Senate Appropriations HR division reconsiders and advances House Bill 10-22 to full committee

The Senate Appropriations — Human Resources Division reopened consideration of House Bill 10-22 and voted to send the bill to the full committee with amendments.

Division members first moved to reconsider the division’s prior action on House Bill 10-22 and then voted to remove the amendments previously adopted to the bill. After debate, Senator Cleary moved to restore two amendment sections (sections 4 and 5) that had been stripped. Senators discussed the intent and scope of those sections, including a proposed 75 percent cap referenced in the amendment language for certain incentive pay and a reporting requirement to return information during the legislative session.

After discussion and a roll call on an initial motion to restore both sections, the division then voted on a separate motion to adopt section 5 plus a $25,000 addition intended for retirement education software and training. That motion passed on a recorded vote and was incorporated into the bill.

Following the amendment activity, Senator Mather moved a motion for a "do pass as amended" recommendation; the division voted to advance House Bill 10-22 to the full committee. Committee discussion and member comments made clear the restored language was intended to (1) strike the phrase "fiscal operations" from eligibility language so the incentive program applies to investment staff doing portfolio work; (2) cap incentive payments in subsection language; and (3) add a reporting requirement to deliver updates during the session rather than only during the interim. Members also discussed adding an internal auditor position and funding adjustments for IT and retirement-education initiatives that were reflected in the bill as amended.

The division chair indicated the bill will likely reach the full committee calendar the next day; members noted some votes earlier in the meeting should have been roll calls because of recorded nays but that the final recommendation had carried.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to reconsider passage of House Bill 10-22: moved and seconded; outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Motion to remove previously placed amendments: moved and seconded; outcome: approved (voice vote).

- Motion to restore original amendments (sections 4 and 5) as offered by Senator Cleary: moved and seconded; outcome: recorded roll call vote taken; result: mixed (see committee minutes). (Tally: not specified in transcript excerpt.)

- Motion to adopt section 5 plus $25,000 for retirement-education software/training (moved by Senator Davison; seconded by Senator Mather): outcome: approved by recorded roll call vote and incorporated into the bill.

- Motion for "do pass as amended" on House Bill 10-22 (mover: Senator Mather; second: Senator Davison): outcome: approved; bill advanced to full committee.

Members emphasized monitoring implementation of the restored provisions and noted several budget figures discussed during debate (an IT request of approximately $715,000; a $25,000 item for retirement-education work; an internal-auditor FTE restored from the House language).