Date: 01/13/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1031

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Moved a conceptual amendment to amendment L. 001:
Moved amendment L.001(Attachment B). Representati		Pass Without Objection
Pass Without Objection



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

090113AttachB.pdf

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.