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S_SA_2016A 05/09/2016 12:19:41 PM Committee Summary

Final

STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING



SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Date: 05/09/2016
ATTENDANCE
Time: 12:19 PM to 02:59 PM
Hill
*
Jones
X
Place: SCR 356
Ulibarri
*
Sonnenberg
X
This Meeting was called to order by
Scott
X
Senator Scott
This Report was prepared by
Vanessa Conway
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
HB16-1461

HB16-1462

HB16-1016

HB16-1458

HB16-1459

HB16-1216

HB16-1464

HB16-1466
Postponed Indefinitely

Referred to the Committee of the Whole - Consent Calendar

Postponed Indefinitely

Referred to Appropriations

Referred to the Committee of the Whole - Consent Calendar

Postponed Indefinitely

Postponed Indefinitely

Referred to Appropriations





12:20 PM -- HB16-1216



Senator Steadman presented House Bill 16-1216 to the committee. This bill amends statutes related to the authority and administration of the Independent Ethics Commission (IEC). Specifically, the bill requires the IEC to employ or retain independent legal counsel and clarifies that the IEC is not required to adhere to advisory opinions issued by the Board of Ethics for the General Assembly. The bill also repeals the Board of Ethics for the Executive Branch and a provision of current law authorizing members of the General Assembly to accept payment of or reimbursement for travel and lodging expenses from any organization declared a joint governmental agency (currently the Council of State Governments, National Conference of State Legislatures, Energy Council, and American Legislative Exchange Council).



12:24 PM --
Russell Klein, representing the Colorado Attorney General's Office, testified in support of the bill.



12:26 PM --
Peg Perl, representing Colorado Ethics Watch, testified in support of the bill.



12:29 PM --
Dino Ioannides, representing the Independent Ethics Commission, answered questions from the committee.



12:32 PM --
Suzanne Staiert, Deputy Secretary of State, testified in support of the bill.



12:36 PM --
Elena Nunez, representing Colorado Common Cause, testified in support of the bill.

















12:38 PM



Senator Steadman wrapped up his presentation to the committee. The bill was laid over for action later in the meeting.





12:40 PM -- HB16-1458



Senator Sonnenberg presented House Bill 16-1458 to the committee. This bill appropriates $3.0 million from the Species Conservation Trust Fund for programs submitted by the Director of the Department of Natural Resources that are designed to conserve native species that have been listed as threatened or endangered under state or federal law, or are likely to become candidate species as determined by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The funds appropriated are available in FY 2016-17 and remain available for the designated purposes until they are fully expended.



The bill was laid over for action later in the meeting.





12:44 PM -- HB16-1016





Senator Kerr presented House Bill 16-1016 to the committee. This bill, as amended in the House Education Committee, creates the Student Academic Growth Measures Grant program in the Colorado Department of Education to assist local education providers (LEPs, i.e. school districts, charter schools, Boards of Cooperative Educational Services) to develop and apply multiple measures of student academic growth. Grants will be used by LEPs to develop multiple ways to measure student academic growth that supplement summative statewide assessments, and to make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly on ways to include multiple measures of student academic growth as performance indicators in the state's public education accountability system.



The bill was laid over for action later in the meeting.





12:50 PM -- HB16-1462



Senators Jahn and Guzman presented House Bill 16-1462 to the committee. This bill, as amended by the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee, allows the Lieutenant Governor to serve as the state's Chief Operating Officer (COO) through the end of the current term of office, January 10, 2019. Acceptance or retention of an appointment as COO does not result in a forfeiture of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and is not to be deemed inconsistent with the duties of either role. If the Lieutenant Governor serves concurrently as the COO, he or she is to be paid a salary commensurate with the salary paid for the position of COO.



The bill was laid over for action later in the meeting.

























12:55 PM -- HB16-1459



Senator Sonnenberg presented House Bill 16-1459 to the committee. Under current law, higher education institutions may submit lists of capital construction projects anticipated to be commenced within the next two years using institutional cash funds, and costing more than $2 million, to the Capital Development Committee (CDC) for review and approval. Any project listed and reviewed by the CDC as part of an institution's two-year projection of cash need may commence without further legislative review, with certain exceptions related to borrowing. This bill, recommended by the CDC, increases the threshold for projects reviewed through two-year cash lists from $2 million to $10 million for everything but acquisitions, new construction, and projects financed using the state's credit rating.



The bill was laid over for action later in the meeting.





01:00 PM -- HB16-1461



Senator Johnston presented House Bill 16-1461 to the committee. Under current law, for a tenancy of between one and six months, either the tenant or landlord may terminate the tenancy with 7 days notice. The bill extends this notice to 28 days. In addition, for tenancies between one month and one year where there is no written agreement between the landlord and tenant, the bill requires that a landlord give a tenant 28 days notice of a rent increase.



01:01 PM --
Claire Levy, representing the Colorado Center on Law & Policy, testified in support of the bill and presented a handout (Attachment A).



16SenateState0509AttachA.pdf16SenateState0509AttachA.pdf



01:06 PM --
Jayla Sanchez Warren, Denver Regional Council of Governments, testified in support of the bill.



01:10 PM -- Ed Shackelford, representing the Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.















































01:14 PM



Senator Johnston wrapped up his presentation to the committee.

