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repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2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