Gift Made with Intent to Influence

  1. Proof beyond a reasonable doubt of commission of any act enumerated in this section is proof that the actor has breached his fiduciary duty and the public trust. A public officer, a member of the general assembly, a local government official, or an employee shall not: . . .
    1. Accept a gift of substantial value or a substantial economic benefit tantamount to a gift of substantial value:
      1. Which would tend improperly to influence a reasonable person in his position to depart from the faithful and impartial discharge of his public duties; or
      2. Which he knows or which a reasonable person in his position should know under the circumstances is primarily for the purpose of rewarding him for official action he has taken.
  2. An economic benefit tantamount to a gift of substantial value includes without limitation:
    1. A loan at a rate of interest substantially lower than the commercial rate then currently prevalent for similar loans and compensation received for private services rendered at a rate substantially exceeding the fair market value of such services; or
    2. The acceptance by a public officer, a member of the general assembly, a local government official, or an employee of goods or services for his or her own personal benefit offered by a person who is at the same time providing goods or services to the state or a local government under a contract or other means by which the person receives payment or other compensation from the state or local government, as applicable, for which the officer, member, official, or employee serves, unless the totality of the circumstances attendant to the acceptance of the goods or services indicates that the transaction is legitimate, the terms are fair to both parties, the transaction is supported by full and adequate consideration, and the officer, member, official, or employee does not receive any substantial benefit resulting from his or her official or governmental status that is unavailable to members of the public generally.
  3. The following are not gifts of substantial value or gifts of substantial economic benefit tantamount to gifts of substantial value for purposes of this section:
    1. Campaign contributions and contributions in kind reported as required by section 1-45-108, C.R.S.;
    2. An unsolicited item of trivial value;
    3. A gift with a fair market value of fifty-three dollars or less that is given to the public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or employee by a person other than a professional lobbyist.
    4. An unsolicited token or award of appreciation as described in section 3 (3)(c) of article XXIX of the state constitution;
    5. Unsolicited informational material, publications, or subscriptions related to the performance of official duties on the part of the public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or employee;
    6. Payment of or reimbursement for reasonable expenses paid by a nonprofit organization or state and local government in connection with attendance at a convention, fact-finding mission or trip, or other meeting as permitted in accordance with the provisions of section 3 (3)(f) of article XXIX of the state constitution;
    7. Payment of or reimbursement for admission to, and the cost of food or beverages consumed at, a reception, meal, or meeting that may be accepted or received in accordance with the provisions of section 3 (3)(e) of article XXIX of the state constitution;
    8. A gift given by an individual who is a relative or personal friend of the public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or employee on a special occasion.
    9. Payment for speeches, appearances, or publications that may be accepted or received by the public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or employee in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of article XXIX of the state constitution that are reported pursuant to section 24-6-203 (3)(d);
    10. Payment of salary from employment, including other government employment, in addition to that earned from being a member of the general assembly or by reason of service in other public office;
    11. A component of the compensation paid or other incentive given to the public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or employee in the normal course of employment; and
    12. Any other gift or thing of value a public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or employee is permitted to solicit, accept, or receive in accordance with the provisions of section 3 of article XXIX of the state constitution, the acceptance of which is not otherwise prohibited by law.
  4. The provisions of this section are distinct from and in addition to the reporting requirements of section 1-45-108, C.R.S., and section 24-6-203, and do not relieve an incumbent in or elected candidate to public office from reporting an item described in subsection (3) of this section, if such reporting provisions apply.
  5. The amount of the gift limit specified in paragraph (b.5) of subsection (3) of this section, set at fifty-three dollars as of August 8, 2012, shall be identical to the amount of the gift limit under section 3 of article XXIX of the state constitution, and shall be adjusted for inflation contemporaneously with any adjustment of the constitutional gift limit pursuant to section 3 (6) of article XXIX.

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-18-104.

