House Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources (01/13/2009)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Date:	01/13/2009	ATTENDANCE

Time:	09:32 AM to 10:56 AM	Gardner C.	X
		Hullinghorst	X
Place:	HCR 0107	Labuda	X
		Looper	X
This Meeting was called to order by		McKinley	X
	Representative Curry	McNulty	X
		Pace	X
This Report was prepared by		Solano	X
	Lauren Ris	Sonnenberg	X
		Tipton	X
		Vigil	X
		Fischer	X
		Curry	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
General Committee Information and Welcome HB09-1031 House Sponsors for Sunset Laws		- Amended, Laid Over -

09:33 AM -- General Committee Information and Welcome

The committee was called to order by the chair, Representative Curry. Representative Curry welcomed members to the first meeting of the House Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources and went through logistical information including meeting times, procedures and the committee's departmental oversight responsibilities (Attachment A). Representative McNulty asked whether the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) should be assigned for committee review and if not whether CDPHE could still provide a report to the committee. Representative Curry said that she will talk with House leadership about having the committee assigned oversight responsibilities for CDPHE's environment sections.

09:42 AM -- House Bill 09-1031

Representative King, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1031 concerning the Emergency Fire Fund. The bill, recommended by the Interim Committee on Wildlife Issues in Wild Land-Urban Interface Areas, requires an annual appropriation from the General Fund to the Colorado State Forest Service to be dispersed to the Emergency Fire Fund set up and managed by counties and the Denver Water Board. The annual appropriation is to be equal to the amount of voluntary contributions provided by counties and the Denver Water Board to the Emergency Fire Fund during the prior fiscal year. Representative King answered questions from the committee.

The following individuals testified on the bill:

09:59 AM -- Dave Parmley, Fire Chief of Lake Dillion Fire Protection District and Past President of the Colorado State Fire Chiefs Association, testified in favor of the bill. He explained his involvement with the Emergency Fire Fund. He testified that he has nearly 30 years of fire service experience, which includes sitting on the Emergency Fire Fund Committee. Mr. Parmley explained the role of the Emergency Fire Fund Committee in determining which fires are eligible to receive funding. Mr. Parmley also explained that the Emergency Fire Fund has been heavily utilized in past years, and that in some years, a single fire has depleted the fund. Mr. Parmley testified that each year that the Emergency Fire Fund has been depleted, but the Governor has supplemented the fund through executive order. However, he said that the Governor is not required to supplement the fund and that additional, secure funding was needed. He answered questions from the committee concerning the history of the Emergency Fire Fund Committee, how the committee assesses fires, which entities contribute to the Emergency Fire Fund, what the state representation on the Emergency Fire Fund Committee is, and whether there are other wildfire fighting funding sources.

10:17 AM -- Doug Kemper, Executive Director of the Colorado Water Congress, testified in favor of the bill. He said that the Colorado Water Congress voted unanimously in support of the bill. He explained that the Colorado Water Congress feels that this bill is important for watershed protection and water quality issues.

10:21 AM -- Peg Ackerman, representing the County Sheriffs of Colorado, testified in favor of the bill. She testified that the County Sheriffs of Colorado voted unanimously to support this bill.

10:25 AM

Representative King took additional questions from the committee about which counties contribute to the Emergency Fire Fund and which counties that have access to the funding.

10:27 AM

Representative Curry closed testimony. The committee asked Representative King additional questions concerning potential amendments.

10:30 AM

Jason Gelender, Office of Legislative and Legal Services, answered questions from the committee about the how the fund was established.


BILL:	HB09-1031
TIME:	10:36:51 AM
MOVED:	McNulty
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.001(Attachment B). Representative McNulty offered an amendment to L.001 (see vote sheet below.) Amendment L.001, as amended, passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Gardner C.
		VOTE
	Gardner C.
	Hullinghorst
	Labuda
	Looper
	McKinley
	McNulty
	Pace
	Solano
	Sonnenberg
	Tipton
	Vigil
	Fischer
	Curry
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB09-1031
TIME:	10:40:55 AM
MOVED:	McNulty
MOTION:	Moved a conceptual amendment to amendment L. 001: Line 7, strike "BOARD;" and substitute "BOARD AND MAY ALSO RECEIVE VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER ENTITIES." The amendment passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Gardner C.
		VOTE
	Gardner C.
	Hullinghorst
	Labuda
	Looper
	McKinley
	McNulty
	Pace
	Solano
	Sonnenberg
	Tipton
	Vigil
	Fischer
	Curry
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

10:47 AM

Representative Curry laid the bill over until January 14, 2009, at 1:30 PM to take into account additional concerns raised by the committee. The committee will continue with amendments at that time.

10:48 AM -- House Sponsors for Sunset Bills

Representative Curry asked for House sponsors for sunset bills currently in the Senate. Committee members asked for summaries of the laws.

10:49 AM

Danny Tomlinson, representing the Department of Agriculture, briefly explained the sunset process. He added that the Senate held a Sunset Hearing on January 8, 2009, at 2:00 PM. Representative Curry listed all of the bills in need of a House sponsor. Mr. Tomlinson answered questions from the committee about the sunset bills. Committee members volunteered to sponsor the following sunset bills (not all bills have been assigned numbers at this time).

Representative Fischer will sponsor the Egg Law, Senate Bill 09-228.
Representative Sonnenberg will sponsor the Farm Products and Commodities Handlers Act, Senate Bill 09-218.
Representative Sonnenberg will sponsor the Measurement Standards Act, Senate Bill 09-219.
Representative Fischer will sponsor the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act and Advisory Committee.
Representative Curry will sponsor the Public Livestock Markets Licensure.
Representative Looper will to sponsor the Seed Act.
Representative Vigil will to sponsor Slaughter, Processing, and Sale of Meat Animals Act.
Representative Curry will sponsor the Colorado Slaughters Act, Senate Bill 09-210.

Representative Looper asked whether amendments that were offered in the Senate all passed. Mr. Tomlinson answered that some of the amendments suggested by the Senate Committee will be incorporated into the bills before they are introduced later in January, but that some of the amendments that were longer would be offered as committee amendments.

10:56 AM

The committee adjourned.