Bill Summary for Bill Number HB09-1041

Date: 03/10/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1041

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 09-1041 to the Committee of the W	PASS

02:38 PM

The committee reconvened.

02:38 PM -- House Bill 09-1041

Senator Gibbs, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1041. The bill allows a fire protection district board to charge a fee for extrication, rescue, or other services when assisting medical services. He explained that the bill addresses the costs of fire protection for fire districts. Senator Gibbs said the state currently has about 250 fire districts and these districts handle many other services other than fighting fires. He said the bill would allow fire protection districts to recover costs for services such as extraction and the bill will clarify ambiguity in the law.

02:41 PM -- Mr. Paul Cooke, representing the Colorado State Fire Chiefs' office, testified in support of the bill and distributed a summary (Attachment B). He stated that current law is ambiguous about fees for certain services for fire districts. He also said that an average fee is difficult to calculate in these cases. Mr. Cooke responded to questions from the committee about the fees and charges for different situations. He also responded to questions about how fees are accessed and services that are provided.

02:51 PM

Discussion continued about the fees and how the bill applies to services that fire protection districts provide. Representative Gerou, prime House sponsor, came to the table to discuss the bill. She explained that the bill will reimburse fire districts for costs when assisting medical services. She stated that fire protection districts provide services to individuals who do not live in those districts, which can cause economic hardship for the districts. Mr. Cooke also further explained that the bill clarifies the definition of emergency medical services.

02:55 PM

Senator Sandoval closed public testimony.


BILL:	HB09-1041
TIME:	02:56:39 PM
MOVED:	King K.
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 09-1041 to the Committee of the Whole, with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. The motion passed 6-0, with one excused.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Brophy	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Isgar	Yes
	King K.	Yes
	Scheffel	Yes
	Hudak	Excused
	Sandoval	Yes

Final YES: 6 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS