The secretary of state has issued amended rules regarding lobbyist registration.

The substantive changes include:

• Elimination of the requirement that the secretary of state provide notice and an opportunity to respond to lobbyists under investigation for violations of Colorado’s sunshine law;
• Providing that the secretary of state may admonish a lobbyist for failure to pay penalties within 45 days of assessment, as opposed to the previous rule of 90 days;
• Providing that the secretary of state will send a penalty to collections if a lobbyist or lobbyist firm fails to pay the penalty within 90 days;
• Amending the requirement that pertains to reporting of gifts to clarify that lobbyists are prohibited from giving gifts of any kind to covered officials; and
• Establishing definitions of rate and standard as those terms pertain to state agencies with rulemaking authority.

These rules will take effect 20 days after publication in the Colorado Register.