Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB07128 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 1 of 10
	3	+	LCO No. 5028 1 of 10
4	4
5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 7128
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7128
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 5028
	8	+
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
	11	+	AND ELECTIONS
	12	+
	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(GAE)
7	16
8	17
9	18
10	19
11		-
12		-	AN ACT CONCERNING ONLINE POLITICAL DONATION PLATFORMS
13		-	AND LIMITING AUTOMATICALLY RECURRING CONTRIBUTIONS.
	20	+	AN ACT CONCERNING THE USE OF ONLINE DONATION
	21	+	PLATFORMS FOR POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.
14	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	23		Assembly convened:
16	24
17	25		Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 9-601a of the general statutes is 1
18	26		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
19	27		passage): 3
20	28		(b) As used in this chapter and chapter 157, "contribution" does not 4
21	29		mean: 5
22	30		(1) A loan of money made in the ordinary course of business by a 6
23	31		national or state bank; 7
24	32		(2) Any communication made by a corporation, organization or 8
25	33		association solely to its members, owners, stockholders, executive or 9
26	34		administrative personnel, or their families; 10
27	35		(3) Nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns by 11
28	36		any corporation, organization or association aimed at its members, 12
	37	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	38	+
	39	+
	40	+
	41	+	LCO No. 5028 2 of 10
	42	+
29	43		owners, stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, or their 13
30	44		families; 14
31	45		(4) Uncompensated services provided by individuals volunteering 15
32		-	their time on behalf of a party committee, political committee, slate 16 Substitute Bill No. 7128
33		-
34		-
35		-	LCO 2 of 10
36		-
	46	+	their time on behalf of a party committee, political committee, slate 16
37	47		committee or candidate committee, including any services provided for 17
38	48		the benefit of nonparticipating and participating candidates under the 18
39	49		Citizens' Election Program and any unreimbursed travel expenses made 19
40	50		by an individual who volunteers the individual's personal services to 20
41	51		any such committee. For purposes of this subdivision, an individual is 21
42	52		a volunteer if such individual is not receiving compensation for such 22
43	53		services regardless of whether such individual received compensation 23
44	54		in the past or may receive compensation for similar services that may be 24
45	55		performed in the future; 25
46	56		(5) The use of real or personal property, a portion or all of the cost of 26
47	57		invitations and the cost of food or beverages, voluntarily provided by 27
48	58		an individual to a candidate, including a nonparticipating or 28
49	59		participating candidate under the Citizens' Election Program, or to a 29
50	60		party, political or slate committee, in rendering voluntary personal 30
51	61		services at the individual's residential premises or a community room 31
52	62		in the individual's residence facility, to the extent that the cumulative 32
53	63		value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on 33
54	64		behalf of any candidate or committee does not exceed four hundred 34
55	65		dollars with respect to any single event or does not exceed eight 35
56	66		hundred dollars for any such event hosted by two or more individuals, 36
57	67		provided at least one such individual owns or resides at the residential 37
58	68		premises, and further provided the cumulative value of the invitations, 38
59	69		food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any such 39
60	70		candidate or committee does not exceed eight hundred dollars with 40
61	71		respect to a calendar year or single election, as the case may be; 41
62	72		(6) The sale of food or beverage for use by a party, political, slate or 42
63	73		candidate committee, including those for a participating or 43
64	74		nonparticipating candidate, at a discount, if the charge is not less than 44
	75	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	76	+
	77	+
	78	+
	79	+	LCO No. 5028 3 of 10
	80	+
65	81		the cost to the vendor, to the extent that the cumulative value of the 45
66	82		discount given to or on behalf of any single candidate committee does 46
67	83		not exceed four hundred dollars with respect to any single primary or 47
68	84		election, or to or on behalf of any party, political or slate committee, does 48
69		-	not exceed six hundred dollars in a calendar year; 49 Substitute Bill No. 7128
70		-
71		-
72		-	LCO 3 of 10
73		-
	85	+	not exceed six hundred dollars in a calendar year; 49
74	86		(7) The display of a lawn sign by a human being or on real property; 50
75	87		(8) The payment, by a party committee or slate committee of the costs 51
76	88		of preparation, display, mailing or other distribution incurred by the 52
77	89		committee or individual with respect to any printed slate card, sample 53
78	90		ballot or other printed list containing the names of three or more 54
79	91		candidates; 55
80	92		(9) The donation of any item of personal property by an individual to 56
81	93		a committee for a fund-raising affair, including a tag sale or auction, or 57
82	94		the purchase by an individual of any such item at such an affair, to the 58
83	95		extent that the cumulative value donated or purchased does not exceed 59
84	96		one hundred dollars; 60
85	97		(10) (A) The purchase of advertising space which clearly identifies the 61
86	98		purchaser, in a program for a fund-raising affair sponsored by the 62
87	99		candidate committee of a candidate for an office of a municipality, 63
88	100		provided the cumulative purchase of such space does not exceed two 64
89	101		hundred fifty dollars from any single such candidate or the candidate's 65
90	102		committee with respect to any single election campaign if the purchaser 66
91	103		is a business entity or fifty dollars for purchases by any other person; 67
92	104		(B) The purchase of advertising space which clearly identifies the 68
93	105		purchaser, in a program for a fund-raising affair or on signs at a fund-69
94	106		raising affair sponsored by a party committee or a political committee, 70
95	107		other than an exploratory committee, provided the cumulative purchase 71
96	108		of such space does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars from any single 72
97	109		party committee or a political committee, other than an exploratory 73
98	110		committee, in any calendar year if the purchaser is a business entity or 74
99	111		fifty dollars for purchases by any other person. Notwithstanding the 75
	112	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	113	+
	114	+
	115	+
	116	+	LCO No. 5028 4 of 10
	117	+
100	118		provisions of this subparagraph, the following may not purchase 76
101	119		advertising space in a program for a fund-raising affair or on signs at a 77
102	120		fund-raising affair sponsored by a party committee or a political 78
103	121		committee, other than an exploratory committee: (i) A communicator 79
104	122		lobbyist, (ii) a member of the immediate family of a communicator 80
105		-	lobbyist, (iii) a state contractor, (iv) a prospective state contractor, or (v) 81 Substitute Bill No. 7128
106		-
107		-
108		-	LCO 4 of 10
109		-
	123	+	lobbyist, (iii) a state contractor, (iv) a prospective state contractor, or (v) 81
110	124		a principal of a state contractor or prospective state contractor. As used 82
111	125		in this subparagraph, "state contractor", "prospective state contractor" 83
112	126		and "principal of a state contractor or prospective state contractor" have 84
113	127		the same meanings as provided in subsection (f) of section 9-612; 85
114	128		(11) The payment of money by a candidate to the candidate's 86
115	129		candidate committee, provided the committee is for a nonparticipating 87
116	130		candidate; 88
117	131		(12) The donation of goods or services by a business entity to a 89
118	132		committee for a fund-raising affair, including a tag sale or auction, to 90
119	133		the extent that the cumulative value donated does not exceed two 91
120	134		hundred dollars; 92
121	135		(13) The advance of a security deposit by an individual to a telephone 93
122	136		company, as defined in section 16-1, for telecommunications service for 94
123	137		a committee or to another utility company, such as an electric 95
124	138		distribution company, provided the security deposit is refunded to the 96
125	139		individual; 97
126	140		(14) The provision of facilities, equipment, technical and managerial 98
127	141		support, and broadcast time by a community antenna television 99
128	142		company, as defined in section 16-1, for community access 100
129	143		programming pursuant to section 16-331a, unless (A) the major purpose 101
130	144		of providing such facilities, equipment, support and time is to influence 102
131	145		the nomination or election of a candidate, or (B) such facilities, 103
132	146		equipment, support and time are provided on behalf of a political party; 104
133	147		(15) The sale of food or beverage by a town committee to an 105
134	148		individual at a town fair, county fair, local festival or similar mass 106
	149	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	150	+
	151	+
	152	+
	153	+	LCO No. 5028 5 of 10
	154	+
135	155		gathering held within the state, to the extent that the cumulative 107
136	156		payment made by any one individual for such items does not exceed 108
137	157		fifty dollars; 109
138	158		(16) An organization expenditure by a party committee, legislative 110
139		-	caucus committee or legislative leadership committee; 111 Substitute Bill No. 7128
140		-
141		-
142		-	LCO 5 of 10
143		-
	159	+	caucus committee or legislative leadership committee; 111
144	160		(17) The donation of food or beverage by an individual for 112
145	161		consumption at a slate, candidate, political committee or party 113
146	162		committee meeting, event or activity that is not a fund-raising affair to 114
147	163		the extent that the cumulative value of the food or beverages donated 115
148	164		by an individual for a single meeting or event does not exceed fifty 116
149	165		dollars; 117
150	166		(18) The value associated with the de minimis activity on behalf of a 118
151	167		party committee, political committee, slate committee or candidate 119
152	168		committee, including for activities including, but not limited to, (A) the 120
153	169		creation of electronic or written communications or digital photos or 121
154	170		video as part of an electronic file created on a voluntary basis without 122
155	171		compensation, including, but not limited to, the creation and ongoing 123
156	172		content development and delivery of social media on the Internet or 124
157	173		telephone, including, but not limited to, the sending or receiving of 125
158	174		electronic mail or messages, (B) the posting or display of a candidate's 126
159	175		name or group of candidates' names at a town fair, county fair, local 127
160	176		festival or similar mass gathering by a party committee, (C) the use of 128
161	177		personal property or a service that is customarily attendant to the 129
162	178		occupancy of a residential dwelling, or the donation of an item or items 130
163	179		of personal property that are customarily used for campaign purposes, 131
164	180		by an individual, to a candidate committee, provided the cumulative 132
165	181		fair market value of such use of personal property or service or items of 133
166	182		personal property does not exceed one hundred dollars in the aggregate 134
167	183		for any single election or calendar year, as the case may be; 135
168	184		(19) The use of offices, telephones, computers and similar equipment 136
169	185		provided by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or 137
	186	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	187	+
	188	+
	189	+
	190	+	LCO No. 5028 6 of 10
	191	+
170	192		legislative leadership committee that serve as headquarters for or are 138
171	193		used by such party committee, legislative caucus committee or 139
172	194		legislative leadership committee; 140
173	195		(20) A communication, as described in subdivision (7) of subsection 141
174	196		(b) of section 9-601b, as amended by this act; 142
175		-	(21) An independent expenditure, as defined in section 9-601c; 143 Substitute Bill No. 7128
176		-
177		-
178		-	LCO 6 of 10
179		-
	197	+	(21) An independent expenditure, as defined in section 9-601c; 143
180	198		(22) A communication containing an endorsement on behalf of a 144
181	199		candidate for nomination or election to the office of Governor, 145
182	200		Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State 146
183	201		Comptroller, Attorney General, state senator or state representative, 147
184	202		from a candidate for the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 148
185	203		Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney 149
186	204		General, state senator or state representative, provided the candidate 150
187	205		(A) making the endorsement is unopposed at the time of the 151
188	206		communication, and (B) being endorsed paid for such communication; 152
189	207		(23) A communication that is sent by mail to addresses in the district 153
190	208		for which a candidate being endorsed by another candidate pursuant to 154
191	209		this subdivision is seeking nomination or election to the office of state 155
192	210		senator or state representative, containing an endorsement on behalf of 156
193	211		such candidate for such nomination or election from a candidate for the 157
194	212		office of state senator or state representative, provided the candidate (A) 158
195	213		making the endorsement is not seeking election to the office of state 159
196	214		senator or state representative for a district that contains any 160
197	215		geographical area shared by the district for the office to which the 161
198	216		endorsed candidate is seeking nomination or election, and (B) being 162
199	217		endorsed paid for such communication; [or] 163
200	218		(24) Campaign training events provided to multiple individuals by a 164
201	219		legislative caucus committee and any associated materials, provided the 165
202	220		cumulative value of such events and materials does not exceed six 166
203	221		thousand dollars in the aggregate for a calendar year; or 167
	222	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	223	+
	224	+
	225	+
	226	+	LCO No. 5028 7 of 10
	227	+
204	228		(25) With respect to an online platform that collects any contribution 168
205	229		from a contributor and transmits such contribution to a committee, a 169
206	230		voluntary payment made by such contributor to such online platform, 170
207	231		which is (A) in addition to such contribution, and (B) used by such 171
208	232		online platform to conduct its operations. 172
209	233		Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 9-601b of the general statutes is 173
210	234		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 174
211		-	passage): 175 Substitute Bill No. 7128
212		-
213		-
214		-	LCO 7 of 10
215		-
	235	+	passage): 175
216	236		(b) The term "expenditure" does not mean: 176
217	237		(1) A loan of money, made in the ordinary course of business, by a 177
218	238		state or national bank; 178
219	239		(2) A communication made by any corporation, organization or 179
220	240		association solely to its members, owners, stockholders, executive or 180
221	241		administrative personnel, or their families; 181
222	242		(3) Nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns by 182
223	243		any corporation, organization or association aimed at its members, 183
224	244		owners, stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, or their 184
225	245		families; 185
226	246		(4) Uncompensated services provided by individuals volunteering 186
227	247		their time on behalf of a party committee, political committee, slate 187
228	248		committee or candidate committee, including any services provided for 188
229	249		the benefit of nonparticipating and participating candidates under the 189
230	250		Citizens' Election Program and any unreimbursed travel expenses made 190
231	251		by an individual who volunteers the individual's personal services to 191
232	252		any such committee. For purposes of this subdivision, an individual is 192
233	253		a volunteer if such individual is not receiving compensation for such 193
234	254		services regardless of whether such individual received compensation 194
235	255		in the past or may receive compensation for similar services that may be 195
236	256		performed in the future; 196
	257	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	258	+
	259	+
	260	+
	261	+	LCO No. 5028 8 of 10
	262	+
237	263		(5) Any news story, commentary or editorial distributed through the 197
238	264		facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine or other 198
239	265		periodical, unless such facilities are owned or controlled by any political 199
240	266		party, committee or candidate; 200
241	267		(6) The use of real or personal property, a portion or all of the cost of 201
242	268		invitations and the cost of food or beverages, voluntarily provided by 202
243	269		an individual to a candidate, including a nonparticipating or 203
244	270		participating candidate under the Citizens' Election Program, or to a 204
245	271		party, political or slate committee, in rendering voluntary personal 205
246		-	services at the individual's residential premises or a community room 206 Substitute Bill No. 7128
247		-
248		-
249		-	LCO 8 of 10
250		-
	272	+	services at the individual's residential premises or a community room 206
251	273		in the individual's residence facility, to the extent that the cumulative 207
252	274		value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on 208
253	275		behalf of any candidate or committee does not exceed four hundred 209
254	276		dollars with respect to any single event or does not exceed eight 210
255	277		hundred dollars for any such event hosted by two or more individuals, 211
256	278		provided at least one such individual owns or resides at the residential 212
257	279		premises, and further provided the cumulative value of the invitations, 213
258	280		food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any such 214
259	281		candidate or committee does not exceed eight hundred dollars with 215
260	282		respect to a calendar year or single election, as the case may be; 216
261	283		(7) A communication described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of 217
262	284		this section that includes speech or expression made (A) prior to the 218
263	285		ninety-day period preceding the date of a primary or an election at 219
264	286		which the clearly identified candidate or candidates are seeking 220
265	287		nomination to public office or position, that is made for the purpose of 221
266	288		influencing any legislative or administrative action, as defined in section 222
267	289		1-91, or executive action, or (B) during a legislative session for the 223
268	290		purpose of influencing legislative action; 224
269	291		(8) An organization expenditure by a party committee, legislative 225
270	292		caucus committee or legislative leadership committee; 226
271	293		(9) A commercial advertisement that refers to an owner, director or 227
	294	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	295	+
	296	+
	297	+
	298	+	LCO No. 5028 9 of 10
	299	+
272	300		officer of a business entity who is also a candidate and that had 228
273	301		previously been broadcast or appeared when the owner, director or 229
274	302		officer was not a candidate; 230
275	303		(10) A communication containing an endorsement on behalf of a 231
276	304		candidate for nomination or election to the office of Governor, 232