Extra Compensation for Official Duties

A public servant commits a class 1 misdemeanor if the public servant requests a pecuniary benefit for the performance of an official action knowing that the public servant was required to perform that action without compensation or at a level of compensation lower than that requested.

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-8-304.

Gift Regardless of Giver Status

  1. No public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or government employee shall accept or receive any money, forbearance, or forgiveness of indebtedness from any person, without such person receiving lawful consideration of equal or greater value in return from the public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or government employee who accepted or received the money, forbearance or forgiveness of indebtedness.
  2. No public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or government employee, either directly or indirectly as the beneficiary of a gift or thing of value given to such person’s spouse or dependent child, shall solicit, accept or receive any gift or other thing of value having either a fair market value or aggregate actual cost greater than fifty dollars ($50) in any calendar year, including but not limited to, gifts, loans, rewards, promises or negotiations of future employment, favors or services, honoraria, travel, entertainment, or special discounts, from a person, without the person receiving lawful consideration of equal or greater value in return from the public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or government employee who solicited, accepted or received the gift or other thing of value.
  3. The prohibitions in subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply if the gift or thing of value is:
    1. A campaign contribution as defined by law;
    2. An unsolicited item of trivial value less than fifty dollars ($50), such as a pen, calendar, plant, book, note pad or other similar item;
    3. An unsolicited token or award of appreciation in the form of a plaque, trophy, desk item, wall memento, or similar item;
    4. Unsolicited informational material, publications, or subscriptions related to the recipient’s performance of official duties;
    5. Admission to, and the cost of food or beverages consumed at, a reception, meal or meeting by an organization before whom the recipient appears to speak or to answer questions as part of a scheduled program;
    6. Reasonable expenses paid by a nonprofit organization or other state or local government for attendance at a convention, fact-finding mission or trip, or other meeting if the person is scheduled to deliver a speech, make a presentation, participate on a panel, or represent the state or local government, provided that the non-profit organization receives less than five percent (5%) of its funding from for-profit organizations or entities;
    7. Given by an individual who is a relative or personal friend of the recipient on a special occasion.
    8. A component of the compensation paid or other incentive given to the recipient in the normal course of employment.

. . .

(6) The fifty-dollar ($50) limit set forth in subsection (2) of this section shall be adjusted by an amount based upon the percentage change over a four-year period in the United States bureau of labor statistics consumer price index for Denver-Boulder-Greeley, all items, all consumers, or its successor index, rounded to the nearest lowest dollar. The first adjustment shall be done in the first quarter of 2011 and then every four years thereafter.

Colo. Const. Art. 29, § 3(1)-(3), (6).

Gift from Lobbyist or Regulated Entity

(4) Notwithstanding any provisions of this section [Colo. Const. Art. 29, § 3] to the contrary, and excepting campaign contributions as defined by law, no professional lobbyist, personally or on behalf of any other person or entity, shall knowingly offer, give, or arrange to give, to any public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official, or government employee, or to a member of such person’s immediate family, any gift or thing of value, of any kind or nature, nor knowingly pay for any meal, beverage, or other item to be consumed by such public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official or government employee, whether or not such gift or meal, beverage or other item to be consumed is offered, given or paid for in the course of such lobbyist’s business or in connection with a personal or social event; provided, however, that a professional lobbyist shall not be prohibited from offering or giving to a public officer, member of the general assembly, local government official or government employee who is a member of his or her immediate family any such gift, thing of value, meal, beverage or other item.

Colo. Const. Art. 29, § 3(4).

Definitions and Exceptions

Please see above sections for statute specific definitions and exceptions.

Notes/Resources

Notes

The Colorado gift laws are referred to as “Amendment 41” colloquially. The amount limit is now $65. The rule prohibiting lobbyists from giving any type of gift is known as a “not even a cup of coffee” rule.

Resource(s)

Guide from Colorado LegiSource

“Current Gift Ban Amount” Webpage

Guidance on Reporting Gifts and Honoraria

Learn more about state gift laws