H_ED_2020A 06/06/2020 10:35:58 AM Committee Summary

Representative Singer presented Senate Bill 20-206, concerning the clarification of disqualifying a recipient from participating in a public assistance program when the recipient is found to have committed an intentional violation of the program. Current law disqualifies a recipient who is found to have committed an intentional violation from participation in any public assistance for a specified amount of time. This bill clarifies that a recipient who is found to have committed an intentional violation is only disqualified from participating in the public assistance program in which the recipient is found to have committed the intentional violation. Representative Singer responded to questions from the committee.

Geni Pingenot, representing Colorado Counties Incorporated, testified in support of the bill and responded to committee questions.

Representative Singer made concluding remarks on the bill, and committee discussion ensued.

Representatives Coleman and Duran presented Senate Bill 20-029, concerning bills enacted in the second regular session of the 72nd General Assembly that include an act subject to petition clause. The bill makes technical changes to bills that were passed in the first half of the session with petition clauses, to account for the time that the General Assembly was not in session. Representatives Duran and Coleman responded to questions from the committee.

Gini Pingenot, representing Colorado Counties Incorporated, testified in support of the bill, as amended by Amendment L.007 (Attachment A).

Jack Regenbogen, representing Colorado Center on Law and Poicy, testified in support of the bill.

Ms. Pingenot and Mr. Regenbogen responded to questions from the committee.

Rep Coleman moved and explained Amendment L.005 (Attachment B), and committee discussion ensued.

Representative Coleman moved and explained Amendment L.007 (Attachment A).

Representative Wilson took the chair. Representatives McLachlan and Catlin presented Senate Bill 20-009, concerning the expansion of the adult education and literacy grant program. The bill sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

Representative McLachlan read supporting testimony into the record. There was no one present at the hearing to testify.

The bill sponsors made concluding comments regarding the bill, and committee discussion ensued.

The committee took a brief recess.

The committee came back to order.

Representative Kipp presented House Bill 20-1407, concerning temporarily allowing a Colorado institution of higher education to determine whether to require a national assessment test score as an eligibility criterion for admission for first-time freshman students who graduate from high school in 2021. Committee discussion ensued. There was no one present to testify on the bill.

Representatives Wilson and McLachlan presented Senate Bill 20-158, concerning measures related to providing professional training for educators.

There was no one present to testify on the bill.

The committee recessed.

The committee came back to order.

Speaker Becker presented House Bill 20-1418, the school finance bill. She discussed the specifics of the bill, including how much base per pupil funding is in the bill and the increase of the budget stabilization factor. The Speaker responded to committee questions regarding the budget stabilization factor, how students will be counted in October, and how public school funding is impacted by COVID-19. The committee discussed local mil levys and how they are impacted by the bill.

Committee discussion continued on the bill.

Ally Kimmel, representing the office of the Governor, came to the table to respond to a question previously asked by the committee. The committee discussed mill levy overrides

Craig Harper, Joint Budget Committee Staff, responded to committee questions regarding mill levys, mill levy overrides, and the budget stabilization factor. Committee discussion ensued.

Representative Buentello moved and explained Amendment L.002 (Attachment C). Representative Becker responded to committee questions regarding the amendment.

Representative Buentello withdrew Amendment L.002.

Rep Larson moved and explained Amendment L.003 (Attachment D).

After committee discussion, Representative Larson withdrew Amendment L.003.

Representative Becker moved and explained Amendment L.001

After committee discussion, Speaker Becker agreed to not amend the bill during the committee hearing to allow members time to review any amendments to the bill.

Committee discussion ensued, and Speaker Becker made concluding comments regarding the bill.