H_FIN_2016A 02/17/2016 01:31:00 PM Committee Summary

Representative Court, chair, called the meeting to order. A quorum was present.



01:31 PM -- HB16-1037



Representative Windholz, prime sponsor, introduced House Bill 16-1037. The bill, as recommended by the Vocational Rehabilitation Services for the Blind Interim Study Committee, creates two income tax credits for taxpayers who hire persons with developmental disabilities and persons who are blind or visually-impaired who are referred for employment by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). The bill includes a tax credit for employee wages equal to 50 percent of the gross wages of a qualifying employee for the first three months of employment and 30 percent of the gross wages of a qualifying employee in the next nine months of continuous employment. The bill also includes a tax credit for software and hardware costs equal to the share of the cost of the purchase, maintenance, repair, or upgrade of software or hardware that assists a qualifying employee in performing his or her job.



01:47 PM -- Kate Watkins, Legislative Council Staff, came to the table to discuss the changes to the fiscal note with a possible amendment.



01:51 PM -- Mr. Phil Ross, representing himself, came to the table in support of the bill. He responded to several questions from the committee regarding a possible amendment and wages for employees with disabilities.



02:01 PM -- Ms. Heidi Haines, representing Arc of Colorado, came to the table in support of the bill.





02:15 PM



The committee recessed.











02:21 PM



The committee came back to order.



02:21 PM -- Mr. Dan Burke, representing the National Federation of the Blind Colorado Chapter, came to the table in support of the bill.



02:33 PM -- Ms. Esther van Mourik, Office of Legislative Legal Services, came to the table to answer committee questions regarding the bill and a possible amendment.





02:38 PM



Committee discussion ensued regarding employees who are visually-impaired and blind and minimum wage laws. Representative Windholz distributed amendment L.003 (Attachment A) to the committee.



16HouseFin0217AttachA.pdf

03:06 PM -- HB16-1006



Representatives Becker, K. and Garnett, co-prime sponsors, introduced House Bill 16-1006. Under current law, a housing authority is exempt from any taxes or fees payable to the state, any subdivision thereof, and all levels of local government. All property owned or leased to an authority for a project that benefits low-income households is exempt from taxation, as is the income derived from the authority by the lessor. The bill clarifies that this exemption applies to property owned by or leased to any subsidiary of a housing authority. Representative Garnett distributed strike-below amendment L.003 (Attachment B). Committee discussion ensued regarding the differences between an earlier version of the amendment and amendment L.003.



16HouseFin0217AttachB.pdf



03:11 PM -- Mr. Greg Sobetski, Legislative Council Staff, came to the table to discuss the fiscal note and the fiscal impact of amendment L.003.



03:14 PM -- Mr. Jason Gelender, Office of Legislative Legal Services, came to the table to discuss the differences between an earlier version of the amendment and amendment L.003.



03:15 PM -- Former Senator Penfield Tate, representing Kutak Rock on behalf of several housing authorities, came to the table in support of the bill and amendment L.003. He stated that he was the original sponsor of the legislation that created the current statute that this bill and that amendment L.003 seeks to clarify. He noted he was authorized to state that the Colorado Municipal League, Colorado Counties Incorporated, the County of Boulder, and the Boulder County Housing Authority are in support of the bill as amended with L.003.



03:27 PM -- Mr. Sobetski returned to the table to discuss the fiscal note and the bill's impact on school finance. Committee discussion ensued.



03:42 PM -- Ms. Jerilynn Martinez, representing the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, came to the table in support of the bill.



03:47 PM -- Mr. Sam Betters, representing the Loveland Housing Authority, came to the table in support of the bill.

03:59 PM



The committee recessed.





04:02 PM



The committee came back to order.

04:09 PM



The committee adjourned.