Date: 02/21/2006

Final
HB06-1082

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Moved prepared amendment L.001 (Attachment E). Th
Moved to Postpone Indefinitely House Bill 06-1082.		Pass Without Objection
PASS

01:19 PM -- House Bill 06-1082

Representative Stengel provided an overview of House Bill 06-1082, concerning actions against the employer of an unauthorized alien for the tortious conduct of the unauthorized alien employee.


02:02 PM -- House Bill 06-1082

The following people testified regarding House Bill 06-1082:

02:03 PM -- Mr. Ken Sanchez, representing himself, testified in favor of House Bill 06-1082. Mr. Sanchez discussed the competitive disadvantages facing businesses who employ only documented workers.

02:06 PM -- Ms. Jody Randall, representing herself and her family, testified in opposition to House Bill 06-1082. Ms. Randall explained the hiring practices of her family's business, as well as other small businesses. Ms. Randall responded to questions regarding the usual duration of employment for temporary employees and current available employee verification processes. A discussion ensued regarding the I-9 employment verification document. Ms. Randall responded to questions regarding a potential amendment to the bill that would narrow the scope of employees to which the bill applies. Further discussion ensued regarding methods by which employers verify the residency of employees.

02:20 PM -- Mr. Chuck Berry, representing the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Berry discussed the history of tort law with regard to employers and employees, and mentioned a recent Colorado Supreme Court decision on the subject. Mr. Berry spoke about the negative impact the bill would have on businesses, and discussed a potential amendment aimed at narrowing the scope of employers covered by the bill.

02:23 PM -- Ms. Minsun Ji, representing Centro Humanitario, testified in opposition to House Bill 06-1082. Ms. Ji discussed tort doctrine and the potential impact of the bill on Colorado businesses and temporary laborers. Ms. Ji explained her organization's policy regarding identifying day laborers and the central mission of the organization. A brief discussion ensued regarding the role of race in the general immigration discussion. Discussion followed regarding the day-to-day functioning of Centro Humanitario. Ms. Ji responded to questions regarding the organization's funding sources, clients, and history.

02:45 PM -- Mr. Natividad Garcia, representing Centro Humanitario, testified in opposition to House Bill 06-1082.

02:47 PM -- Mr. Jeff Weist, representing the Colorado Civil Justice League, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Weist discussed the potential negative impact of the bill on Colorado businesses, as well as the bill's deficiencies. Mr. Weist also discussed a recent Supreme Court decision limiting employer liability.


07:35 PM -- House Bill 06-1082

Representative Stengel provided further explanation and commentary in support of House Bill 06-1082. Representative Stengel explained prepared amendment L.001 (Attachment E), which sought to narrow the scope of employees addressed by the bill. Discussion ensued regarding the regulation of the "day labor" pool. Representative Stengel responded to questions regarding the ability to track the recent employment history of day laborers. Representative Stengel then responded to questions regarding the ability to target people who introduce potential day laborers into the United States and litigation that may be spawned as a result of the passage of the bill. Discussion followed regarding an employer's ability to accurately verify an employee's citizenship status.


07:49 PM

Representative Weissmann moved prepared amendment L.001.


BILL:HB 06-1082
TIME: 07:49:54 PM
MOVED:Weissmann
MOTION:Moved prepared amendment L.001 (Attachment E). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Crane
VOTE
Cadman
Carroll T.
Coleman
Crane
Gallegos
Liston
Lundberg
Schultheis
Todd
Ragsdale
Weissmann
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:HB 06-1082
TIME: 07:50:18 PM
MOVED:Coleman
MOTION:Moved to Postpone Indefinitely House Bill 06-1082. The motion passed on a 6-5 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Carroll T.
VOTE
Cadman
No
Carroll T.
Yes
Coleman
Yes
Crane
No
Gallegos
Yes
Liston
No
Lundberg
No
Schultheis
No
Todd
Yes
Ragsdale
Yes
Weissmann
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS