General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6531
January Session, 2011 LCO No. 4142
*04142_______GAE*
Referred to Committee on Government Administration and Elections
Introduced by:
(GAE)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 6531
January Session, 2011
LCO No. 4142
*04142_______GAE*
Referred to Committee on Government Administration and Elections
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT CONCERNING POLITICAL COMMITTEE BIENNIAL REGISTRATION AND RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYIST CONTRIBUTIONS AND SOLICITATIONS DURING SESSION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (f) of section 9-610 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(f) (1) A political committee established by two or more individuals under subparagraph (B) of [subsection] subdivision (3) of section 9-601, other than a committee established solely for the purpose of aiding or promoting any candidate or candidates for municipal office or the success or defeat of a referendum question, shall be subject to the prohibition on acceptance of lobbyist contributions under subsection (e) of this section unless the campaign treasurer of the committee has filed a [certification that the committee is not established for an assembly or senatorial district, or by a member of the General Assembly or a state officer, or such member or officer's agent, or in consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, any such member, officer or agent, or controlled by such member, officer or agent. The campaign treasurer of any political committee established by or controlled by a lobbyist shall file a certification to that effect. Such certifications shall be filed] registration statement as described in subsection (b) of section 9-605 with the State Elections Enforcement Commission, on or before November 15, 2012, for all such political committees in existence on such date, or, if the committee is not in existence on such date, not later than ten days after the organization of the committee pursuant to subsection (a) of section 9-605, and on or before November fifteenth of each even-numbered year thereafter. Such statements shall be filed even if there are no changes, additions or deletions to the registration statement previously filed with the commission.
(2) A political committee established for ongoing political activities and required pursuant to subsection (a) of section 9-603 to file statements with the commission shall be subject to the prohibition on making contributions under subsection (e) of this section unless the campaign treasurer of the committee has filed a registration statement as described in subsection (b) of section 9-605 with the [State Elections Enforcement Commission] commission, on forms prescribed by the commission, on or before November 15, [2008] 2012, for all such political committees in existence on such date, or, [upon the registration of the committee] if the committee is not in existence on such date, not later than ten days after the organization of the committee pursuant to subsection (a) of section 9-605, and on or before November fifteenth [biennially] of each even-numbered year thereafter. Such statements shall be filed even if there are no changes, additions or deletions to the registration statement previously filed with the commission.
(3) The commission shall prepare a list of all such committees subject to the prohibitions under subsection (e) of this section, [according to the certifications filed, which] based upon an evaluation of registrations filed pursuant to this subsection and subsection (b) of section 9-605. Such list shall be available prior to the opening of each regular session of the General Assembly, and shall provide a copy of the list to the president pro tempore of the Senate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the minority leader of the Senate, the minority leader of the House of Representatives and each state officer. During each such regular session, the commission shall prepare a supplemental list of committees [which] that register after November fifteenth and are subject to such prohibitions, and the commission shall provide the supplemental list to such legislative leaders and state officers. The filing of the [certification] registration statement by the campaign treasurer of the committee shall not impair the authority of the commission to act under section 9-7b. Any lobbyist or campaign treasurer who acts in reliance on such lists in good faith shall have an absolute defense in any action brought under subsection (e) and this subsection, subsection (c) of section 9-604, and subsection (f) of section 9-608.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 from passage 9-610(f)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
from passage
9-610(f)
Statement of Purpose:
To streamline the process by which ongoing political committees are required to file certain certifications with the State Elections Enforcement Commission in order to determine which committees are restricted from soliciting contributions from a lobbyist or from contributing to other committees.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]