the sponsors for presenting the bill and spoke about the benefits available to veterans.

10:16 AM -- Brian Young, representing himself, spoke in support of the bill. He spoke about his experiences using the GI Bill's benefits to obtain a higher education. He spoke about his military service and the military service of his friends. He described his experiences as a student at the University of Colorado - Denver.
BILL:HB15-1294
TIME: 10:19:13 AM
MOVED:Lee
MOTION:Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
15HouseEd0325AttachB.pdf15HouseEd0325AttachB.pdf
SECONDED:Buckner
VOTE
Everett
Fields
Garnett
Lee
Lundeen
Moreno
Priola
Wilson
Windholz
Pettersen
Buckner
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


10:19 AM

Representatives Keyser and Lee offered closing comments to the bill. They spoke about the benefits of providing educational opportunities to veterans in Colorado.
BILL:HB15-1294
TIME: 10:22:46 AM
MOVED:Lundeen
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1294, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 10-0, with one member excused.
SECONDED:Priola
VOTE
Everett
Excused
Fields
Yes
Garnett
Yes
Lee
Yes
Lundeen
Yes
Moreno
Yes
Priola
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Windholz
Yes
Pettersen
Yes
Buckner
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS