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Rollie's BillsBefore we get to brief overviews of bills, please understand that you may read any state bill that's been introduced on the General Assembly Web site, www.leg.state.co.us. Just click "Bills" underneath the heading for House or Senate, and find the bill number. Also, the bills can seem a little bit complex at times, so here are a few hints for reading them:
Feel free to contact us if you have questions about the bills I sponsored, and here are some brief overviews of all of them. 2010 BILLS: SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 001: Constitutional Commission The concept for SCR-001 began during last summer's Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission, which I chaired. Rep. Mark Ferrandino is the House sponsor, and I am the Senate sponsor. If approved, SCR-001 would refer a ballot measure to voters in the 2010 election that would authorize the creation of appointed Constitutional Review Commissions (CRCs). The CRCs would convene every six years, study a broad topic within the Constitution and hold a series of public meetings throughout the state. The CRCs would then be authorized to propose a measure(s) on the next ballot that could amend our Constitution, and the General Assembly would need to approve the measure for inclusion on the ballot. 6/14/10: SCR-001 lost on a Senate third reading. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 002: Tax Study SJR-002 was also a product of the Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission, and it calls for Colorado to conduct a comprehensive tax study. Rep. Lois Court is the House sponsor, and I am the Senate sponsor. Colorado has not had such a study since 1958. SJR-002 would mandate that the University of Denver would complete a formal study of the stats's present tax system and report their findings in one year. Only private sector money would be used to fund the study. 6/14/10: SJR-002 has been signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 009: CU Anschutz Medical Campus Recognition SJR-009 recognizes the outstanding work being performed by the doctors, faculty, and students at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Reps. Dianne Primavera and Michael Merrifield are the House Sponsors, and I am the Senate sponsor. This joint resolution specifically points out the extraordinary job of the University of Colorado Cancer Center and its affiliated faculty and staff. At completion, the estimated economic impact of the Anschutz Medical Campus is $6 billion per year. For every dollar the state invests in the Anschutz Medical Campus, the campus puts $30 back into the state economy. The Anschutz Medical Campus is truly state of the art and the State of Colorado is fortunate to have it as a key component of our higher education system. 6/14/10: SJR-009 has been signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 013: Career and Technical Education Month SJR-013 called for the designation of February 2010 as Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month in Colorado. In short, CTE will be a vital part of our economy of the future, as our young adults gain training and degrees that will help them find gainful employment. According to SJR-013, more than 116,000 secondary students are enrolled in CTE courses, and the nearly 30,000 postsecondary students enrolled in CTE can choose from more than 700 programs. I was absolutely pleased to sponsor this resolution since career and technical education has long been a passion of mine. 6/14/10: SJR-013 has been signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 023: Community Health Centers SJR-023 called for the recognition of Colorado's Community Health Centers, which provide affordable health care for people of low income and people without health insurance. According to the resolution, entities under the banner of the Colorado Community Health Network provide primary care to more than 500,000 people - including 176,000 children - while about 3,000 Coloradans are employed in the various centers. I was proud to sponsor this resolution with Rep. Spencer Swalm, in part because the health centers improve the overall health of our state by making sure that people have access to physicians and to forms of preventative care. 6/14/10: SJR-023 has been signed by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. SENATE BILL 028: WorkShare Program SB-028 would establish the Colorado WorkShare Program. Rep. Sal Pace is the House sponsor with me on this bill. In response to the recent economic downturn, we drafted SB-028, which would allow payment of unemployment compensation benefits to eligible employees who have received a reduction in work hours. Companies would participate voluntarily in this program, and it could allow participating firms to share cuts in hours among employees as opposed to laying certain employees off completely. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed SB-028 into law on June 9, 2010. SENATE BILL 048: Commodity Metal Theft SB-048 is intended to add standards to the purchase of commodity scrap metals such as copper and aluminum by commodity recyclers. Rep. Claire Levy is the House sponsor, and I am the Senate sponsor. The State of Colorado has witnessed an increase in crime directly related to the theft of commodity metals, with the intent to sell the metals to recyclers. SB-048 would update our present laws regarding commodity metal sales with the intent of creating a deterrent for potential thieves. 