0587 Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force
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University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Colorado Legislative Council Research All Publications Publications 12-2009 0587 Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force Colorado Legislative Council Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/colc_all Recommended Citation Colorado Legislative Council, "0587 Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force" (2009). All Publications. 619. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/colc_all/619 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Colorado Legislative Council Research Publications at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Publications by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Report to the Colorado General Assembly Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force Prepared by The Colorado Legislative Council Research Publication No. 587 December 2009 .Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force '.' Members of the Task Force Representative John Kefalas, Chair Senator Paula Sandoval, Vice-Chair Senator Betty Boyd Representative Sara Gagliardi Senator Evie Hudak Representative Daniel Kagan Senator Mark Scheffel Representative Ken Summers Senator AI White Representative Mark Waller Legislative Council Staff Bo Pogue, Research Associate Hillary Smith, Research Assistant Kate Watkins, Economist Bill Zepemick, Fiscal Note Analyst . Office of Legislative Legal Services Jeremiah Barry, Senior Staff Attorney Brita Darling, Staff Attomey Ed DeCecco, Senior Staff Attomey Bob Lackner, Senior Staff Attomey Jane Ritter, Staff Attorney COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY EXECUTIVE COMMITIEE COMMITIEE Sen. Brandon Shaffer, Chairman Sen. Betty Boyd - Rep. Terrance Carroll, VICe Chairman Sen. 'Dan Gibbs Rep. Mike May Sen. Mary Hodge Sen. John Morse 'Sen. Mike Kopp Sen. Josh -Penry Sen. Mark Scheffel Rep. Paul Weissmann Sen. Nancy Spence Rep. David Balmer STAFF Rep. Cory Gardner ,Mike Mauer, Director -Rep. Aody Kerr Amy Zook, Deputy Director Rep,. _Karen Middleton LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Rep. Christine Scanlan Rep. Amy Slephens ROOM 029 STATE CAPITOL DENVER, 'COLORADO 80203-1784 E-mail:[email protected] 303-866-3521 FAX: 303-866-3855 TOD: 303-866-3472 December 2009 To Members of the Sixty-seventh General Assembly: Pursuant to House Bill 09-1064, the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force is required to assess current state policies and practices that promote economic opportunity and poverty reduction; study and evaluate federally supported and state-supported programs that serve persons living in poverty, with the goal of recommending improvements forthe nutrition and employment programs; examine factors that contribute to poverty and its economic impact; and develop a comprehensive plan, by December 31,2010, forreducing poverty by at least 50 percent in Colorado by 2019. At its meeting on November 10, 2009, the Legislative Council reviewedthereport of this committee. A motion to forward this report and the bills therein for consideration in the 2010 session was approved. Respectfully submitted, lsI Senator Brandon Shaffer Chair Table of Contents Page 'Executive Summary ........................................................ 1 TaskForceCharge ......................................................... 7 Task Force Activities ....................................................... 8 'Measures of Poverty ....................................... , ........... 8 Mitigating the Impacts of Poverty .......................................... 9 Improved Access to Benefits and Reduced Service Silos ...................... 10 Additional Committee Discussion ............................. , .......... 11 Scope ofthe Problem in Colorado ............................... , .......... 11 Background ......................................................... 12 Official Poverty Measure/Federal Poverty Guidelines and Level ................. 13 National Academy of Sciences Poverty Measure ............................ 14 The Self-Sufficiency Standard ........................................... 16 Assessment ofCurrent Policies and Procedures that Address Poverty ............. 17 Programs NotAddressed .............................................. 17 Process of Compiling the Information ....................... ; .............. 18 Final Product ........................................................ 18 Department Testimony ................................................ 18 Task Force Advisory Group ................................................ 19 Summary of Recommendations .............................................. 21 Bill A - TABOR and the Earned Income Tax Credit ........................ 21 Text of Bill A ................................................ 27 Bill B - Clarifying Civil Liability for an Employer Hiring a Person with a Criminal Record .................................................... 21 Text of Bill B ...................... , ......................... 31 Bill C - Reduction in Barriers to Obtaining Identity-Related Documents ......... 21 Text of Bill C ................................................ 35 Bill D Independent Evaluation of the Statewide Strategic Use Fund .......... 21 Text of Bill D ................................................ 41 Bill E - Administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ....... 22 Text of Bill E ................................................ 45 Bill F - Duties of the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force ..... 22 Text of Bill F ................................................ 51 Bill G - Authorization for Public Entities to Enter Voluntary Agreements Affecting Rent on Private Residential Property ............................. 22 Text of Bill G ............................................... 55 Bill H - Collaboration in the Provision of Multi-Agency Services .............. 23 Text ofBill H ................................................ 59 Resource Materials ........................................................ 25 This reportis also available on line at: http://www.colorado.govncslPovertyReductionTaskForce Executive Summary Task Force Charge Pursuant to House Bill 09-1064, the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force is required to: • assess current state policies and practices that promote economic opportunity and poverty reduction with regard to: • building family assets and financial stability; • increasing educational opportunities; • expanding the work force; • using targeted tax policies to make work pay; and • addressing work-support issues. • study and evaluate federally supported and state-supported programs that serve persons living in poverty, with the goal of recommending improvements for the nutrition and employment programs; • examine factors that contribute to poverty and its economic impact; and • develop a comprehensive plan, by December 31, 2010, for reducing poverty by at least 50 percentin Colorado by 2019. The task force must meet at least four times each year, and continues through July 1, 2014. Subcommittees. As required by House Bill 09-1064, the task force appointed five subcommittees that included representatives of executive branch agencies, local govemments, business and labor organizations, educational institutions, advocates, and otherindividualsdirectly impacted by the work of the task force. Each subcommittee was chaired by a member of the task force and was required to advise the task force in completing its duties. Subcommittees were appointed in the following subject areas: Housing and Utilities; Job Creation with Sustainable Income and Work Supports; • Access to and Coordination of Benefits and Nonprofit/Faith-Based Services; Scope of the Problem and Metrics; and • Poverty and Education. Members of the subcommittees did not receive compensation for their services or reimbursement of their expenses. The subcommittees were not staffed by legislative staff. Task Force Activities The task force met six times during the 2009 interim. Task force meetings were devoted to the discussion of poverty definitions and measurements, statewide poverty data compared to data from other states, state programs related to poverty reduction and economic development, and specific impacts of poverty. The task force heard testimony from agencies of state, regional, and local govemments, as well as various entities involved in poverty reduction and economic development. In addition, each of the five subcommittees met atleast four times over the interim. Updates on subcommittee activities and suggested recommendations were presented to the full task force for discussion. An opportunity for public testimony was provided at each meeting. Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction 1 Measures ofpoverty. The task force was briefed by various experts on the use of different measures of poverty and on statewide poverty rates under each measurement. State departments offered additional information concerning eligibility guidelines and the evaluative methods of state programs relevant to poverty reduction. The Scope of the Problem and Metrics Subcommittee further explored the issue. The task force recommended Bill F, which specifies that the duties of the Economic OpportunityPoverty Reduction Task Force include developing a relevant, fluid model for assessing progress toward reducing poverty and increasing economic opportunity in Colorado. The bill also stipulates that the task force will recommend thatthe General Assembly adopt the task force's model for purposes of