Date: 03/11/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB09-165

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-165 to the CommitteePASS



11:34 AM -- Senate Bill 09-165

Representative C. Gardner and Representative Curry, prime sponsors, presented SB 09-165 concerning the funding of grants to small communities for water quality-related capital projects through allocation of a portion of revenues that would otherwise be credited to the Severance Tax Trust Fund. The bill caps annual income from the tax receipts to the Perpetual Base Account of the Severance Tax Trust Fund at $450 million. The bill then directs a transfer of up to $10 million each year from the Severance Tax Trust Fund to the newly created Small Communities Water and Wastewater Grant Fund. Additional revenue of about $60 million is credited to the Perpetual Base Account. The bill also expands the Grant Program for Drinking Water and Water Treatment Systems in the Department of Public Health and Environment. The sponsors answered questions from the committee.

11:52 AM

The committee continued to ask questions of the sponsors about the definition of small communities and what federal funding is available for water and waste water treatment.

The following individual testified:

11:55 AM -- Kevin Bommer, Colorado Municipal League, spoke in favor of the bill and distributed a booklet produced in October 2008 entitled, Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Challenges to Colorado Municipalities (available at the Colorado Municipal League web pate: http://www.cml.org/pdf_files/water_funding.pdf). He described how federal revolving loan funds are administered and why money is needed for projects in small communities. He described how this bill funds an existing grant program that was last funded in Governor Owen's administration and explained that the program needs a dedicated fund. Mr. Bommer discussed the water treatment needs of small communities. He ended by saying that Colorado Counties, Inc. and the Colorado Contractors Association both support this bill.
BILL:SB09-165
TIME: 12:08:34 PM
MOVED:Curry
MOTION:Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-165 to the Committee of the Whole.
Committee members discussed their positions on the bill.
The motion passed on a 9-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Gardner C.
VOTE
Gardner C.
Yes
Hullinghorst
Yes
Labuda
Yes
Looper
Yes
McKinley
Excused
McNulty
Excused
Pace
Excused
Solano
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
Tipton
Excused
Vigil
Yes
Fischer
Yes
Curry
Yes
Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 4 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS