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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6904
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 5810
Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
AND ELECTIONS
Introduced by:
(GAE)
AN ACT CONCERNING CAMPAIGN FINANCE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 9-601b of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(b) The term "expenditure" does not mean: 4
(1) A loan of money, made in the ordinary course of business, by a 5
state or national bank; 6
(2) A communication made by any corporation, organization or 7
association solely to its members, owners, stockholders, executive or 8
administrative personnel, or their families; 9
(3) Nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns by 10
any corporation, organization or association aimed at its members, 11
owners, stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, or their 12
families; 13 Raised Bill No. 6904
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(4) Uncompensated services provided by individuals volunteering 14
their time on behalf of a party committee, political committee, slate 15
committee or candidate committee, including any services provided for 16
the benefit of nonparticipating and participating candidates under the 17
Citizens' Election Program and any unreimbursed travel expenses made 18
by an individual who volunteers the individual's personal services to 19
any such committee. For purposes of this subdivision, an individual is 20
a volunteer if such individual is not receiving compensation for such 21
services regardless of whether such individual received compensation 22
in the past or may receive compensation for similar services that may be 23
performed in the future; 24
(5) Any news story, commentary or editorial distributed through the 25
facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine or other 26
periodical, unless such facilities are owned or controlled by any political 27
party, committee or candidate; 28
(6) The use of real or personal property, a portion or all of the cost of 29
invitations and the cost of food or beverages, voluntarily provided by 30
an individual to a candidate, including a nonparticipating or 31
participating candidate under the Citizens' Election Program, or to a 32
party, political or slate committee, in rendering voluntary personal 33
services at the individual's residential premises or a community room 34
in the individual's residence facility, to the extent that the cumulative 35
value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on 36
behalf of any candidate or committee does not exceed four hundred 37
dollars with respect to any single event or does not exceed eight 38
hundred dollars for any such event hosted by two or more individuals, 39
provided at least one such individual owns or resides at the residential 40
premises, and further provided the cumulative value of the invitations, 41
food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any such 42
candidate or committee does not exceed eight hundred dollars with 43
respect to a calendar year or single election, as the case may be; 44
(7) A communication described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of 45
this section that includes speech or expression made (A) prior to the 46 Raised Bill No. 6904
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ninety-day period preceding the date of a primary or an election at 47
which the clearly identified candidate or candidates are seeking 48
nomination to public office or position, that is made for the purpose of 49
influencing any legislative or administrative action, as defined in section 50
1-91, or executive action, or (B) during a legislative session for the 51
purpose of influencing legislative action; 52
(8) An organization expenditure by a party committee, legislative 53
caucus committee or legislative leadership committee; 54
(9) A commercial advertisement that refers to an owner, director or 55
officer of a business entity who is also a candidate and that had 56
previously been broadcast or appeared when the owner, director or 57
officer was not a candidate; 58
(10) A communication containing an endorsement on behalf of a 59
candidate for nomination or election to the office of Governor, 60
Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State 61
Comptroller, Attorney General, state senator or state representative, 62
from a candidate for the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 63
Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney 64
General, state senator or state representative, shall not be an 65
expenditure attributable to the endorsing candidate, if the candidate 66
making the endorsement is unopposed at the time of the 67
communication; 68
(11) A communication that is sent by mail to addresses in the district 69
for which a candidate being endorsed by another candidate pursuant to 70
the provisions of this subdivision is seeking nomination or election to 71
the office of state senator or state representative, containing an 72
endorsement on behalf of such candidate for such nomination or 73
election, from a candidate for the office of state senator or state 74
representative, shall not be an expenditure attributable to the endorsing 75
candidate, if the candidate making the endorsement is not seeking 76
election to the office of state senator or state representative for a district 77
that contains any geographical area shared by the district for the office 78 Raised Bill No. 6904
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to which the endorsed candidate is seeking nomination or election; 79
(12) Campaign training events provided to multiple individuals by a 80
legislative caucus committee and any associated materials, provided the 81
cumulative value of such events and materials does not exceed six 82
thousand dollars in the aggregate for a calendar year; 83
(13) A lawful communication by any charitable organization which is 84
a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 85
Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal 86
revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended; 87
(14) The use of offices, telephones, computers and similar equipment 88
provided by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or 89
legislative leadership committee that serve as headquarters for or are 90
used by such party committee, legislative caucus committee or 91
legislative leadership committee; [or] 92
(15) An expense or expenses incurred by a human being acting alone 93
in an amount that is two hundred dollars or less, in the aggregate, that 94
benefits a candidate for a single election; or 95
(16) A solicitation via the Internet for a contribution to any committee, 96
provided any such contribution described in this subdivision shall be 97
construed to be an expenditure. 98
Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 9-612 of the general statutes is 99