6/14/10: SB-048 was postponed indefinitely in the House. SENATE BILL 077: Appraisal Management SB-077 concerns the regulation of appraisal management companies. Rep. Mark Ferrandino is the House sponsor, and I am the Senate sponsor. The bill would authorize the board of real estate appraisers in the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to regulate appraisal management companies. 6/14/10: SB-077 was postponed indefinitely. SENATE BILL 133: Credit for Rehiring Workers SB-133 would establish an income tax credit to incentivize businesses to rehire laid-off workers sooner. The worker must have worked for the business for at least a full year before being laid off, and must be retained by the business for at least a year after being rehired. Sen. Chris Romer and I will co-sponsor this bill in the Senate. 6/14/10: SB-133 was postponed indefinitely. SENATE BILL 138: Valuation Appeals SB-138 would require both the property owner and the Colorado county to be responsible for court costs in the case of an appeal of the valuation of the property for tax purposes. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed SB-138 into law on April 21, 2010. SENATE BILL 156: Mobile Homes SB-156 would add new legal protections for mobile home owners, along with new standards for mobile home park owners. It would increase the notice period for eviction unless the homeowner commits a substantial violation, and would increase the notice period for the park owner to notify tenants about intent to change the use of the park. It would also require park owners to ensure adequate water and sewer infrastructure. Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst is the House sponsor, and I am the Senate sponsor. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed SB-156 into law on June 5, 2010. SENATE BILL 162: Enterprise Zone Act Modifications SB-162 would increase population limitations for urban enterprise zones from the current 80,000 people to 115,000, and increase limitations for rural zones from 100,000 to 150,000. It would create a new precertification process for applicants, and require enterprise zone administrators to create a policy regarding their enterprise zone fees. Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst is the House sponsor, and I am the Senate sponsor. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed SB-162 into law on June 9, 2010. . SENATE BILL 216: Ballot Measure Order SB-216 would change the order by which initiatives and referendums are listed on state ballots. Currently, initiated amendment measures are listed first, followed by referred amendments, initated statutory measures and referred statutory measures. If SB-216 passes, the new order of referred amendments, initiated amendments, referred statutory measures and initiated statutory measures would start with the 2010 ballot. Rep. Lois Court is the House sponsor with me on this bill. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed SB-216 into law on June 10, 2010. HOUSE BILL 1071: Forest Service HB-1071 would eliminate the requirement that a person employed in a technical forestry capacity by the board of governors of the Colorado State University system possess at least two years' experience in forest practice. Rep. Jeanne Labuda is the House sponsor, and I am the Senate sponsor. 6/14/10: Gov. Bill Ritter signed HB-1071 into law on March 25, 2010. HOUSE BILL 1072: Budget Stabilization Fund HB-1072 is a product of the 2009 Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission. It would set longer-term standards for funding a Budget Stabilization Fund, also known as a rainy day fund. The availability of such a fund could help ease the impacts of future economic downturns. 6/14/10: HB-1072 has been postponed indefinitely. HOUSE BILL 1076: Tax Work-off Program HB-1076 would allow entities that have contracts with a governmental entity for a property tax work-off program to opt the participant in or out of the Workers' Compensation Act of Colorado and the Colorado Employment Security Act. Rep. Brian DelGrosso is the House sponsor and I am the Senate sponsor. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed HB-1076 into law on April 28, 2010. HOUSE BILL 1139: Special License Plates HB-1139 would authorize the creation of special license plates for veterans of the conflicts in Afghanistan or Iraq.A one-time fee of $25 for the plates would be credited to the Colorado State Veterans Trust Fund. Rep. Dennis Apuan is the House sponsor with me on this bill. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed HB-1139 into law on May 19, 2010. HOUSE BILLS 1189-1200: Tax Exemptions and Credits HBs 1189-1200 cover 12 current tax exemptions or credits that could be suspended to help shore up our budget shortfall. Three different House sponsors will carry their respective bills, and I am the prime Senate sponsor for all 12. HB-1189 (Rep. Jack Pommer, House sponsor): would eliminate the state sales and use tax exemption for cooperative direct mail advertising materials. 6/14/10: HB-1189 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1190 (Rep. Pommer): would suspend the tax exemption from the state sales and use tax for fuels used for industrial purposes. Currently, 35 other states tax energy used in industrial or manufacturing processes. This bill would suspend the exemption for energy used in manufacturing and industrial uses for two years and four months. 6/14/10: HB-1190 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1191 (Rep. Pommer): would suspend the sales tax exemption for candy and soft drinks. 6/14/10: HB 1191 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1192 (Rep. Pommer): would make standardized software subject to state sales and use taxes. 6/14/10: HB 1192 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1193 (Rep. Pommer): would require out of state online retailers to notify customers that they have made purchases that are subject to state use taxes. 