277	305		Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State 233
278	306		Comptroller, Attorney General, state senator or state representative, 234
279	307		from a candidate for the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 235
280	308		Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney 236
281	309		General, state senator or state representative, shall not be an 237
282		-	expenditure attributable to the endorsing candidate, if the candidate 238 Substitute Bill No. 7128
283		-
284		-
285		-	LCO 9 of 10
286		-
	310	+	expenditure attributable to the endorsing candidate, if the candidate 238
287	311		making the endorsement is unopposed at the time of the 239
288	312		communication; 240
289	313		(11) A communication that is sent by mail to addresses in the district 241
290	314		for which a candidate being endorsed by another candidate pursuant to 242
291	315		the provisions of this subdivision is seeking nomination or election to 243
292	316		the office of state senator or state representative, containing an 244
293	317		endorsement on behalf of such candidate for such nomination or 245
294	318		election, from a candidate for the office of state senator or state 246
295	319		representative, shall not be an expenditure attributable to the endorsing 247
296	320		candidate, if the candidate making the endorsement is not seeking 248
297	321		election to the office of state senator or state representative for a district 249
298	322		that contains any geographical area shared by the district for the office 250
299	323		to which the endorsed candidate is seeking nomination or election; 251
300	324		(12) Campaign training events provided to multiple individuals by a 252
301	325		legislative caucus committee and any associated materials, provided the 253
302	326		cumulative value of such events and materials does not exceed six 254
303	327		thousand dollars in the aggregate for a calendar year; 255
304	328		(13) A lawful communication by any charitable organization which is 256
305	329		a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 257
306	330		Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal 258
	331	+	Raised Bill No. 7128
	332	+
	333	+
	334	+
	335	+	LCO No. 5028 10 of 10
	336	+
307	337		revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended; 259
308	338		(14) The use of offices, telephones, computers and similar equipment 260
309	339		provided by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or 261
310	340		legislative leadership committee that serve as headquarters for or are 262
311	341		used by such party committee, legislative caucus committee or 263
312	342		legislative leadership committee; [or] 264
313	343		(15) An expense or expenses incurred by a human being acting alone 265
314	344		in an amount that is two hundred dollars or less, in the aggregate, that 266
315	345		benefits a candidate for a single election; or 267
316	346		(16) With respect to an online platform that collects any contribution 268
317		-	from a contributor and transmits such contribution to a committee, the 269 Substitute Bill No. 7128
318		-
319		-
320		-	LCO 10 of 10
321		-
	347	+	from a contributor and transmits such contribution to a committee, the 269
322	348		use of such online platform to request a voluntary payment made by 270
323	349		such contributor to such online platform, which is (A) in addition to 271
324	350		such contribution, and (B) used by such online platform to conduct its 272
325	351		operations. 273
326		-	Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective from passage) An online platform that collects 274
327		-	a contribution, as defined in section 9-601a of the general statutes, as 275
328		-	amended by this act, from a contributor and transmits such contribution 276
329		-	to a committee, as defined in section 9-601 of the general statutes, shall 277
330		-	not allow for automatically recurring contributions to be made from a 278
331		-	contributor without the affirmative consent of such contributor. Passive 279
332		-	action or inaction on the part of a contributor, such as failure to uncheck 280
333		-	a prechecked box authorizing an automatically recurring contribution, 281
334		-	shall not satisfy the requirement of affirmative consent under this 282
335		-	section. 283
336	352		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
337	353		sections:
338	354
339	355		Section 1 from passage 9-601a(b)
340	356		Sec. 2 from passage 9-601b(b)
341		-	Sec. 3 from passage New section
342	357
343		-	GAE Joint Favorable Subst.
	358	+	Statement of Purpose:
	359	+	To exclude (1) certain voluntary payments given by contributors to
	360	+	online political donation platforms from the definition of "contribution",
	361	+	and (2) the use of such online platforms to request such voluntary
	362	+	payments from the definition of "expenditure".
	363	+
	364	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	365	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	366	+	underlined.]
344	367