HB1025 amends Colorado’s Charitable Solicitations Act to create a narrow exemption for auctioneers who provide auctioneer services to a charitable organization. Under current law, a person who is paid to solicit contributions for a charitable purpose must register with the secretary of state, file a bond, submit solicitation notices, safeguard donated funds, and provide financial reports. The bill adds auctioneers to the list of persons who are not considered “paid solicitors” when they are conducting auctions for a charity.
The exemption applies whether the auctioneer is paid or volunteers, so long as the auctioneer does not directly receive or handle monetary donations or charitable funding on behalf of the organization. In practical terms, the bill removes auctioneers from the registration, bonding, notice, deposit, and reporting requirements that otherwise apply to paid solicitors under the act. The measure is limited to auctioneer services and does not broadly change the rules for other fundraising professionals or charitable solicitation activities.
Impact
The bill would amend Colorado Revised Statutes section 6-16-103, which defines “paid solicitor” under the Colorado Charitable Solicitations Act, by adding a new exclusion for auctioneers serving charitable organizations. This would reduce regulatory obligations for charitable auction events and for auctioneers who work with nonprofits, while preserving oversight for those who directly handle donations or charitable funds. Charitable organizations, auctioneers, and the secretary of state’s charitable solicitation program are the primary parties affected.
Sentiment
The available voting record shows strong bipartisan support and no recorded opposition in either chamber. The House committee, House floor, Senate committee, and Senate floor all advanced the bill unanimously or on consent, indicating the measure was viewed as a straightforward, low-conflict clarification or exemption. No committee transcripts were provided, but the procedural history suggests broad agreement that the change is limited and noncontroversial.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The main policy boundary in the bill is that auctioneers remain exempt only if they do not directly receive or handle monetary donations or charitable funding; that limitation appears designed to address concerns about accountability and fund handling. Any potential concern would likely come from regulators or charity compliance advocates worried about reducing oversight, but the unanimous votes suggest those concerns did not rise to the level of opposition in the legislative process.
Muscogee County; State Court; salaries of the solicitor-general, the chief assistant solicitor-general, and other assistant solicitors-general; modify provisions