Signed by Governor Jared Polis

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that amends campaign finance regulations.

Highlights:

• Prohibits an issue committee or small-scale issue committee from knowingly accepting contributions from any of the following (Sec. 2):

• Any natural person who is not a citizen of the United States;

• A forgeign government; or 

• Any foreign corporation that does not have the authority to transact business in the state due to Article 115 of Title 7, or any successor section. 

• Defines “small-scale issue committee” as an issue committee that has accepted or made contributions or expenditures in an amount that does not exceed $5,000 during an applicable election cycle for the major purpose of supporting or opposing any ballot issue or ballot question (Sec. 1).

• Requires any covered organization that contributes, donates, or transfers $10,000 or more to any person, earmarked for the purpose of making an independent expenditure or electioneering communication, during any one calendar year, to provide to the recipient of the contribution or donation an affirmation in writing (Sec. 3).

• Requires any covered organization that transfers $10,000 or more to any person, earmarked for the purpose of that person making a contribution or donation, to pay for an independent expenditure or electioneering communication, during any one calendar year, to provide to the recipient of the transfer an affirmation in writing (Sec. 3). 

• Defines “covered organization” as a corporation, a labor organization, or an independent expenditure committee, but does not include a small donor committee, political party committee, or candidate committee (Sec. 3).

• Requires a small-scale issue committee to disclose or file reports about the contributions or expenditures it has made or received, or otherwise registered as an issue committee in connection with accepting or making such contributions or expenditures, in accordance with the following alternative requirements (Sec. 4):

• A small-scale issue committee that accepts or make contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle that does not exceed $200 dollars is not required to disclose or file reports about the contributions or expenditures it has made or received or otherwise registered as an issue committee in connection with accepting or making such contributions or expenditures;

• A small-scale issue committee that accepts or makes contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle of between $200 and $5,000 must register with the appropriate officer within 10 business days of the date on which the aggregate amount of contributions or expenditures exceeds $200, and the registration must include a statement listing the following information:

• The committee’s full name, spelling out any acronyms used in the name;

• The name of a natural person authorized to act as a registered agent of the committee;

• A street address for the principal place of business of the committee;

• The purpose or nature of interest of the committee; and 

• The name of the financial institution in which all contributions received by the committee are deposited.

• A small-scale issue committee described in the above sub-highlight is not required to make any disclosure about any contributions or expenditures it has made or received;

• At the time an issue committee begins as a small-scale committee accepting or making contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle that exceeding $5,000, the committee must report to the appropriate officer, for each particular contribution or expenditure accepted or made, the name and address of each person who has made such contribution and the amount of each specific contribution and expenditure accepted or made by the committee;

• At the time an issue committee begins as a small-scale committee accepting or making contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle exceeding $5,000, the committee must make disclosure of any contributions or expenditures it accepts or makes on or after the date on which such aggregate amount exceeds $5,000 in compliance with all applicable requirements pertaining to the disclosure by an issue committee of its contributions or expenditures accepted or made; and

• Within 15 days of a small-scale issue committee becoming subject to applicable requirements governing an issue committee, the committee through its registered agent must report this change in the committee’s status to the secretary of state.

• Specifies that if within 6 months before becoming a candidate for public office, a person actively solicits funds for an independent expenditure committee with the intent of benefiting their candidacy, any expenditure made by that independent expenditure committee in the candidate’s race is presumed to be controlled or coordinated by the maker of the expenditures and an expenditure by the candidate committee (Sec. 2).

• Requires that any communication that is broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, pasted on a website, streaming media service, or online forum for a fee, or that is otherwise distributed that constitutes an independent expenditure expends in excess of $1,000, must include in the communication a statement that says (Sec. 2):

• The communication has been “paid for by (full name of the person paying for the communication)”; and

• Identifies a natural person who is the registered agent if the person identified in the above sub-highlight is not a natural person.

• Requires the secretary of state to establish size and placement requirements for the disclaimer statement for all non-broadcast communication, including online communication (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass an amended bill that amends campaign finance regulations.