6/14/10: HB 1193 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1194 (Rep. Mark Ferrandino): would narrow the existing exemptions for articles sold to sellers of items intended for human consumption that are not essential for food service. For example, sales of items such as cartons, bags or napkins would no longer be exempt under HB-1194. 6/14/10: HB 1194 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1195 (Rep. Ferrandino): would suspend the sales and use tax exemption for certain items used in agricultural production. 6/14/10: HB 1195 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1196 (Rep. Ferrandino): would remove the tax credit afforded to buyers of Category 7 motor vehicles, including alternative fuel vehicles. 6/14/10: HB 1196 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1197 (Rep. Ferrandino): would decrease the maximum amount of a state income tax credit that can be claimed for the donation of a conservation easement. 6/14/10: HB 1197 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on April 29, 2010. HB-1198 (Rep. Ferrandino): would suspend the credit against the state income tax of a portion of the credit allowed for payment of the alternative minimum tax. 6/14/10: HB 1198 was postponed indefinitely by the House Finance Committee on 1/29/10. HB-1199 (Rep. Ferrandino): would cap the amount that could be carried over on tax returns for a net operating loss at $250,000. 6/14/10: HB 1199 was signed into law by Governor Bill Ritter on 2/24/10. HB-1200 (Rep. Dickey Lee Hullinghorst): would temporarily require that taxpayers defer claiming any amount of an enterprise zone investment income tax credit that exceeds $250,000. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed HB-1200 into law on May 27, 2010. HOUSE BILL 1264: Cost Savings HB-1264 would make available to all state employees an "idea application" that would allow employees to make suggestions on how to reduce state expenses. The executive director of a given department would review the application in a timely fashion, and a projected savings calculation would be performed befor a decision is reached. Rep. Kevin Priola is the House sponsor and I am the Senate sponsor. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed HB-1264 into law on May 26, 2010. HOUSE BILL 1423: Petitions HB-1423 would remove a current requirement that initiative petition circulators must be residents of the State of Colorado. Rep. Lois Court is the House sponsor with me on this bill. 6/14/10: HB-1423 was introduced in the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committee but did not advance. HOUSE BILL 1424: Petition Deadlines HB-1424 would set the deadline for filing an initiative petition with the Secretary of State at three months prior to the election at which the initiative is to be voted on. The deadline is currently at three months and three weeks before the election. Rep. Lois Court is the House sponsor with me on this bill. 6/14/10: HB-1424 was introduced in the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committee but did not advance. HOUSE BILL 1427: University Employee Health Coverage HB-1427 would clarify that the governing board of any state institution of higher education, such as the CU Board of Regents, has the authority to offer its employees an insurance plan in addition to or in lieu of the plan offered by the state Department of Personnel. The employees of the institution of higher education must be in the state personnel system. Rep. Nancy Todd is the House sponsor with me on this bill. 6/14/10: Governor Bill Ritter signed HB-1427 into law on June 10, 2010. . HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION: 1004: Military Appreciation Day HJR-1004 was introduced and read on January 25, 2010 in recognition of all of the State's service men and women. The resolution was sponsored by Reps. Todd and Nikkel in the House. Senator Cadman and I sponsored this resolution in the Senate. 6/14/10: HJR-1004 has been signed by the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House. ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2009 BILLS: SENATE BILL 031: Clean Tech SB 031 was designed to help accelerate the process of moving renewable energy or energy efficiency developments that come out of Colorado research institutions to the marketplace. Rep. Jim Riesberg was the House sponsor, and I was the Senate sponsor. It's a multifaceted bill that will, in part, allow us to allocate money to provide grants for "clean tech" commercialization efforts. Departments of technology transfer at research institutions, such as CU-Boulder, will be able to qualify for grants of up to $50,000 per project. Early-stage businesses could qualify for grants of up to $150,000 per project. The state Office of Economic Development and International Trade may also choose to use money to fund partnerships between clean tech industries and state research institutions, including the Colorado Renewable Energy Authority. The Authority directs the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, a joint research effort between the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, Colorado School of Mines and National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). 6/4/09: Governor Bill Ritter signed SB-031 into law on May 4, 2009. SENATE BILL 067: Colorado Credit Reserve Program SB 067 has revived a Colorado Credit Reserve (CCR) program that has not existed since 2006. Reps. Don Marostica and Sara Gagliardi were the House sponsors, and I was the Senate sponsor. In today's unstable financial market, many businesses are finding it more difficult to obtain the access to financial capital that they need to grow or maintain their operations. The state Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) will contract with the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) to operate the CCR program, which has already expanded access to capital for Colorado businesses. Under SB-067, the state appropriated $2,500,000 from the General Fund for the CCR program in June 2009. Potential borrowers may apply for loans of up to $500,000, and the state estimates that its $2,500,000 allocation could be leveraged to generate more than $50 million in new loans. All loans will come from private institutions, but borrowers must remit a registration fee, to be matched by CCR funds, that will be held in an account with the lender. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed SB-067 into law on May 7, 2009.. SENATE BILL 076: Unemployment Technology Fund SB-076 will create a fund that could eventually be used to update Colorado's antiquated unemployment benefit information technology systems. Rep. Lois Court was the House sponsor, and I was the Senate sponsor. To build up the fund, we will reallocate 20 percent of money collected for an unemployment insurance surcharge from the unemployment Trust Fund to the technology fund. We anticipate that the new formula could yield $9 million per year for the technology fund, and the state could need roughly $75 million to put the new systems in place. We understand that it's quite uncertain how long the current recession will last, and that unemployment insurance claims could remain high for quite some time. So, we included a provision in SB-076 that allows the state to put the technology fund money back in the Trust Fund if the fund balance dips below $25 million. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed SB-076 into law on June 2, 2009. SENATE BILL 150: Liens SB-150 will give a perfected purchase-money lien priority over a conflicting lien in a motor vehicle, and priority in proceeds if the purchase-money loan is perfected within 20 days after the debtor receives possession of the vehicle. Rep. Don Marostica was the House sponsor, and I was the Senate sponsor. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed SB-150 into law on April 22, 2009. SENATE BILL 178: Job-attached Unemployment SB-178 will waive a requirement for people with job-attached unemployment status, which says they must register for work and report to an unemployment office. The requirement would be waived for up to 26 weeks. We believe SB-178 will help companies retain trained employees who might be temporarily out of work, but wish to return to the same job when work is available. Rep. Larry Liston was the House sponsor with me on this bill. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed SB-178 into law on May 18, 2009. SENATE BILL 234: Enterprise Zones Rep. Joe Rice was the House sponsor, and Sen. Shawn Mitchell was the other Senate sponsor with me on SB-234. The bill directed the state Economic Development Commission, with assistance from the state Office of Economic Development, to develop criteria for the establishment of enterprise zones. The commission could consider creating a statewide enterprise zone, or modifying existing zones. The commission could also consider the economic impacts of enterprise zone tax credits, such as whether certain industries would benefit, or if new companies might be attracted to do business in the state. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed SB-234 into law on June 1, 2009. SENATE BILL 248: Surety Requirements Rep. Frank McNulty was the House sponsor with me on SB-248. The bill amended existing statutes regarding contractor bonding. It allows contractors of public works contracts with a total value of $500 million or more to provide a letter of credit, or another form of acceptable surety, to the public entity that awarded the contract. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed SB-248 into law on May 18, 2009. SENATE BILL 285: Concurrent Enrollment Reps. Ken Summers and Judy Solano were the House sponsors with me on SB-285, a concurrent enrollment bill. SB-285 adds "career and technical education" programs to the types of higher education coursework that a student could enroll in while still in high school. We believe SB-285 will accelerate the process for young adults of becoming skilled members of the workforce. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed SB-285 into law on June 4, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1001: Job Growth Incentive Program Rep. Joe Rice was the House sponsor of HB-1001, which created a tax credit for certain companies that create 20 new jobs or more. I was the Senate sponsor, and both Rep. Rice and I were members of the Select Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth. HB-1001 was designed with job creation in mind, and we believe it will offer a solid incentive to companies willing to grow the work force in our state. It offers a tax credit to qualifying employers that create at least 20 jobs in Colorado, worth up to 50 percent of their Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) obligation on the new employees. Qualifications include that the employer would need to demonstrate that the project would not have occurred in Colorado without the tax credit. Also, the bill language says that the project should stimulate economic growth in sectors "including, but not limited to" aerospace, bioscience, life science, clean tech, tourism and information technology. