Bill Summary for Bill Number SB06-227

Date: 05/01/2006

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB06-227

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Adopt L.004 (Attachment H). The motion passed wi Adopt L.005 (Attachment I). The motion passed wit Adopt L.006 (Attachment J). The motion passed 7-6 Refer the bill, as amended, to the Committee on Ap	Pass Without Objection Pass Without Objection PASS PASS

04:24 PM -- Senate Bill 06-227

Representative Solano, sponsor, presented the bill requiring reporting by employers on health care coverage for employees. Amendments L.004, L.005, and L.006 and a Joint Budget Committee Staff memo was distributed to committee members (Attachments H, I, J, and K).

The following persons testified:

04:26 PM -- Robin Kniech, Front Range Economic Strategy Center, spoke in favor of the bill. She discussed benefits of knowing employment information for persons receiving public health care benefits.

04:33 PM -- Donnah Moody, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry and National Federation of Independent Businesses, spoke in opposition to the bill. She stated some of the reporting requirements in the bill include proprietary information. She also indicated the bill does not address the issue of the uninsured. Committee members posed questions to Ms. Moody regarding employers' role in addressing the uninsured issue.

04:45 PM -- Chris Howes, Colorado Retail Council, spoke in opposition to the bill. He stated that not all of his members' employees want or need health insurance. He stated the bill does not make health insurance more affordable. He suggested requiring the state government to report the data currently required of private sector employers in the bill.

04:47 PM -- Travis Berry, Colorado Competitive Council, spoke in opposition to the bill. He stated most insured persons get insurance coverage through their employers. This despite there being no requirement that employers do so. He answered questions about how the information required by the bill might be used by employers to their advantage. He stated his opinion that the bill's purpose is not to praise employers who provide health care coverage.


BILL:	SB06-227
TIME:	04:57:26 PM
MOVED:	Green
MOTION:	Adopt L.004 (Attachment H). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Frangas
		VOTE
	Berens
	Cloer
	Green
	Kerr A.
	Kerr J.
	Lundberg
	Riesberg
	Soper
	Stafford
	Sullivan
	Weissmann
	Frangas
	McGihon
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB06-227
TIME:	04:57:41 PM
MOVED:	Green
MOTION:	Adopt L.005 (Attachment I). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Weissmann
		VOTE
	Berens
	Cloer
	Green
	Kerr A.
	Kerr J.
	Lundberg
	Riesberg
	Soper
	Stafford
	Sullivan
	Weissmann
	Frangas
	McGihon
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	SB06-227
TIME:	04:57:54 PM
MOVED:	Weissmann
MOTION:	Adopt L.006 (Attachment J). The motion passed 7-6.
SECONDED:	Green
		VOTE
	Berens	No
	Cloer	No
	Green	Yes
	Kerr A.	Yes
	Kerr J.	No
	Lundberg	No
	Riesberg	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stafford	No
	Sullivan	No
	Weissmann	Yes
	Frangas	Yes
	McGihon	Yes
Not Final YES: 7 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

04:58 PM

Committee members discussed the bill. Representative Solano answered questions about why she decided to exempt the public sector from the bill's reporting requirements.


BILL:	SB06-227
TIME:	05:05:11 PM
MOVED:	Frangas
MOTION:	Refer the bill, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The bill passed 7-6.
SECONDED:	Soper
		VOTE
	Berens	No
	Cloer	No
	Green	Yes
	Kerr A.	Yes
	Kerr J.	No
	Lundberg	No
	Riesberg	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stafford	No
	Sullivan	No
	Weissmann	Yes
	Frangas	Yes
	McGihon	Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS