Bill
SB 25-148
Colorado SB 25-148 tightens campaign finance: extends year-round lobbyist-contribution bans, broadens donor disclosures, and expands reporting for nonprofits and federal committees.
SB 25-148: Modifications to Campaign Finance Requirements — Summary
Overview and intent
- Purpose: The bill would tighten campaign finance rules by imposing additional restrictions on lobbyist contributions and expanding disclosure and reporting requirements for various campaign-finance activities. It also updates definitions related to electioneering communications, independent expenditures, federal committees, and nonprofit entities.
- Status: As of the committee action, the Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs postponed the bill indefinitely (March 27, 2025). Introduced February 5, 2025. The fiscal notes describe potential impacts if enacted, but those impacts do not take effect due to the postponement.
Key provisions
1) Lobbyist contributions and restrictions
- Year-round prohibition: Extends the current ban on lobbyist contributions to apply even when the General Assembly is not in session.
- Expanded scope: Adds individuals who have been professional lobbyists within the past six months to the restricted-contributor group.
- Coverage: Applies to contributions to elected officials or candidates for statewide offices and members of the General Assembly.
2) Campaign finance disclosure and reporting changes
- Donations disclosure threshold: Requires disclosure for donations over $1,000 made by nonprofits or by committees registered with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).
- Electioneering communications: Broadens the definition to include communications that meet all other legal criteria and are distributed 90 days before a primary or between the primary and general elections.
- Filing deadlines: Changes several deadlines for campaign finance disclosures (specific deadline dates not listed in the provided text).
- Top-contributor disclosure: Requires a disclaimer on certain communications to list the three individuals who contributed the most money to the entity paying for the communication.
3) Federal committees and nonprofit entities
- Written affirmations for contributions: Repeats/expands requirements for written affirmations from:
- Federal committees that contribute $1,000 or more to a Colorado committee subject to reporting/registration.
- Nonprofit entities contributing $1,000 or more to issue, independent expenditure, or political committees.
- Information required in affirmations includes names, addresses, IDs, amounts, recipients, and lists of large donors (with applicable details for natural vs. non-natural persons).
4) Effective dates
- Campaign-disclosure provisions: Take effect January 1, 2026.
- Lobbyist-related provisions: Take effect 90 days after sine die adjournment of the General Assembly.
- Note: These dates assume no referendum petition is filed.
Fiscal and revenue impacts (per the fiscal notes, noting the bill was postponed indefinitely)
- Department of State costs: Approximately $191,187 in FY2025-26 and $118,532 in FY2026-27 (0.6 FTE rising to 1.2 FTE; cash-fund supported).
- Personal services, operating, capital outlay, AHO contract costs, and system-modification expenses ($117,000 in FY2025-26 for campaign-finance system updates).
- Centrally appropriated costs apply (insurance, retirement, space, indirect costs).
- State revenues: Potential adjustments to DOS fees to cover new costs (subject to TABOR).
- Appropriations: About $180,092 from the DOS Cash Fund to the DOS in FY2025-26; 0.6 FTE (with underlying centrally appropriated costs for ongoing years).
Potential effects and who would be affected
- Affected parties: Lobbyists and former/lapsed lobbyists; the Department of State (workload and system updates); nonprofits and committees registered with the FEC; federal committees and nonprofit entities engaging in Colorado politics; campaign committees subject to Colorado’s reporting regime.
- Administrative: DOS would face additional complaint processing, hearings (via Administrative Hearing Officer contracts), and system enhancements; fee adjustments may be needed to fund increased activities.
Notes
- The bill’s effective provisions would be contingent on passage and no referendum, and the current committee action postpones its enactment.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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