Date: 11/10/2015

Final
Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind

COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Approve Bills A and B recommended by the VocationaPass Without Objection



09:30 AM -- Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind

Representative Danielson, Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind chair, came to the table to present Bills A and B recommended by the committee. The summary report prepared for the Legislative Council Committee, copies of the bills, and the committee's charge can be found in Attachment J.

151110 AttachJ.pdf151110 AttachJ.pdf

The bills are as follows:

Bill A - Expand Scope Business Enterprise Program. This bill removes an existing statutory exemption for property owned, leased, or occupied by higher education institutions or the State Fair Authority, thereby granting priority to persons who are blind and licensed vendors to operate vending facilities on these properties. The bill also expands the scope of the program so that persons who are blind may also operate businesses other than vending facilities on state property. In addition, the bill makes conforming amendments to comply with federal law. The bill requires the program changes to be implemented within existing appropriations to the CDLE.

Bill B - Income Tax Credit Employment of Persons with a Disability. This bill creates two income tax credits for taxpayers who hire person with developmental disabilities and persons who are blind or visually impaired. The first is a tax credit for employee wages equal to 50 percent of the gross wages of a qualifying employee in the first three months of continuous employment, and 30 percent of the gross wages of a qualifying employee in the next nine months of continuous employment. The employee must be eligible for Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) services and referred by the DVR. The second tax credit is a tax credit for software and hardware costs equal to the share of the cost of the maintenance, repair, or upgrade of software or hardware that assists a qualifying employee in performing his or her job. The software and hardware tax credit is available on a sliding scale for each year of employment. Both credits are nonrefundable and are available for three years, beginning in tax year 2016. The credits are limited to a taxpayer’s income tax liability and the amount of a credit in excess of liability may be carried forward for up to five years.
BILL:Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind
TIME: 09:31:57 AM
MOVED:Ulibarri
MOTION:Approve Bills A and B recommended by the Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind Interim Committee as fitting under the committee's charge. The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Buck
Court
DelGrosso
Donovan
Duran
Grantham
Guzman
Jones
Landgraf
Lawrence
Lundberg
Melton
Roberts
Scheffel
Ulibarri
Williams
Cadman
Excused
Hullinghorst
Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection



09:32 AM

With no further business to discuss, the committee adjourned.