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 100
passage): 101
(a) No individual shall make a contribution or contributions in any 102
one calendar year in excess of [ten] fifteen thousand dollars to the state 103
central committee of any party, or for the benefit of such committee 104
pursuant to its authorization or request; or two thousand dollars to a 105
town committee of any political party, or for the benefit of such 106
committee pursuant to its authorization or request; or two thousand 107
dollars to a legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership 108 Raised Bill No. 6904
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committee, or one thousand dollars to any other political committee 109
other than (1) a political committee formed solely to aid or promote the 110
success or defeat of a referendum question, (2) an exploratory 111
committee, (3) a political committee established by an organization, or 112
for the benefit of such committee pursuant to its authorization or 113
request, or (4) a political committee formed by a slate of candidates in a 114
primary for the office of justice of the peace of the same town. 115
Sec. 3. Subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of section 9-618 of the general 116
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 117
(Effective from passage): 118
(2) No legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership 119
committee shall make a contribution or contributions in any calendar 120
year to, or for the benefit of, the state central committee of a political 121
party, in excess of [ten] fifteen thousand dollars. 122
Sec. 4. Subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of section 9-619 of the general 123
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 124
(Effective from passage): 125
(2) No legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership 126
committee shall make a contribution or contributions in any calendar 127
year to, or for the benefit of, the state central committee of a political 128
party, in excess of [ten] fifteen thousand dollars. 129
Sec. 5. Subdivision (1) of subsection (g) of section 9-7a of the general 130
statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 131
(Effective from passage): 132
(g) (1) (A) In the case of a written complaint filed with the commission 133
pursuant to section 9-7b, commission staff shall conduct and complete a 134
preliminary examination of such complaint by the fourteenth day 135
following its receipt, at which time such staff shall, at its discretion, [(A)] 136
(i) dismiss the complaint for failure to allege any substantial violation of 137
state election law supported by evidence, [(B)] (ii) engage the 138
respondent in discussions in an effort to speedily resolve any matter 139 Raised Bill No. 6904
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pertaining to a de minimis violation, or [(C)] (iii) investigate and docket 140
the complaint for a determination by the commission that probable 141
cause or no probable cause exists for any such violation. If commission 142
staff dismisses a complaint pursuant to subparagraph [(A)] (A)(i) of this 143
subdivision, such staff shall provide a brief written statement concisely 144
setting forth the reasons for such dismissal. If commission staff engages 145
a respondent pursuant to subparagraph [(B)] (A)(ii) of this subdivision 146
but is unable to speedily resolve any such matter described in said 147
subparagraph by the forty-fifth day following receipt of the complaint, 148
such staff shall docket such complaint for a determination by the 149
commission that probable cause or no probable cause exists for any 150
violation of state election law. If the commission does not, by the sixtieth 151
day following receipt of the complaint, either issue a decision or render 152
its determination that probable cause or no probable cause exists for any 153
violation of state election laws, the complainant or respondent may 154
apply to the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford for an 155
order to show cause why the commission has not acted upon the 156
complaint and to provide evidence that the commission has 157
unreasonably delayed action. 158
(B) (i) For any complaint received on or after January 1, 2018, but prior 159
to July 1, 2023, if the commission does not, by one year following receipt 160
of such complaint, issue a decision thereon, the commission shall 161
dismiss such complaint, provided the length of time of any delay caused 162
by [(i)] (I) the commission or commission staff granting any extension 163
or continuance to a respondent prior to the issuance of any such 164
decision, [(ii)] (II) any subpoena issued in connection with such 165
complaint, [(iii)] (III) any litigation in state or federal court related to 166
such complaint, or [(iv)] (IV) any investigation by, or consultation of the 167
commission or commission staff with, the Chief State's Attorney, the 168
Attorney General, the United States Department of Justice or the United 169
States Attorney for Connecticut related to such complaint, shall be 170
added to such one year. 171
(ii) For any complaint received on or after July 1, 2023, if the 172
commission does not, by one year following receipt of such complaint, 173 Raised Bill No. 6904
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find reason to believe that a violation of state election law has been 174
committed and commence a contested case, as defined in section 4-166, 175
the commission shall dismiss such complaint, provided the length of 176
time of any delay caused by (I) the commission or commission staff 177
granting any extension or continuance to a respondent prior to the 178
issuance of any such decision, (II) any subpoena issued in connection 179
with such complaint, (III) any litigation in state or federal court related 180
to such complaint, (IV) any investigation by the commission or 181
commission staff involving a potential violation of state election law by 182
a foreign national or of section 9-601c or 9-601d, or (V) any investigation 183
by, or consultation of the commission or commission staff with, the 184
Chief State's Attorney, the Attorney General, the United States 185
Department of Justice or the United States Attorney for Connecticut 186
related to such complaint, shall be added to such one year. 187
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 9-601b(b)
Sec. 2 from passage 9-612(a)
Sec. 3 from passage 9-618(d)(2)
Sec. 4 from passage 9-619(d)(2)
Sec. 5 from passage 9-7a(g)(1)
Statement of Purpose:
To (1) specify that certain online solicitations for political contributions
are excluded from the definition of "expenditure", (2) increase the limit
on contributions to state central committees, and (3) allow extensions to
the required dismissal time frame for investigations by the State
Elections Enforcement Commission concerning foreign spending and
independent expenditures.
[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.]