Transparency of Legislative Caucuses' Money

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED SENATE BILL 26-168 LLS NO. 26-0972.01 Caroline Martin x5902 SENATE SPONSORSHIP Weissman, HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Zokaie, Senate Committees House Committees State, Veterans, & Military Affairs A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING THE REPORTING OF MONEY HANDLED BY LEGISLATIVE CAUCUSES, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, REQUIRING EACH LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS TO REPORT MONEY ACCEPTED, RECEIVED, AND EXPENDED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF AND REQUIRING THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF TO PUBLICLY POST FINANCIAL REPORTS.

Bill Summary (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.) The bill requires any 2 or more legislators who organize Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law. Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

themselves according to a common interest, ideology, issue, identity, or for any other reason and who accept, receive, or expend money, other than their own private, personal money (legislative caucus) to deliver to the legislative council staff a quarterly report that lists all money that the legislative caucus received, accepted, or expended during the previous quarter. The legislative council staff is required to post each report received on a publicly accessible page on the website of the general assembly. Each legislative caucus is required to provide the legislative council staff with accurate contact information for the caucus and shall promptly inform the legislative council staff of any changes to that contact information. A legislative caucus that does not receive, accept, or expend any money in a quarter shall file a no activity report as prescribed by the legislative council staff.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 24-6-204 as follows: 24-6-204. Reporting by legislative caucuses - receipts and expenditures - definition. (1) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES, "LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS" MEANS LEGISLATORS WHO ORGANIZE THEMSELVES ACCORDING TO A COMMON INTEREST, IDEOLOGY, ISSUE, IDENTITY, OR FOR ANY OTHER REASON, AND WHO ACCEPT, RECEIVE, OR EXPEND MONEY, OTHER THAN THEIR OWN PRIVATE, PERSONAL MONEY, AT ANY TIME. A LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS DOES NOT INCLUDE:

ANY TWO OR MORE

(a) A COMMITTEE, BOARD, OR COMMISSION THAT IS CREATED BY STATUTE OR LEGISLATIVE RULE, OR TO WHICH LEGISLATORS ARE APPOINTED BY LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP; OR

(b) A COMMITTEE GOVERNED BY ARTICLE 45 OF TITLE 1.

(2) (a) ONE MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FROM EACH LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS SHALL DELIVER TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF, ON THE FOLLOWING DATES, A REPORT PREPARED IN A MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF THAT INCLUDES RECEIPTS LISTING ALL MONEY AND ITEMS THAT THE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS RECEIVED, ACCEPTED, OR EXPENDED FOR THE FOLLOWING PERIODS DURING WHICH THE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS WAS ACTIVE:

(I) ON JANUARY 15, A REPORT COVERING OCTOBER 1 THROUGH DECEMBER 31 OF THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR; (II) ON APRIL 15, A REPORT COVERING JANUARY 1 THROUGH MARCH 31 OF THE SAME CALENDAR YEAR; (III) ON JULY 15, A REPORT COVERING APRIL 1 THROUGH JUNE 30 OF THE SAME CALENDAR YEAR; AND

(IV) ON OCTOBER 15, A REPORT COVERING JULY 1 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30 OF THE SAME CALENDAR YEAR.

(b) IF A DATE UPON WHICH A REPORT IS DUE AS LISTED IN SUBSECTION (2)(a) OF THIS SECTION FALLS ON A WEEKEND OR A STATE HOLIDAY, THE DUE DATE IS MOVED TO THE FIRST WORKING DAY IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING SUCH WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY.

(3) EACH LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS SHALL PROVIDE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF WITH ACCURATE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS AND SHALL PROMPTLY INFORM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF OF ANY CHANGES TO THAT CONTACT INFORMATION. THE CONTACT INFORMATION MUST INCLUDE THE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS'S:

(a) OFFICIAL NAME;

(b) MAILING ADDRESS;

(c) PRIMARY EMAIL ADDRESS; AND

(d) DESIGNATED MEMBER OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO SEND AND RECEIVE OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS ON BEHALF OF THE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS, INCLUDING THE MEMBER'S CONTACT INFORMATION.

(4) A RECEIPT LISTING MONEY THAT A LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS RECEIVED OR ACCEPTED AS REQUIRED BY SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION MUST INCLUDE, AT A MINIMUM:

(a) THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE DONOR;

(b) THE AMOUNT OF MONEY RECEIVED OR ACCEPTED; AND

(c) THE DATE THE MONEY WAS RECEIVED OR ACCEPTED.

(5) THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF SHALL POST EACH REPORT RECEIVED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION ON A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE PAGE ON THE WEBSITE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF SHALL REDACT FROM EACH REPORT THE ADDRESS OF EACH DONOR TO A LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS BEFORE THE REPORT IS POSTED.

(6) ANY PERSON WHO PROVIDES A LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS WITH AN ITEM SHALL, AT THE TIME THE ITEM IS PROVIDED, FURNISH THE LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS WITH A WRITTEN STATEMENT OF THE DOLLAR VALUE OF THE ITEM.

(7) A LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS THAT DOES NOT RECEIVE, ACCEPT, OR EXPEND ANY MONEY OR ITEMS WITHIN A PERIOD LISTED IN SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION SHALL FILE A NO ACTIVITY REPORT AS PRESCRIBED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL STAFF.

SECTION 2.

Act subject to petition - effective date - applicability. (1) This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1

(3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.

(2) This act applies to actions taken and money and items received, accepted, or expended on or after October 1, 2026.