s_sa_2017a_2017-05-03t13:38:55z6 Hearing Summary

Date: 05/03/2017

Location: SCR 357

06:18 PM -- HB17-1307



Senator Moreno, co-prime sponsor, presented House Bill 17-1307 to the committee. Conditional on the success of an initial working group convening to assess program costs and plan revenue bond issuance, the bill, as amended by the House Finance Committee, creates the Division of Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI division) as an enterprise in the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE). The purpose of the FAMLI division is to provide wage-replacement benefits for up to 12 weeks per year to eligible employees. Paid leave must be taken concurrently with the unpaid, job-secured Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave available under current federal law. The FAMLI division will pay benefits through a premium deducted from all employees' payroll, paid to the newly created FAMLI enterprise fund, which is TABOR-exempt. The division will set the premium by rule based on an employee's annual wages, not to exceed 0.99 percent of annual taxable wages.



06:21 PM -- Kris Garcia, representing 9 to 5 Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



06:25 PM -- Shelby Ramirez Martinez, representing 9 to 5 Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



06:29 PM -- Meghan Raynes, representing the Colorado Fiscal Institute, testified in support of the bill.



06:33 PM -- Natalie Wood, representing the Bell Policy Center, testified in support of the bill and provided a handout to committee members (Attachment G).



17SenateState0503AttachG.pdf



06:36 PM -- Rachel Ellis, representing the Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association and the Colorado Women's Bar Association, testified in support of the bill.



06:39 PM -- Christina Postolowski, representing Young Invincibles, testified in support of the bill.



06:41 PM -- Tim Gaudette, representing Small Business Majority, testified in support of the bill.



06:43 PM -- Cynthia Camble, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.



06:46 PM -- Debbie Olander, representing United Food and Commercial Workers, testified in support of the bill.



06:50 PM -- Neha Mahajan, representing 9 to 5 Colorado, testified in support of the bill and provided a handout to committee members (Attachment H).



17SenateState0503AttachH.pdf



06:54 PM -- Barbara Gertz, representing 9 to 5 Colorado, testified in support of the bill.



06:57 PM -- Kassandra Rendon-Morales, representing the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, testified in support of the bill.



07:00 PM -- Thomas Perille, representing the Protect Life Coalition and Democrats for Life Colorado, testified in support of the bill. He provided a written copy of his testimony (Attachment I).



17SenateState0503AttachI.pdf



07:03 PM -- Nicholas Colglazier, representing the Colorado Competitive Council, testified against the bill.



07:07 PM -- Loren Furman, representing the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, testified against the bill.





07:10 PM



Senators Fields and Moreno wrapped up their presentation of the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.