Date: 03/09/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1250

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Moved amendment L.002 (Attachment B). The motion
Moved to refer House Bill 09-1250, as amended, to 		Pass Without Objection
PASS



01:53 PM -- House Bill 09-1250

Representative Merrifield, sponsor of House Bill 09-1250, concerning the allocation of the federal national forestry land moneys, reviewed the previous committee work on the bill (see committee summary dated February 23, 2009, for information on previous committee discussion and testimony). He also shared information from an October 2008 memorandum from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) concerning changes to federal funding, which Representative Merrifield noted was sent from the department to the affected counties, but not to the affected school districts. Representative Merrifield stated that with the new influx of federal dollars passed in the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) , there is sufficient money to increase the percentage of money that goes to schools . He noted that there is an amendment to phase in funding in the "B" counties. He stated he believes the bill creates a fair split of the federal funding.


02:03 PM

The following people testified on the bill:


02:03 PM -- Jarrod Biggs, representing the Department of Local Affairs, provided information to the committee on the federal payment in lieu of taxes program (PILT) and federal Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program (Attachment A). He shared the difference between PILT, SRS, and the effect it has on option "A" and option "B" counties.

090309AttachA.pdf


02:11 PM

The committee asked Mr. Biggs questions regarding his handout to committee members, and asked for further clarification between the two federal programs.


02:11 PM -- Bruce Caughey, representing the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE), testified in support of the bill because it aligns Colorado's SRS spending with other states.


02:13 PM -- Charlie Warren, representing Moffat Consolidated School District, testified in support of the bill because he believes it will assist the school with matching funds for capital construction projects.


02:16 PM -- Chris Mendez, representing Colorado Counties Incorporated (CCI), testified against the bill, and discussed the complexity of the PILT-SRS formula does not fit well with the object of the bill.


BILL:HB09-1250
TIME: 02:17:37 PM
MOVED:Merrifield
MOTION:Moved amendment L.002 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Benefield
VOTE
Baumgardner
Benefield
Massey
Excused
Middleton
Murray
Peniston
Priola
Scanlan
Schafer S.
Summers
Excused
Todd
Solano
Merrifield
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection

090309AttachB.pdf

02:18 PM

Representative Peniston asked Representative Merrifield why he did not offer the other amendment which would have phased in the funding change over time. Representative Merrifield replied that he did not think it was necessary, but that if it would make Representative Peniston more comfortable with the bill, they could work on it for second reading.

BILL:HB09-1250
TIME: 02:21:13 PM
MOVED:Merrifield
MOTION:Moved to refer House Bill 09-1250, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a 8-3-2 vote.
SECONDED:Todd
VOTE
Baumgardner
No
Benefield
Yes
Massey
Excused
Middleton
Yes
Murray
No
Peniston
Yes
Priola
No
Scanlan
Yes
Schafer S.
Yes
Summers
Excused
Todd
Yes
Solano
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Final YES: 8 NO: 3 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS