h_fin_2016a_2016-02-17t13:31:00z0 Hearing Summary

Date: 02/17/2016

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