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1001 into law on May 4, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1035: Sales and Use Tax Refunds for Certain Tech Companies Rep. Jim Riesberg was the House sponsor with me on HB-1035, which created sales and use tax refunds for tangible personal property used in clean tech or medical companies. We believe that the bill will create an incentive for Colorado entities to continue doing their business in this state. Only companies with less than 50 employees would be able to qualify for the refunds, and each company would have a limit of $50,000 in refunds per year. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1035 into law on June 1, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1052: Donation Bin Signs Rep. Mark Waller was the House sponsor with me on HB-1052. The bill requires for-profit entities, or individuals who sell donated goods for a profit, to make it known that they are selling the goods for a profit. The entities or individuals must clearly label collection bins, stating that the items will be sold for a profit and that they are not tax-deductible. 6/4/09: Gov. Bill Ritter signed HB-1052 into law on March 24, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1085: Mortgage Loan Originator Regulation Rep. Joe Rice was the House sponsor with me on HB-1085. The bill amended the state Mortgage Broker Licensing Act to conform to the federal Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2008. It's a 42-page bill, but it basically updated the standards that mortgage loan originators in Colorado must live up to. For example, they are now required to register with the nationwide mortgage licensing system. Applicants for a license are now required to submit fingerprints for a criminal background check, and licensees are now required to enroll in continuing education courses. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1085 into law on May 21, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1132: Use of Messaging Systems to Commit Unlawful Activity Reps. Carole Murray and Kevin Priola were the House co-sponsors with me on HB-1132. The bill added four new items - telephone networks, data networks, text messages and instant messages - to the list of devices or systems that a person will not be legally able to use in the transmission of certain forms of sexual crime. It was already illegal to commit the crimes of Internet luring of a child, computer dissemination of indecent material to a child, Internet exploitation of a child, and harassment by "computer, computer network or computer system." The only thing that HB-1132 did was to add the four items in the first paragraph to the list of prohibited tools that could be used to commit the crimes, and HB-1132 has helped us update our system of protecting children from digital predators. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1132 into law on June 1, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1151: School Building Inspections Rep. Nancy Todd was the House sponsor with me on HB-1151. The bill put the Department of Public Safety in charge of school building code inspections, as opposed to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Inspections were handled by both the DOLE and the Division of Fire Safety, but under HB-1151, the duties will now be carried out by a newly created Public School and Inspection Section within the Division of Fire Safety. We believe this change will streamline the process, decreasing the administrative burden on the state and on school districts. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1151 into law on May 4, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1295: Metro State Masters Reps. Nancy Todd and Tom Massey were the House sponsors with me on HB-1295. The bill simply authorizes Metropolitan State College of Denver to offer master's degree programs. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1295 into law on May 4, 2009.. HOUSE BILL 1310: Employee Misclassification Rep. Claire Levy was the House sponsor with me on HB-1310. The bill created an office of employee misclassification. The office will investigate complaints of employers misclassifying employees as independent contractors, a practice that could allow employers to avoid the payment of employment taxes. HB-1310 also requires that a statewide study be conducted, to determine the scope and the economic impact of employee misclassification. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1310 into law on June 2, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1349: Continuing Insurance for Employees of Small Businesses HB-1349 allows qualifying employees, who were involuntarily terminated from employment between Sept. 1, 2008 and Feb. 16, 2009, to continue their health care coverage. Assistance-eligible employees could continue health care coverage, through COBRA or state coverage, with a 65 percent premium subsidy available through the federal stimulus package. Rep. Randy Fischer was the House sponsor with me on this bill. 6/4/09: Gov. Ritter signed HB-1349 into law on June 1, 2009. HOUSE BILL 1350: Renewable Energy Loans Rep. Joe Miklosi was the House sponsor with me on HB-1350. The bill would have created a loan program for home energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements, in a manner that would have been similar to the existing loan program in Boulder County. 6/4/09: HB-1350 was laid over until after the 2009 session ends, and it was not introduced in the Senate. CO-SPONSORSHIP I also signed on as a co-sponsor of SBs 052, 064, 075, 090, 093, 094, 100, 112, 162, 164, 171, 228, 232, 233 and 238, as well as HBs 1126, 1272, 1275, 1298, 1300, 1305, 1313, 1319, 1321, 1323, 1326 and 1327. |
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