MINUTES OF THE

SENATE REVENUE AND TAXATION STANDING COMMITTEE

Room 250, Utah State Capitol

January 29, 2015

 

Members Present:     Sen. Deidre M. Henderson, Chair

                                    Sen. Curtis S. Bramble

                                    Sen. Jim Dabakis

                                    Sen. Gene Davis

                                    Sen. Wayne Harper

                                   

Members Excused:    President Wayne L. Niederhauser

 

Members Absent:      Sen. Howard Stephenson

 

Staff Present:             Mr. Leif Elder, Policy Analyst

                                    Ms. Nancy Skidmore, Committee Secretary

 

NOTE:  A list of visitors and a copy of handouts are filed with the committee minutes.

 

Chair Henderson called the meeting to order at 2:35 p.m.

 

S.B. 14         Renewable Energy Tax Credit Amendments (Sen. R. Okerlund)

 

Sen. Okerlund explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Davis moved S.B. 14 be amended as follows:

 

1.    Page 1, Lines 19 through 21:      


             19        Other Special Clauses:

             20        This bill provides a special effective date.

             21        This bill provides for retrospective operation.

  This bill provides a coordination clause.   

 

2.    Page 1, Line 27:  


             27        59-10-1106, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 37


                         Utah Code Sections Affected by Coordination Clause:

                        59-7-614, as last amended by Laws of Utah, 2012, Chapter 37 

 

3.    Page 18, Lines 541 through 542:


             541             (ii)  the   {corporation}    taxpayer   purchases or participates in the financing of the commercial energy

             54 2      system;


 

4.Page 37, Line 1134:


             1134           (c)  Section 59-10-1106.


 

 

 Section 6.  Coordinating S.B. 14 with S.B. 13 -- Substantive and technical amendments.

If this S.B. 14 and S.B. 13, Income Tax Amendments, both pass and become law, it is the intent of the Legislature that the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel prepare the Utah Code database for publication as follows:

(1)  Section 59-7-614 in this bill supersedes Section 59-7-614 in S.B. 13;

(2)  delete all of Subsection 59-7-614(10) in this bill; and

(3)  renumber Subsection 59-7-614(11) in this bill, including the references to Subsection 59-7-614(11) in this bill, to Subsection (10). 

                    

The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Bramble moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sen. Henderson relinquished the chair to Sen. Bramble.

 

S.B. 13         Income Tax Amendments (Sen. D. Henderson)

 

Sen. Henderson explained the bill to the committee.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Bramble moved S.B. 13 be amended as follows:

 

1.Page 2, Lines 34 through 39:          


             34 REPEALS:

             35        59-7-602, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 366

             36        59-7-603, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1993, Chapter 169

             37        59-7-608, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2003, Chapter 198

             38          {59-7-609, as enacted by Laws of Utah 1995, Chapter 42} 

             39        59-7-614.3, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 384


 

2.Page 18, Lines 534 through 541:    


             534             Section 8. Repealer.

             535             This bill repeals:

             536             Section 59-7-602, Credit for cash contributions to sheltered workshops.

             537             Section 59-7-603, Credit for sophisticated technological equipment donated to

             538             schools.

             539             Section 59-7-608, Targeted jobs tax credit.

             540               {Section 59-7-609, Historic preservation credit.} 

             541             Section 59-7-614.3, Nonrefundable tax credit for qualifying solar projects.


 

3.Page 18, Line 545 through Page 19, Line 555:      


             545             Section 9.  Effective date.

             546             (1)  Except as provided in Subsection (2), this bill takes effect on May 12, 2015.

             547             (2)  The actions affecting the following have retrospective operation for a taxable year

             548             beginning on or after January 1, 2015:

             549             (a)  Section 59-7-105;

             550             (b)  Section 59-7-106;

             551             (c)  Section 59-7-602;

             552             (d)  Section 59-7-603;

             553             (e)  Section 59-7-608;

             554               {(f)  Section 59-7-609;} 


                                    555    (g)  Section 59-7-614;

                       

                        The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:  Sen. Harper moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Davis moved to place the bill on the Consent Calendar. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sen. Henderson returned to the chair.

 

S.B. 62         Certified Tax Rates Amendments (Sen. W. Harper)

 

Sen. Harper explained the bill to the committee:

 

Spoke to the bill:                     Kelsey White, Research Analyst, Utah Tax Payers Association

                                                John Valentine, Commission Chair, Utah State Tax Commission

                                                Jennifer Condie, Utah State Tax Commission

 

Spoke for the bill:                   John Larsen, Financial Administrator, Jordan School District

                                                Chuck Newton, President, South Jordan City Councilman

                                                Leon Wilcox, Business Administrator, Canyons School District

                                                Susan Pulsipher, School Board Member, Jordon School District

 

MOTION:  Sen. Harper moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously.

 

S.B. 57         Taxation of Social Security Benefits (Sen. T. Weiler)

 

Sen. Weiler explained the bill to the committee:                   

 

Spoke for the bill:                   John Beanucci, State Tax Coordinator, AARP

                                                Danny Harris, Director of Advocacy, AARP

                                                Gina Cornia, Advocate Utah Against Hunger

                     Chuck Newton, President, Advanced Financial Strategies

 

Spoke against the bill:             Kelsey White, Research Analyst, Utahns Tax Payers Association    

 

MOTION:  Sen. Davis moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion failed with Sen. Henderson, Sen. Bramble, and Sen. Harper voting in opposition.

 

S.B. 64         Utah Educational Savings Plan Amendments (Sen. T. Weiler)

 

Sen. Weiler explained the bill to the committee:

 

Spoke for the bill:                   Lynn Ward, Executive Director, Utah Education Savings Plan

 

MOTION:   Sen. Davis moved S.B. 64 be replaced with 1st Sub. S.B. 64. The motion passed unanimously.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Davis moved to go to the next agenda item. The motion failed with Sen. Henderson, Sen. Bramble, and Sen. Harper voting in opposition. Sen. Dabakis was absent for the vote.         

 

MOTION:  Sen. Harper moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dabakis absent for the vote.

 

S.B. 71         Tax Commissioners’ Compensation (Sen. T. Weiler)

 

Sen. Weiler explained the bill to the committee:

 

MOTION:  Sen. Harper moved to pass the bill out favorably. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dabakis and Sen. Davis absent for the vote.

 

MOTION:   Sen. Bramble moved to adjourn. The motion passed unanimously with Sen. Dabakis and Sen. Davis absent for the vote.

 

Chair Henderson adjourned the meeting at 4:05 p.m.

 

 

 

__________________________

Sen. Deidre M. Henderson, Chair