CO HB1229

Raises the threshold for forming an issue committee from $200 to $1,000 in contributions or expenditures, responding to the 2010 Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Sampson v. Buescher that struck down the $200 threshold as unconstitutional under the First Amendment.

Excludes the nomination or election of a candidate, including candidate retention, from the definitions of "ballot issue" and "ballot question" under the Uniform Election Code of 1992 and the Fair Campaign Practices Act.

Establishes the $1,000 threshold as the amount of contributions or expenditures required to trigger issue committee registration and disclosure requirements under Article XXVIII of the Colorado Constitution.

Takes effect July 1, 2011, and applies to election cycles and calendar years occurring after that date.