Senate Bill No. 883
Public Act No. 21-49
AN ACT CONCERNING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 9-601 of the general statutes is amended by adding
subdivision (32) as follows (Effective July 1, 2021):
(NEW) (32) "Child care services" means services rendered to a
candidate for the care of any child who is under thirteen years of age
and for whom such candidate is the parent or legal guardian, which
services are necessary as a direct result of campaign activity that would
not exist but for such candidate's campaign.
Sec. 2. Subsection (e) of section 9-706 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2021):
(e) (1) The State Elections Enforcement Commission shall (A) adopt
regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, on
permissible expenditures under subsection (g) of section 9-607, as
amended by this act, for qualified candidate committees receiving
grants from the fund under sections 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, and (B) on
or after July 1, 2021, amend such regulations to permit expenditures for
child care services. Senate Bill No. 883
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(2) After the amendment of regulations pursuant to subparagraph (B)
of subdivision (1) of this subsection, expenditures for child care services
made by the qualified candidate committee of a participating candidate
shall be deemed permissible if such expenditures (A) are, in the
aggregate, not more than the amount of qualifying contributions
permitted under section 9-704, and (B) comply with all regulations
adopted or amended, as applicable, pursuant to subdivision (1) of this
subsection.
Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 9-710 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1,
2021):
(c) A candidate who intends to participate in the Citizens' Election
Program may provide personal funds for such candidate's campaign for
nomination or election in an amount not exceeding: (1) For a candidate
for the office of Governor, twenty thousand dollars; (2) for a candidate
for the office of Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State
Comptroller, State Treasurer or Secretary of the State, ten thousand
dollars; (3) for a candidate for the office of state senator, two thousand
dollars; or (4) for a candidate for the office of state representative, one
thousand dollars. Such personal funds shall not constitute a qualifying
contribution under section 9-704. For the purposes of this section, and
after the amendment of regulations pursuant to subparagraph (B) of
subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 9-706, as amended by this act,
expenditures for child care services made directly from any such
candidate's personal funds and for which such candidate does not seek
reimbursement from his or her candidate committee, as provided in
subsection (k) of section 9-607, shall not count toward the amounts
provided in subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, as applicable, of this
subsection.
Sec. 4. Subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 9-607 of the general
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof Senate Bill No. 883
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(Effective July 1, 2021):
(2) Unless otherwise provided by this chapter, any treasurer, in
accomplishing the lawful purposes of the committee, may pay the
expenses of: (A) Advertising in electronic and print media; (B) any other
form of printed advertising or communications including "thank you"
advertising after the election; (C) campaign items, including, but not
limited to, brochures, leaflets, flyers, invitations, stationery, envelopes,
reply cards, return envelopes, campaign business cards, direct mailings,
postcards, palm cards, "thank you" notes, sample ballots and other
similar items; (D) political banners and billboards; (E) political
paraphernalia, which is customarily given or sold to supporters
including, but not limited to, campaign buttons, stickers, pins, pencils,
pens, matchbooks, balloons, pads, calendars, magnets, key chains, hats,
tee shirts, sweatshirts, frisbees, pot holders, jar openers and other
similar items; (F) purchasing office supplies for campaign or political
purposes, campaign photographs, raffle or other fund-raising permits
required by law, fund-raiser prizes, postage, express mail delivery
services, bulk mail permits, and computer supplies and services; (G)
banking service charges to maintain campaign and political accounts;
(H) subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals which enhance the
candidacy of the candidate or party; (I) lease or rental of office space for
campaign or political purposes and expenses in connection therewith
including, but not limited to, furniture, parking, storage space, utilities
and maintenance, provided a party committee or political committee
organized for ongoing political activities may purchase such office
space; (J) lease or rental of vehicles for campaign use only; (K) lease,
rental or use charges of any ordinary and necessary campaign office
equipment including, but not limited to, copy machines, telephones,
postage meters, facsimile machines, computer hardware, software and
printers, provided a party committee or political committee organized
for ongoing political activities may purchase office equipment, and
provided further that a candidate committee or a political committee, Senate Bill No. 883
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other than a political committee formed for ongoing political activities
or an exploratory committee, may purchase computer equipment; (L)
compensation for campaign or committee staff, fringe benefits, [and]
payroll taxes and child care services, provided (i) the candidate and any
member of his immediate family shall not receive compensation, and (ii)
compensation for child care services is reasonable and customary for the
services rendered; (M) travel, meals and lodging expenses of speakers,
campaign or committee workers, the candidate and the candidate's
spouse for political and campaign purposes; (N) fund raising; (O)
reimbursements to candidates and campaign or committee workers
made in accordance with the provisions of this section for campaign-
related expenses for which a receipt is received by the treasurer; (P)
campaign or committee services of attorneys, accountants, consultants
or other professional persons for campaign activities, obtaining or
contesting ballot status, nomination, or election, and compliance with
this chapter; (Q) purchasing campaign finance reports; (R) repaying
permissible campaign loans made to the committee that are properly
reported and refunding contributions received from an impermissible
source or in excess of the limitations set forth in this chapter; (S)
conducting polls concerning any political party, issue, candidate or
individual; (T) gifts to campaign or committee workers or purchasing
flowers or other commemorative items for political purposes not to
exceed one hundred dollars to any one recipient in a calendar year or
for the campaign, as the case may be; (U) purchasing tickets or
advertising from charities, inaugural committees, or other civic
organizations if for a political purpose, for any candidate, a candidate's
spouse, a member of a candidate's campaign staff, or members of
committees; (V) the inauguration of an elected candidate by that
candidate's candidate committee; (W) hiring of halls, rooms, music and
other entertainment for political meetings and events; (X) reasonable
compensation for public speakers hired by the committee; (Y)
transporting electors to the polls and other get-out-the-vote activities on
election day; and (Z) any other necessary campaign or political expense. Senate Bill No. 883
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Sec. 5. Section 4-9a of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(a) The Governor shall appoint the chairperson and executive
director, if any, of all boards and commissions within the Executive
Department, except the State Properties Review Board, the State
Elections Enforcement Commission, the Commission on Human Rights
and Opportunities, the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, the
Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board and the Transportation Policy Advisory
Council.
(b) (1) Public members shall constitute not less than one-third of the
members of each board and commission within the Executive
Department, except the Commission on Human Rights and
Opportunities. Public member means an elector of the state who has no
substantial financial interest in, is not employed in or by, and is not
professionally affiliated with, any industry, profession, occupation,
trade or institution regulated or licensed by the relevant board or
commission, and who has had no professional affiliation with any such
industry, profession, occupation, trade or institution for three years
preceding his appointment to the board or commission. Except as
otherwise specifically provided by the general statutes, this section shall
not apply to the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, boards
and commissions the membership of which is entirely composed of state
department heads, elected officials or deputies appointed by such
department heads or where the membership of such bo ard or
commission is determined in accordance with the provisions of any
federal law.
(2) The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall create,
maintain and make accessible on the state Internet web site a system
through which an individual may electronically submit a name to be
considered for appointment as a public member to a board or
commission within the Executive Department. Such system shall Senate Bill No. 883
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include information about each such board or commission and specify
any requirements for membership on such board or commission.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of law, the term of each member
of each board and commission within the [executive branch] Executive
Department, except the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents
for Higher Education, the Commission on Human Rights and
Opportunities, the State Elections Enforcement Commission, the State
Properties Review Board, the Citizen's Ethics Advisory Board, the
Commission on Medicolegal Investigations, the Psychiatric Security
Review Board, the Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, the E 9-
1-1 Commission, the Culture and Tourism Advisory Committee, and
the board of trustees of each constituent unit of the state system of
higher education, commencing on or after July 1, 1979, shall be
coterminous with the term of the Governor or until a successor is
chosen, whichever is later.
(d) Each member of each board and commission within the [executive
branch] Executive Department shall serve at the pleasure of the
appointing authority except where otherwise specifically provided by
any provision of the general statutes.
Sec. 6. Section 4-9b of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(a) (1) Appointing authorities, in cooperation with one another, shall
make a good faith effort to ensure that, to the extent possible and
consistent with applicable law, by January 1, 2026, and thereafter, the
membership, except the ex-officio membership, of each state appointive
board, commission, committee and council having members appointed
by the Governor or appointed by members of the General Assembly is
qualified and closely reflects the gender and racial diversity of the state
according to the most recent United States census population data. Senate Bill No. 883
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(2) If there are multiple appointing authorities for [a] any board,
commission, committee or council described in subdivision (1) of this
subsection, the appointing authorities shall inform each other of their
appointees or planned appointees in order to facilitate compliance with
this section.
(3) Appointing authorities for any board, commission, committee or
council described in subdivision (1) of this subsection shall, consistent
with applicable law, (A) consider each recommendation for
appointment of a public member to any such board, commission,
committee or council made by any community or other similar
organization representing the interests of gender and racial diversity,
and (B) make a good faith effort to seek out individuals for such
appointment that reflect such diversity. The Governor, or the
Governor's designee, and the chairpersons of the Joint Committee on
Legislative Management, or the chairpersons' designee, shall coordinate
public education and outreach strategies with such community or other
similar organizations to increase awareness of, and recruit diverse
applicants for, such appointments.
(b) [The] (1) At the time of a member's appointment to any state
appointive board, commission, committee or council described in
subsection (a) of this section, the executive officer or chairperson of such
board, commission, committee or council shall maintain a record of, and
make available to the Secretary of the State, any data voluntarily
provided to the executive officer or chairperson concerning such
member's gender and race. In addition, the executive officer or
chairperson of each such state appointive board, commission,
committee and council, [having members appointed by the Governor or
appointed by members of the General Assembly,] except committees
whose membership consists solely of members of the General
Assembly, shall [report] submit in writing to the Secretary of the State
on or after September first, but not later than October 1, 1993, and Senate Bill No. 883
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biennially thereafter, [(1)] (A) the number of members of such body and
[(2)] (B) the composition of the body according to the term "race/sex",
as defined in the regulations of the Commission on Human Rights and
Opportunities. Such [report] data shall not include the names of the
individual members of the board, commission, committee or council.
(2) The Secretary of the State shall receive and maintain the [reports]
data submitted pursuant to this subsection as public records. In
addition, not later than January 1, 2022, and every two years thereafter,
the Secretary shall develop and publish, including on the Internet web
site of the office of the Secretary of the State, a report regarding the
gender and racial composition of each state appointive board,
commission, committee and council described in subsection (a) of this
section, and shall conduct an analysis comparing the gender and racial
composition of the state according to the most recent United States
census population data with the goal of reflecting the most recent
United States census population data on such boards, commissions,
committees and councils by January 1, 2026.
(c) No provision of this section shall (1) prohibit an individual from
completing a term as a member of a state appointive board, commission,
committee or council being served on July 2, 1993, or (2) create a private
right of action.