Highlights:

• Prohibits an issue committee or small-scale issue committee from knowingly accepting contributions from any of the following (Sec. 2):

• Any natural person who is not a citizen of the United States;

• A forgeign government; or 

• Any foreign corporation that does not have the authority to transact business in the state due to Article 115 of Title 7, or any successor section. 

• Defines “small-scale issue committee” as an issue committee that has accepted or made contributions or expenditures in an amount that does not exceed $5,000 during an applicable election cycle for the major purpose of supporting or opposing any ballot issue or ballot question (Sec. 1).

• Requires any covered organization that contributes, donates, or transfers $10,000 or more to any person, earmarked for the purpose of making an independent expenditure or electioneering communication, during any one calendar year, to provide to the recipient of the contribution or donation an affirmation in writing (Sec. 3).

• Requires any covered organization that transfers $10,000 or more to any person, earmarked for the purpose of that person making a contribution or donation, to pay for an independent expenditure or electioneering communication, during any one calendar year, to provide to the recipient of the transfer an affirmation in writing (Sec. 3). 

• Defines “covered organization” as a corporation, a labor organization, or an independent expenditure committee, but does not include a small donor committee, political party committee, or candidate committee (Sec. 3).

• Requires a small-scale issue committee to disclose or file reports about the contributions or expenditures it has made or received, or otherwise registered as an issue committee in connection with accepting or making such contributions or expenditures, in accordance with the following alternative requirements (Sec. 4):

• A small-scale issue committee that accepts or make contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle that does not exceed $200 dollars is not required to disclose or file reports about the contributions or expenditures it has made or received or otherwise registered as an issue committee in connection with accepting or making such contributions or expenditures;

• A small-scale issue committee that accepts or makes contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle of between $200 and $5,000 must register with the appropriate officer within 10 business days of the date on which the aggregate amount of contributions or expenditures exceeds $200, and the registration must include a statement listing the following information:

• The committee’s full name, spelling out any acronyms used in the name;

• The name of a natural person authorized to act as a registered agent of the committee;

• A street address for the principal place of business of the committee;

• The purpose or nature of interest of the committee; and 

• The name of the financial institution in which all contributions received by the committee are deposited.

• A small-scale issue committee described in the above sub-highlight is not required to make any disclosure about any contributions or expenditures it has made or received;

• At the time an issue committee begins as a small-scale committee accepting or making contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle that exceeding $5,000, the committee must report to the appropriate officer, for each particular contribution or expenditure accepted or made, the name and address of each person who has made such contribution and the amount of each specific contribution and expenditure accepted or made by the committee;

• At the time an issue committee begins as a small-scale committee accepting or making contributions or expenditures in an aggregate amount during any applicable election cycle exceeding $5,000, the committee must make disclosure of any contributions or expenditures it accepts or makes on or after the date on which such aggregate amount exceeds $5,000 in compliance with all applicable requirements pertaining to the disclosure by an issue committee of its contributions or expenditures accepted or made; and

• Within 15 days of a small-scale issue committee becoming subject to applicable requirements governing an issue committee, the committee through its registered agent must report this change in the committee’s status to the secretary of state.

• Specifies that if within 6 months before becoming a candidate for public office, a person actively solicits funds for an independent expenditure committee with the intent of benefiting their candidacy, any expenditure made by that independent expenditure committee in the candidate’s race is presumed to be controlled or coordinated by the maker of the expenditures and an expenditure by the candidate committee (Sec. 2).

• Requires that any communication that is broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, pasted on a website, streaming media service, or online forum for a fee, or that is otherwise distributed that constitutes an independent expenditure expends in excess of $1,000, must include in the communication a statement that says (Sec. 2):

• The communication has been “paid for by (full name of the person paying for the communication)”; and

• Identifies a natural person who is the registered agent if the person identified in the above sub-highlight is not a natural person.

• Requires the secretary of state to establish size and placement requirements for the disclaimer statement for all non-broadcast communication, including online communication (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text