House Committee on Business Affairs and Labor (04/24/2009)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND LABOR

Date:	04/24/2009	ATTENDANCE

Time:	01:16 PM to 01:38 PM	Balmer	X
		Bradford	X
Place:	HCR 0112	Gagliardi	*
		Liston	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Priola	*
	Representative Rice	Ryden	*
		Scanlan	X
This Report was prepared by		Soper	X
	Christie Lee	Stephens	X
		Casso	X
		Rice	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
HB09-1363 HB09-1358		Amended, Referred to the Committee of the Whole Postponed Indefinitely

01:16 PM -- House Bill 09-1363

Representative Ferrandino, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1363 concerning the authority for the Unemployment Compensation Section of the Division of Employment and Training in the Department of Labor and Employment to operate as an enterprise for purposes of Section 20 of Article X of the State Constitution. This bill establishes the Unemployment Compensation Section in the Department of Labor and Employment as an enterprise as long as the section retains authority to issue revenue bonds and receives less than 10 percent of its total annual revenue from state and local grants. As an enterprise, revenue collected by the section will not be subject to Section 20 of Article X (TABOR) of the state constitution. Employers are required to pay premiums, premium surcharges, and a solvency surcharge, when applicable, instead of taxes, to fund the unemployment compensation benefit system. Representative Ferrandino distributed a chart that shows the percent change in trust fund revenues since 1995 (Attachment A).

01:21 PM

Wayne Peel, Chief Financial Officer, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, testified in support of the bill. He said the bill will ensure that the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UI Fund) will not interact with the state's General Fund. He explained that the bill does not change the current requirement that the moneys in the UI Fund can only be used for unemployment insurance benefits. Mr. Peel responded to questions from the committee and was asked to explain the bonding authority specified in the bill. Mr. Peel explained that the department already has that power. He also explained amendment L.001 (Attachment B).

01:26 PM -- Kathy White, representing the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, testified in support of the bill and said that Mr. Peel had covered the points she wanted to make.

01:26 PM -- Rich Jones, representing the Bell Policy Center, testified in support of the bill and said that Mr. Peel had covered the points he wanted to make.


BILL:	HB09-1363
TIME:	01:27:44 PM
MOVED:	Casso
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.001 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Soper
		VOTE
	Balmer
	Bradford
	Gagliardi
	Liston
	Priola
	Ryden
	Scanlan
	Soper
	Stephens
	Casso
	Rice

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB09-1363
TIME:	01:30:07 PM
MOVED:	Soper
MOTION:	Moved to refer House Bill 09-1363, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed 6-5.
SECONDED:	Gagliardi
		VOTE
	Balmer	No
	Bradford	No
	Gagliardi	Yes
	Liston	No
	Priola	No
	Ryden	Yes
	Scanlan	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stephens	No
	Casso	Yes
	Rice	Yes

Final YES: 6 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:31 PM -- House Bill 09-1358

Representative Rice, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 09-1358 concerning the creation of a health care authority to develop and administer a health care system for Colorado. The bill establishes the Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act and the Colorado Health Care Authority. The authority is a statutory public entity, and is governed by a 17-member board of directors. It is considered a political subdivision of the state, but is not an agency of state government or subject to direction by any state agency. The authority is to recommend to the General Assembly and implement a health care system that includes the following elements:

an individual mandate for coverage and an enforcement mechanism;
recommendations concerning the impact of incorporating medical portions of liability

insurance, workers' compensation, and auto insurance;

use of information technology including personal health records, administration and

evidence-based practices;

a financing system that includes coordination with existing federal, state, and private health

care funding as well as vouchers issued on an income-based sliding scale; and

other issues the board deems necessary to design and implement a new health care system.

The board is required to annually report on its progress to the Health and Human Services Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives and to the Governor. The bill also specifies that prior to implementation of a new health care system, approval must be received from General Assembly.

01:31 PM

Representative Rice asked the committee to postpone the bill indefinitely and explained that the bill would have created a group to develop and administer a health care system for Colorado. He said that he has spoken with the interested parties, who have agreed to come together and discuss health care this interim, and therefore the bill is not necessary at this time.


BILL:	HB09-1358
TIME:	01:32:40 PM
MOVED:	Rice
MOTION:	Moved to postpone House Bill 09-1358 indefinitely. The motion passed 11-0.
SECONDED:	Ryden
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Bradford	Yes
	Gagliardi	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Ryden	Yes
	Scanlan	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stephens	Yes
	Casso	Yes
	Rice	Yes

Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:38 PM

The committee adjourned.