Bill Summary for Bill Number HB09-1054

Date: 01/21/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB09-1054

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AFFAIRS AND LABOR

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Moved amendment L.001 (Attachment G). The motion Moved to refer House Bill 09-1054, as amended, to	Pass Without Objection PASS

01:36 PM

The committee was called back to order. All members were present, except Representative Gagliardi was still excused, and Represenative Scanlan was present after roll call.

01:33 PM -- House Bill 09-1054

Representative Looper, prime sponsor, presented House Bill 1054 concerning eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits for an individual who leaves employment to relocate to a new place of residence after the individual's active duty military spouse is killed in combat. During the 2008 session, House Bill 08-1180 was signed into law to extend unemployment insurance benefits to spouses of military personnel who are transferred as part of their military responsibilities. This bill further extends unemployment insurance benefits to the surviving working spouses of military personnel who live in Colorado, have a spouse who is stationed in Colorado and is killed in combat operations, and who relocates to a new place of residence from which it is impractical to commute to the same job.

01:36 PM

Representative Looper distributed a letter from the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce (Attachment E). She also introduced Bridgette Van Dusen and Tiffany Bader who both lost their spouses in the recent war in Iraq.

01:37 PM -- Bridgette Van Dusen, wife of CW3 Brian K. Van Dusen who was killed in Samarra, Iraq on May 9, 2003 while evading enemy fire during a mission to medically evacuate an Iraqi child that stepped on a land mine, testified in support of the bill and talked about her life as a military family member and wife (Attachment F). Ms. Van Dusen talked about her life after loosing her husband and the difficulty of providing for her children who were six and two years old at the time. She said she moved home to Kansas for three months for family support. Ms. Van Dusen explained that had the bill been in effect when her husband died, she could have taken more time to be with her family and her children would have been in a better situation deal with the loss of their father. Ms. Van Dusen talked about the importance of support. Representative Soper asked if she applied for unemployment insurance benefits. She said she was unaware that it was available. Representative Balmer asked whether the military system for helping surviving spouses was adequate. Ms. Van Dusen explained that her husband was the second name on the wall at Fort Carson and that at that time the military was not prepared to handle these situations at the time. She talked about the Casualty Officers she was assigned to and her experience with them; some good and some bad. She said she has been involved in improving the system since her husband's death.

01:50 PM

Representative Liston asked about the requirement that a unemployment insurance beneficiary look for a job. Chairman Rice stated that question would be better answered by the department who would testify later.

01:51 PM -- Tiffany Bader, wife of SSG Daniel Bader who was one of 16 soldiers killed in the downing of a helicopter in Nov. 2, 2003, testified in support of the bill. She said her daughter was 14 months old when he died. Ms. Bader talked about her employment with Albertsons she had since she was 16 prior to losing her husband. She said she became a manager at the age of 18 and become a state-wide trainer. She said she was on her way to corporate and had 17 years with the company. When her husband died, she gave up her management position and went to a part-time position and later left Albertsons. Ms. Bader explained that her daughter is 6 years old now and it is not an option to go back to her old job. Ms. Bader had a similar experience as the prior witness, her husband was number 12 on the wall at Fort Carson, and she said the military was not prepared to help her. She stated that if the bill were in effect at the time her husband died, it would have given her other options.

01:58 PM

There was a discussion about military protocol for surviving spouses and the changes that have been made since Ms. Van Dusen and Ms. Bader lost their husbands. Representative Balmer asked about her life insurance. Ms. Bader stated that half of it went to her daughter, and since her daughter was only 14 months old at the time her father died, she's had to pay alternate minimum tax on the money. A discussion ensued about the problems Ms. Bader has with her life insurance and how the committee could help talk with her congressional members.

02:05 PM -- Amber Nicodemus, the spouse of a survivor of repeat blast exposure resulting in head trauma, testified in support of the bill. She talked about her role in rehabilitating her husband and about those who have lost their spouse. Ms. Nicodemus said there have been 69 Colorado residents as of yesterday who have died in the war and said there will not be that many claims to the unemployment insurance fund if this bill passes.

02:11 PM -- Lorena Garcia, representing 9 to 5 National Association of Working Women, testified in support of the bill.

02:11 PM -- Jeff Clayton, legislative liaison of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, testified on the bill. Representative Liston asked about the job searching requirement for unemployment insurance benefits. Mr. Clayton explained that unemployment claimants must make five job contacts per week. There was a discussion about the number of job contacts and whether that can be changed. Mr. Clayton talked about Amendment L.001 (Attachment G).

02:21 PM -- Colonel Walter Paul, legislative liaison for the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, was asked by Representative Rice what the number of casualties in the National Guard has been in Colorado. Colonel Paul stated the National Guard has had three, one in Afghanistan, one in Kuwait ,and on recently in Iraq. Colonel Paul and Representative Looper responded to questions about other states that have removed the job search requirement and Colonel Paul said he would look into it. There was a discussion about extending the unemployment benefits to spouses who do not relocate. Representative Rice pointed out that the relocation requirement was in the title of the bill and it would have to be another bill.

02:29 PM

Representative Rice listed some possible amendments to the bill for second reading regarding waiving the job search requirement.


BILL:	HB09-1054
TIME:	02:31:25 PM
MOVED:	Balmer
MOTION:	Moved amendment L.001 (Attachment G). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:	Liston
		VOTE
	Balmer
	Bradford
	Gagliardi	Excused
	Liston
	Priola
	Ryden
	Scanlan
	Soper
	Stephens
	Casso
	Rice

Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:	HB09-1054
TIME:	02:31:53 PM
MOVED:	Balmer
MOTION:	Moved to refer House Bill 09-1054, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed 10-0.
SECONDED:	Priola
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Bradford	Yes
	Gagliardi	Excused
	Liston	Yes
	Priola	Yes
	Ryden	Yes
	Scanlan	Yes
	Soper	Yes
	Stephens	Yes
	Casso	Yes
	Rice	Yes

Final YES: 10 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

02:33 PM

Adjourned.