2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 24 - GOVERNMENT - STATE (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-116-102) › ADMINISTRATION (§§ 24-1-101 — 24-19.9-103) › Article 6 - COLORADO SUNSHINE LAW (§§ 24-6-101 — 24-6-502) › Part 3 - REGULATION OF LOBBYISTS (§§ 24-6-301 — 24-6-309) › Section 24-6-303.5 - Lobbying by state officials and employees

(1)
(a)
Each principal department of state government, as defined in section
24-1-110
, shall designate one person who shall be responsible for any lobbying of the type defined in section
24-6-301
(3.5)(a)(I) or (3.5)(a)(III) by a state official or employee on behalf of said principal department. All designated persons from the principal departments, as well as any person lobbying, as defined in section
24-6-301
(3.5)(a)(I) or (3.5)(a)(III), on behalf of an institution or governing board of higher education, shall register with the secretary of state by filing a written statement on or before January 15 of each year. Such registration statement shall be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and shall include the following:
(I)
The designated person's full legal name, principal department address, and business telephone number;
(II)
The name of any state official or employee who is lobbying on behalf of the principal department, the name of such person's division or unit within the principal department, his classification or job title, and the address and telephone number of his division or unit.
(b)
Copies of the original documents filed with the secretary of state shall be filed with the governor's office, the secretary of the senate, and the chief clerk of the house of representatives.
(c)
Any amendments to the original registration statement shall be filed with the secretary of state within seven days of the pertinent change.
(2)
(a)
In addition to the registration statement filed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the designated person, and any person lobbying on behalf of an institution or governing board of higher education, shall file, monthly, a disclosure statement with the secretary of state in accordance with this subsection (2). The secretary of state shall prescribe the form for such disclosure statement, which shall include:
(I)
The legislation on which lobbying is being performed;
(II)
Any expenditure of public funds used for lobbying and the amount thereof;
(III)
An estimate of the time spent on lobbying or preparation thereof by any state official or employee named in the registration statement or any other employee of the principal department.
(b)
Disclosure statements shall be filed within fifteen days after the end of the first calendar month and shall be filed within fifteen days after the end of each subsequent month during the fiscal year.
(3)
For purposes of this section, "state official or employee" means an individual who is compensated by a state of Colorado warrant and receives state of Colorado employee benefits except a lobbyist hired on a contract basis if he is currently registered under sections
24-6-302
and
24-6-303
or a lobbyist who registers as a professional lobbyist pursuant to sections
24-6-302
and
24-6-303
.
(4)
This section shall not apply to the following persons:
(a)
Members of the public utilities commission, the industrial claim appeals office, the state board of land commissioners, the office of the property tax administrator, the state parole board, and the state personnel board;
(b)
Members of any board or commission serving without compensation except for per diem allowances provided by law and reimbursement of expenses;
(c)
Members of the governor's cabinet and personal staff employees in the offices of the governor and the lieutenant governor whose functions are confined to such offices and who report directly to the governor or lieutenant governor;
(d)
Appointees to fill vacancies in elective offices;
(e)
One deputy of each elective officer other than the governor and lieutenant governor specified in section 1 of article IV of the state constitution;
(f)
Members, officers, and employees of the legislative branch;
(g)
Members, officers, and employees of the judicial branch; specifically, municipal, state, and federal judges and the state court administrator and his designee; and
(h)
Any state official or employee communicating with a covered official in response to an inquiry of that covered official or when testifying before any committee of the general assembly upon request of a committee member.
(5)
Any person who engages in lobbying for a principal department but who is not a state official or employee shall comply with the requirements of sections
24-6-302
and
24-6-303
.
L. 77: Entire section added, p. 1152, § 4, effective June 19. L. 79: (4)(a) amended, p. 1638, § 39, effective July 19. L. 87: Entire section R&RE, p. 924, § 4, effective July 3. L. 2010: IP(1)(a) and (2)(b) amended, (SB 10-087), ch. 407, p. 2014, §4, effective June 10.