BILL: HB16-1461
TIME: 01:14:37 PM
MOVED: Ulibarri
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1461 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion failed on a vote of 2-3.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
No
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
No
Scott
No
YES: 2 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL




BILL: HB16-1461
TIME: 01:16:28 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Postpone House Bill 16-1461 indefinitely using a reversal of the previous roll call. There was no objection to the use of the reverse roll call, therefore, the bill was postponed indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 3-2.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
Yes
Jones
No
Ulibarri
No
Sonnenberg
Yes
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

























01:16 PM -- HB16-1462

BILL: HB16-1462
TIME: 01:17:37 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1462 to the Committee of the Whole, with a favorable recommendation that it be placed upon the consent calendar. The motion passed on a vote of 5-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
Yes
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 5 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





01:18 PM -- HB16-1016

BILL: HB16-1016
TIME: 01:18:51 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1016 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion failed on a vote of 2-3.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
No
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
No
Scott
No
YES: 2 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL
























BILL: HB16-1016
TIME: 01:19:17 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Postpone House Bill 16-1016 indefinitely using a reversal of the previous roll call. There was no objection to the use of the reverse roll call, therefore, the bill was postponed indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 3-2.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
Yes
Jones
No
Ulibarri
No
Sonnenberg
Yes
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





01:19 PM -- HB16-1458

BILL: HB16-1458
TIME: 01:20:11 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1458 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 5-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
Yes
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 5 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

































01:20 PM -- HB16-1459

BILL: HB16-1459
TIME: 01:21:13 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1459 to the Committee of the Whole, with a favorable recommendation that it be placed upon the consent calendar. The motion passed on a vote of 5-0.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
Yes
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
Yes
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 5 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





01:21 PM -- HB16-1216

BILL: HB16-1216
TIME: 01:22:16 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1216 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion failed on a vote of 2-3.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
No
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
No
Scott
No
YES: 2 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL
























BILL: HB16-1216
TIME: 01:22:51 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Postpone House Bill 16-1216 indefinitely using a reversal of the previous roll call. There was no objection to the use of the reverse roll call, therefore, the bill was postponed indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 3-2.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
Yes
Jones
No
Ulibarri
No
Sonnenberg
Yes
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





01:23 PM -- HB16-1466



Senator Ulibarri presented House Bill 16-1466 to the committee. In FY 2015-16, the bill transfers $40 million from the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund by June 30, 2016, to be used for affordable housing projects.



Of this amount, $30 million is transferred to the Housing Development Grant Fund. The funds must be used by the Division of Housing in the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) for new and existing programs to improve, preserve, or expand the supply of affordable housing, including rental assistance for households with low incomes. The State Housing Board must approve the allocation of funds within DOLA.



01:26 PM --
Claire Levy, representing the Colorado Center on Law & Policy, testified in favor of the bill and presented a handout (Attachment B).



16SenateState0509AttachB.pdf16SenateState0509AttachB.pdf



01:29 PM --
Jerilynn Martinez, representing Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, testified in support of the bill



01:34 PM --
Steska Fanchi, representing Habitat for Humanity, testified in support of the bill.



01:39 PM --
Kelli Fritts and Roberto Rey, representing AARP, testified in support of the bill.



01:41 PM --
Ted Leighty, representing Colorado Association of Realtors, testified in support of the bill.



















01:44 PM --
Lydia Waligorski, representing the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, testified in support of the bill.



01:47 PM --
Alison George, representing Colorado Division of Housing and the Department of Local Affairs, testified on the bill.



01:49 PM --
Charles Perry, representing Perry Rose LLC, testified in support of the bill.



01:55 PM --
Aaron Miripol, representing Housing Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



01:58 PM -- Ed Shackelford, representing the Senior Lobby, testified in support of the bill.



02:00 PM --
Meghan Dollar, representing Colorado Municipal League, testified in support of the bill.





02:02 PM



Senator Ulibarri wrapped up his presentation to the committee. The bill was laid over for action later in the meeting.





02:02 PM -- HB16-1464



Senator Martinez Humenik presented House Bill 16-1464 to the committee. This bill grants newspaper publishers, advertisers, and readers the right to pursue civil action against a person who steals newspapers or who interferes with newspaper distribution.



In any civil action brought under the bill,



• a prevailing plaintiff is entitled to actual damages;

• a prevailing publisher is entitled to a civil penalty of ten dollars for each newspaper obtained illegally; and

• the prevailing party is entitled to attorneys fees and costs.



02:09 PM --
Greg Romberg, representing the Colorado Press Association, testified in support of the bill.





02:13 PM



The committee recessed.





02:52 PM



The committee reconvened.
















BILL: HB16-1464
TIME: 02:53:15 PM
MOVED: Ulibarri
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1464 to the Committee of the Whole. The motion failed on a vote of 2-3.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
No
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
No
Scott
No
YES: 2 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL: HB16-1464
TIME: 02:55:13 PM
MOVED: Sonnenberg
MOTION: Postpone House Bill 16-1464 indefinitely using a reversal of the previous roll call. There was no objection to the use of the reverse roll call, therefore, the bill was postponed indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 3-2.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
Yes
Jones
No
Ulibarri
No
Sonnenberg
Yes
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS



































02:55 PM -- HB16-1466



Senator Ulibarri wrapped up his presentation to the committee.

BILL: HB16-1466
TIME: 02:56:07 PM
MOVED: Ulibarri
MOTION: Refer House Bill 16-1466 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 3-2.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Hill
No
Jones
Yes
Ulibarri
Yes
Sonnenberg
No
Scott
Yes
Final YES: 3 NO: 2 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS





02:59 PM



The committee adjourned.


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