Colorado Legislative Council Staff

NO FISCAL IMPACT

TITLE:            CONCERNING THE "FAIR CAMPAIGN PRACTICES ACT", ARTICLE 45 OF TITLE 1, COLORADO REVISED STATUTES.

Summary of Assessment

            The bill would make changes to the “Fair Campaign Practices Act”. It would delete the definition of conduit, add candidates to the term person, and authorizes political committees to participate in political issue education. All contribution limits would be eliminated on persons, political committees, parties, and candidate committees. Corporations and candidate committees would be able to contribute to state candidates. Voluntary spending limits would be eliminated and one of six monthly reports currently filed would not need to be filed. The Secretary of State would have to provide the public with free Internet access to the reports filed under the “Fair Campaign Practices Act”. The bill would become effective upon the Governor's signature.

            There are no estimated impacts to state revenues in the Secretary of State’s office. The changes in this bill would not increase the workload in the Secretary of State’s office. The elimination of one report would have a minimal impact and would not require a reduction in appropriations. The Secretary of State currently has plans to provide the public access to the reports filed under the “Fair Campaign Practices Act” and has committed resources for that purpose. Therefore, this bill is assessed as having no fiscal impact.

Departments Contacted

            Secretary of State