First Regular Session

Sixty-first General Assembly

LLS NO. 97­0593.01 GWF HOUSE BILL 97­1252

STATE OF COLORADO

BY REPRESENTATIVES Tool, Adkins, Dean, Kaufman, Pfiffner, Allen, and Morrison.

ENGROSSED

FINANCE

A BILL FOR AN ACT

CONCERNING THE PARTICIPATION OF LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET HEARINGS FOR DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT HELD BY THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE.

Bill Summary

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not necessarily reflect any amendments which may be subsequently adopted.)

Provides that members and members­elect of each house and senate committee of reference shall attend, for up to a specified number of days each year, the budget hearings held by the joint budget committee for departments that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of such committee of reference. Allows committees to participate and make recommendations to the joint budget committee. Specifies that members shall be entitled to per diem compensation and reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses for attending such budget hearings.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  Part 2 of article 3 of title 2, Colorado Revised Statutes, 1980 Repl. Vol., as amended, is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION to read:

2­3­208.  Committees of reference participation in budget hearings. (1)  EACH HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE MAY ATTEND IN THE AGGREGATE, FOR UP TO TWO DAYS EACH YEAR, THE ANNUAL BUDGET HEARINGS HELD BY THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE BUDGET REQUESTS OF ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF SUCH COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE. MEMBERS OF COMMITTEES OF REFERENCE AND MEMBERS­ELECT WHO HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED FOR APPOINTMENT TO COMMITTEES OF REFERENCE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH HEARINGS AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE CONCERNING THE BUDGET REQUESTS REVIEWED AT SUCH HEARINGS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF COMMITTEES OF REFERENCE SHALL BE AS SET FORTH IN THE JOINT RULES OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(2)  MEMBERS WHO ATTEND A BUDGET HEARING PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (1) OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENTITLED TO PER DIEM COMPENSATION, IN AN AMOUNT ESTABLISHED BIANNUALLY BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND REIMBURSEMENT OF ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSES FROM THE LEGISLATIVE BUDGET AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR MEMBERS OF INTERIM COMMITTEES AS AUTHORIZED BY LAW.

(3)  BY SEPTEMBER 1, 1997, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHALL DETERMINE WHETHER SUFFICIENT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN THE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE 1997­98 FISCAL YEAR TO PAY FOR THE ADDITIONAL PER DIEM AND ACTUAL AND NECESSARY EXPENSE COSTS INCURRED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHALL ALSO IDENTIFY IN SUCH PLAN ANY PERMANENT SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR SUCH COSTS. AMONG THE OPTIONS CONSIDERED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO FUND THIS SECTION FOR THE 1997­98 FISCAL YEAR, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MAY CONSIDER REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DAYS OF SPECIAL SESSION BUDGETED WITHIN THE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION FROM TWENTY DAYS TO SIXTEEN DAYS. THE PLAN ADOPTED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHALL NOT MAKE AVAILABLE MORE THAN FIFTY THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED SIXTY­TWO DOLLARS FOR THE FUNDING OF COSTS INCURRED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION FOR THE 1997­98 FISCAL YEAR. UPON A DETERMINATION THAT SUFFICIENT FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE WITHIN BUDGET LINE ITEMS IN THE LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR THE 1997­98 FISCAL YEAR, SUCH PLAN SHALL BE IMPLEMENTED BY A BUDGET AMENDMENT ADOPTED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR SUCH FISCAL YEAR.

SECTION 2.  No appropriation. The general assembly has determined that this act can be implemented within existing appropriations, and therefore no separate appropriation of state moneys is necessary to carry out the purposes of this act.

SECTION 3. Effective date. This act shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety­day period after final adjournment of the general assembly that is allowed for submitting a referendum petition pursuant to article V, section 1 (3) of the state constitution; except that, if a referendum petition is filed against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part, if approved by the people, shall take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by proclamation of the governor.