House Committee on Finance (04/05/2006)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Date:	04/05/2006	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:38 PM to 02:28 PM	Benefield	X
		Cloer	X
Place:	HCR 0107	Crane	X
		Frangas	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Garcia	X
	Representative Vigil	Harvey	X
		Jahn	X
This Report was prepared by		Kerr	X
	Ron Kirk	Marshall	X
		Massey	X
		McCluskey	X
		Judd	X
		Vigil	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB06-1303 SB06-047		Amended, Laid Over Referred to Appropriations

01:39 PM -- House Bill 06-1303 - Concerning the County Environmental Hazard Remediation Fund and County Governments - (for action only)

(The following background information on House Bill 06-1303 was provided by Representative Plant during the February 22, 2006, meeting of the House Finance Committee.) As introduced, House Bill 06-1303 was recommended by the Joint Budget Committee and directs the State Treasurer to transfer $30 million on July 1, 2006, from the Hazardous Substance Response Fund to the newly-created County Environmental Hazard Remediation Fund. Money in the new fund would be allocated by the Department of Local Affairs to counties based on population. Representative Plant said that the bill requires the money to be used by counties to identify, clean-up, or remediate environmental hazards. The money in the Hazardous Substance Response Fund would be made available to counties for certain environmental purposes.

The committee discussed the use of funds by counties in the bill and the figures in the fiscal note. Representative Plant distributed amendment L.005 (Attachment A) and commented that it reduces the bill's fiscal impact and requires that only interest earnings on the money in the Hazardous Substance Response Fund be used by counties for waste management efforts.

Representative Frangas distributed amendment L.004 (Attachment B) to committee members and explained that it establishes a process that enables local governments to apply for grants or other forms of assistance to assist with the impacts associated with superfund sites in the state. The committee discussed amendment L.004 and current law as it applies to a local government's ability to obtain financial assistance to clean up superfund sites.

Representative Frangas moved amendment L.004. Prior to the committee vote, a substitute motion to adopt amendment L.005 was made, but it failed on a 8-5-0 vote. A subsequent motion to amend the legislative declaration in L.004 passed without objection by those members present before the final vote on amendment L.004 was taken. The concluding vote to adopt amendment L.004, as amended, was adopted on a 7-6-0 vote. Representative Vigil, Chairman, took the bill off the table.


BILL:	HB06-1303
TIME:	01:41:11 PM
MOVED:	Frangas
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.004. (The amendment reduces the fiscal impact of the bill and establishes a process that enables local governments to apply for grants or other forms of assistance to assist with the impacts associated with superfund sites in the state.) Prior to the committee vote, a substitute motion to adopt amendment L.005 was made, but it failed on a 8-5-0 vote. A subsequent motion to amend the legislative declaration in L.004 passed without objection by those members present before the final vote on amendment L.004 was taken. The concluding vote to adopt amendment L.004, as amended, was adopted on a 7-6-0 vote. Representative Vigil, Chairman, took the bill off the table.
SECONDED:	Judd
		VOTE
	Benefield	No
	Cloer	No
	Crane	No
	Frangas	Yes
	Garcia	No
	Harvey	Yes
	Jahn	Yes
	Kerr	No
	Marshall	Yes
	Massey	Yes
	McCluskey	Yes
	Judd	Yes
	Vigil	No
Not Final YES: 7 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:	HB06-1303
TIME:	01:45:10 PM
MOVED:	Garcia
MOTION:	Moved a substitute motion to adopt amendment L.005 (The amendment would require that only interest earnings on the money in the Hazardous Substance Response Fund be used by counties for waste management efforts.) The motion failed on a 8-5-0 vote.
SECONDED:	Cloer
		VOTE
	Benefield	Yes
	Cloer	No
	Crane	No
	Frangas	Yes
	Garcia	No
	Harvey	No
	Jahn	Yes
	Kerr	No
	Marshall	No
	Massey	No
	McCluskey	No
	Judd	Yes
	Vigil	Yes
Not Final YES: 5 NO: 8 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL:	HB06-1303
TIME:	01:58:44 PM
MOVED:	Harvey
MOTION:	Moved to amend the legislative declaration in L.004 as follows. Page 1, strike lines 5 through 9 and substitute the following: 25-16-106. Local requests to remediate superfund sites - legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly hereby declares that the federal government has not taken appropriate action, or provided necessary funding to assist in the remediation of existing superfund sites in the state. The motion passed without objection by those members present.
SECONDED:	Frangas
		VOTE
	Benefield
	Cloer
	Crane
	Frangas
	Garcia
	Harvey
	Jahn
	Kerr
	Marshall
	Massey
	McCluskey
	Judd
	Vigil
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

02:02 PM

Representative Vigil, Chairman, took the bill off the table.

02:03 PM -- Senate Bill 06-047 - Concerning the Provision of Health Care Services by Local Governmental Entities

Representative Riesberg, prime sponsor, explained the provisions of the bill. Representative Riesberg explained that the reengrossed version of the bill allows for the establishment of sales-tax-funded health assurance districts, with voter approval. Such districts are already authorized to impose a property tax to fund services, if approved by voters. The bill also allows a county to impose an additional sales tax to fund health care services, with voter approval, and exempts the new tax from the existing 6.91 percent limitation on county sales taxes.

The committee discussed the number of taxing jurisdictions in the state and the concerns regarding the addition of more taxing jurisdictions. Representative Riesberg pointed out that under current law, health assurance districts are already allowed to impose a property tax if approved by voters. The bill expands a district's ability to use sales taxes as a funding source.

The following persons testified:

02:20 PM -- Ms. Carrie Curtiss, Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, testified in support of the bill and commented that it allows for more local government control over the funding of health care services. Ms. Curtiss closed by saying the bill would allow districts in the bill to be formed statewide.

02:22 PM -- Ms. Cindy Sovine, Colorado Hospital Association, testified in support of the bill.

02:23 PM -- Mr. Chris Howes, Colorado Retail Council, testified in support of the measure.

After a brief committee discussion on provisions in the bill that pertain to voter elections, the bill was placed on the table for action.


BILL:	SB06-047
TIME:	02:27:14 PM
MOVED:	McCluskey
MOTION:	Refer Senate Bill 06-047 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a 9-4-0 vote.
SECONDED:	Judd
		VOTE
	Benefield	Yes
	Cloer	No
	Crane	No
	Frangas	Yes
	Garcia	Yes
	Harvey	No
	Jahn	Yes
	Kerr	Yes
	Marshall	Yes
	Massey	No
	McCluskey	Yes
	Judd	Yes
	Vigil	Yes
Final YES: 9 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:28 PM

The meeting adjourned.