Date: 04/02/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1313

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION & ENERGY

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 15-1313 to the Committee on FinanPASS


10:04 AM

The committee was called to order. A quorum was present.

10:04 AM -- HB 15-1313

Representative KC Becker, prime sponsor, came to the table to present House Bill 15-1313. The bill creates the Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) license plate to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the park. The license plate will be available to any applicant—provided he or she makes a donation to support RMNP, as well as paying the standard license plate taxes and fees and a one-time additional special license plate fee of $50—on November 15, 2015, or when the Department of Revenue (DOR) is able, whichever is later. The DOR may stop issuing RMNP license plates if 3,000 license plates are not issued by July 1, 2020. Anyone issued the RMNP license plate in advance of that date may continue to use the plate.

The DOR is required to designate a nonprofit organization working in RMNP, at least once every five years, to be the recipient of license plate donations based on a set of criteria outlined in the bill and DOR methodology. Under the bill, this organization will establish the minimum donation amount that a license plate applicant must make in order to receive a certification of donation.

Representative Becker responded to a question on why the elk was used in the design of the license plate.

10:07 AM -- Charles Money, representing the Rocky Mountain Conservancy (RMC), spoke in favor of the bill. He said that RMC has been a nonprofit organization since 1931. He spoke to why the elk was used in the design of the RMNP license plate. He said that visiting RMNP is a special experience for many people and that the license plate is a good way to commemorate Colorado's top attraction. He responded to questions on where funds from the license plate will be deposited, if a fund could be created that would help low-income individuals visit the park, and the selection criteria the DOR must use when designating a nonprofit organization working in RMNP that will be the recipient of license plate donations.

10:16 AM

The committee discussed license plate fees, nonprofit donations, and how an individual can obtain a RMNP license plate. Tony Anderson, Director of Titles and Registration for the DMV, came to the table to speak to the required nonprofit donation under the bill.

10:20 AM -- Barbara Scott, representing the RMNP, spoke in favor of the bill. She said that she thought the license plate was a good way of commemorating RMNP.

10:21 AM -- Tom Blickensderfer, representing himself, spoke in favor of the bill. Mr. Blickensderfer provided some personal stories surrounding RMNP and his family's history with the park.

10:34 AM

Representative Becker made her closing comments on the bill. The committee discussed the merits of the bill and the requirements under the bill for a donation to a specific organization of the DOR's choosing. Representative Becker said that this approach is not new, and is used for other special license plates.
BILL:HB15-1313
TIME: 10:38:51 AM
MOVED:Mitsch Bush
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1313 to the Committee on Finance. The motion passed on a vote of 8-5.
SECONDED:Melton
VOTE
Becker J.
No
Buck
Yes
Carver
No
Coram
No
Esgar
Yes
Kraft-Tharp
Yes
Melton
Yes
Moreno
Yes
Neville P.
No
Nordberg
No
Winter
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Tyler
Yes
Final YES: 8 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS