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OLR Bill Analysis
SB 1405
AN ACT MODIFYING CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS AND THE
POWERS OF THE STATE ELECTIONS ENFORCEMENT
COMMISSION.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
SUMMARY
§ 1 — CAMPAIGN FINANCE DEFINITIONS
Makes related changes to the state campaign finance law’s definitions of the terms
“organization expenditure” and “solicit” regarding the sharing of content created by a
candidate committee or on behalf of a candidate
§§ 2-3 — DISCLAIMER REQUIREMENTS
Modifies disclaimer requirements for certain political communications and advertisements by
(1) modifying who must be listed in the disclaimer for certain committees, (2) generally
applying them to text messages, and (3) removing certain requirements to include an audio
disclaimer for video communications or advertisements
§ 4 — SEEC AUDITS
Reduces the maximum percentage of candidate committees SEEC may audit after an election
or primary from 50% to 20%
§§ 5 & 6 — SEEC AUTHORITY
Subjects SEEC declaratory rulings, advisory opinions, and guidance documents to certain
restrictions or oversight requirements
§§ 7 & 8 — CEP QUALIFYING CONTRIBUTIONS
Makes various changes regarding CEP qualifying contributions, including when and how they
are adjusted for inflation, procedures for returning and reviewing non-qualifying contributions,
and modifying grant application requirements
§ 9 — LIVESTREAM OF COMMIS SION MEETINGS
Requires SEEC to livestream its meetings
§ 9 — APPOINTMENT OF SEEC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Creates a legislative advise and consent process for the SEEC executive director position,
including filling any vacancies
§§ 10-11 — CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE EXEMPTIONS
Increases the amount an individual or group may spend on certain events for invitations, food,
and beverages without being subject to certain campaign finance requirements
BACKGROUND 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes to the state’s campaign finance laws
as described in the section-by-section analysis below.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2025, except that provisions increasing the
maximum spent on invitations, food, and beverages are effective upon
passage.
§ 1 — CAMPAIGN FINANCE DEFINITIONS
Makes related changes to the state campaign finance law’s definitions of the terms
“organization expenditure” and “solicit” regarding the sharing of content created by a
candidate committee or on behalf of a candidate
Organization Expenditure
By law, organization expenditures are made by legislative caucus,
legislative leadership, or party committees to benefit candidates or their
committees. Under existing law, organization expenditures may be
made to prepare, display, or distribute a party candidate listing. The bill
specifies that this includes (1) electronically sharing, posting, or
forwarding content created by a candidate committee or another
committee on behalf of a candidate; (2) using personal email lists or
existing e-mail accounts used for these activities; and (3) other de
minimus activities that may or may not be related to fundraising.
Under existing law, a “party candidate listing” is a communication
that (1) lists the name or names of candidates for election; (2) is
distributed through public advertising (e.g., cable television,
newspapers, or similar media), direct mail, telephone, electronic mail,
publicly accessible Internet sites, or personal delivery; and (3) is made
to promote the success or defeat of a candidate or slate of candidates
seeking nomination or election, or to aid or promote the success or
defeat of a referendum question or a political party. The communication
may not be a solicitation for or on behalf of a candidate committee.
Solicit
The state’s campaign finance law generally regulates when and how
committees may solicit contributions for public office, and requires
filing certain information relating to soliciting activities. Under existing 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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law, to “solicit” is to (1) request contributions; (2) participate in
fundraising activities for a committee; (3) serve as a committee’s
chairperson, treasurer, or deputy treasurer; or (4) establish political
committees for the sole purpose of obtaining contributions.
It generally does not include (1) making permitted contributions, (2)
informing a person about a candidate’s or public official’s position, (3)
providing notice about a candidate’s activities or contact information,
(4) serving as a party committee member or officer as allowed by law,
and (5) attending a fundraiser.
The bill additionally exempts electronically sharing a link to a
fundraising website or an invitation to a fundraising event by a
legislative caucus, legislative leadership, or a party committee.
§§ 2-3 — DISCLAIMER REQUIREMENTS
Modifies disclaimer requirements for certain political communications and advertisements
by (1) modifying who must be listed in the disclaimer for certain committees, (2) generally
applying them to text messages, and (3) removing certain requirements to include an
audio disclaimer for video communications or advertisements
Disclaimer Requirements (§ 2)
Under state law, any written, typed, or printed communication
(including online) from committees that promotes a candidate’s success
or defeat, promotes or opposes a political party, or solicits funds for a
political party or a committee generally must include certain
information. The disclaimer must include the words (1) “paid for by”
followed by a specified individual name or address depending on the
approving entity and (2) “approved by” followed by the candidate’s
name.
Current law specifies that all committees, other than party
committees, must list the committee’s and the treasurer’s names after
“paid for by.” The bill eliminates the requirement that the treasurer be
listed. In doing so, it requires these committees to list only the
committee’s name, as is the case for party committees under existing
law.
Similarly, under current law, political committees formed solely to 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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promote the success or defeat of a referendum question must disclose
the name of its treasurer in any written, typed, or printed
communication promoting the referendum’s success or defeat. The bill
removes the requirement to include the treasurer’s name but maintains
existing law’s requirement to include the name of the committee making
the expenditure.
Text Messages (§ 2)
The bill extends existing law’s disclaimer requirements for written,
typed, or printed communications to include text messages. It also
specifies that for text messages, displaying the required disclaimer in
the initial text message or including a link in the message to a website
where the disclaimer appears satisfies the requirement.
Television and Internet Video (§§ 2 & 3)
Current law generally requires that television or internet video
advertising by a candidate or exploratory committee that promotes the
success or defeat of a candidate include a disclaimer at the end of the
advertisement. The bill requires that this disclaimer occur during the
advertisement instead of at the end.
It also eliminates the requirement that the advertisement include the
candidate’s voice and a simultaneous, personal audio message, in the
following form: “I am .... (candidate’s name) and I approved this
message.” Existing law, unchanged by the bill, requires the
advertisement to include, for at least four seconds, a clearly (1)
identifiable photo or similar image of the candidate making the
expenditure and (2) readable printed statement identifying the
candidate and indicating that he or she has approved the advertising.
The advertisement must also include the candidate’s name and image
in the advertisement’s narrative before its end.
Similarly, under current law, independent expenditures (see below)
for video broadcasts by television, satellite, or internet must contain
both an audio and a written message (1) stating that “This message was
paid for by (person making the communication) and made independent
of any candidate or political party” and (2) in certain cases, listing the 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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five largest donors to the person making the expenditure in the past 12
months. The bill eliminates the requirement for the broadcast to include
an audio message but maintains the written statement requirement. (An
“independent expenditure” is an expenditure made without the
consent, coordination, or consultation of a (1) candidate or candidate’s
agent, (2) candidate committee, (3) political committee, or (4) party
committee (CGS § 9-601c).)
§ 4 — SEEC AUDITS
Reduces the maximum percentage of candidate committees SEEC may audit after an
election or primary from 50% to 20%
State law authorizes the State Elections Enforcement Commission
(SEEC) to audit candidate committees after elections and primaries for
compliance with campaign finance laws. The bill reduces, from 50% to
20%, the maximum percentage of candidate committees that SEEC may
audit as determined by a weighted lottery system.
§§ 5 & 6 — SEEC AUTHORITY
Subjects SEEC declaratory rulings, advisory opinions, and guidance documents to certain
restrictions or oversight requirements
Existing law generally authorizes SEEC to oversee and advise on
state campaign finance laws. The bill explicitly requires SEEC to issue
declaratory rulings under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act.
It also restricts SEEC from issuing declaratory rulings or advisory
opinions on the Citizen’s Election Program (CEP) within 180 days of a
state election. Under the bill, this restriction must not be construed to
limit SEEC’s ability to provide general guidance or clarification on the
program.
The bill also subjects SEEC’s guidance documents on campaign
finance and CEP laws to certain approval requirements. Starting July 1,
2025, any new or revised SEEC guidance must be submitted to the
Government Oversight Committee along with a summary of any
changes in the law that the commission is seeking to clarify.
The committee must hold a public hearing within 30 days after the
guidance’s submission and may reject any guidance by a majority vote.
If the committee fails to approve or reject the guidance within those 30 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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days, it is deemed approved and SEEC may issue and publish it.
§§ 7 & 8 — CEP QUALIFYING CONTRIBUTIONS
Makes various changes regarding CEP qualifying contributions, including when and how
they are adjusted for inflation, procedures for returning and reviewing non-qualifying
contributions, and modifying grant application requirements
Inflationary Adjustments (§ 7)
By law, candidates qualify for the CEP by raising a certain number of
qualifying contributions (QCs), which must come from individual
donors. Individual QC amounts may range from $5 to $250, but state
law also requires SEEC to adjust the maximum individual QC amount
for inflation. For the 2024 election the inflation-adjusted maximum was
$320. In practice, candidates may obtain QCs before these adjustments
occur, but the candidates are limited to collecting the statutory
maximum of $250 until the adjustment goes into effect.
The bill requires that starting December 30, 2025, the adjusted
individual QC amount continue to apply until SEEC makes its next
inflationary adjustment. It also specifies that if the maximum amount
would be lower after being adjusted for inflation, the adjustment must
be ignored, and the maximum from the immediatel y preceding
adjustment must be maintained.
Additionally, under current law, SEEC must (1) publish the adjusted
amounts by January 15 in the year of the applicable election and (2) base
the adjusted amounts on inflationary changes from January 1 in a
specified year through December 31 in the year before the adjustment
must be made (e.g., through December 31, 2023, for the 2024 election).
Starting January 1, 2026, the bill shifts these dates back 16 days and
requires SEEC to publish the adjusted amounts by December 30 in the
applicable year and base them on inflationary changes between
December 16 of the year before the adjustment to December 15 of the
adjustment year.
Return of QCs (§ 7)
By law and unchanged by the bill, a contribution is not a QC if (1) it
is from a principal of a state contractor or prospective state contractor, 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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(2) it is less than five dollars, (3) the contributor does not provide his or
her full name and address, (4) it is from an out-of-state resident to a
candidate for statewide office and exceeds the applicable limit on out-
of-state contributions, or (5) the contributor is under age 12.
If a candidate committee receives a contribution that does not meet
the QC criteria, current law authorizes the committee’s treasurer to
either (1) return it to the contributor or (2) submit it to SEEC for deposit
in the Citizens’ Election Fund (CEF, which funds the CEP).
The bill instead generally requires treasurers to return contributions
that do not qualify if they were (1) received from state contractor
principals, out-of-state residents, or underage children or (2) for less
than five dollars. If the contribution is for five dollars or more and from
a contributor who did not provide his or her full name and address, the
treasurer must return the contribution, if practicable, or transmit it to
SEEC for deposit in the CEF.
Grant Applications (§ 8)
Under existing law, candidates seeking a CEP grant must file an
application with SEEC and provide a written certification of certain
information, including that the applicant has complied with the law’s
requirements for returning non-qualifying contributions. The
committee must also submit a cumulative itemized accounting of all
funds received, expenditures made, and expenses incurred but not yet
paid, as of three days before the application’s filing date.
The bill instead requires applicants to certify they have (1) whenever
practicable, returned contributions of five dollars or more from a person
who did not include their name and address; (2) taken reasonable efforts
to return all other non-qualifying contributions; and (3) transmitted any
excess contributions to the CEF.
SEEC Review of Grant Application (§ 8)
For QCs submitted to SEEC as part of a CEP grant application, the
bill requires the commission to (1) notify the candidate committee about
any contribution that does not meet the QC criteria and (2) return any 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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non-qualifying contributions to the committee. Under the bill, SEEC
must also cite the applicable statutory reason for its determination. The
bill also establishes a presumption that all information on a contribution
certification form is accurate, and the presumption may only be rebutted
by proof based on the commission’s prior investigative findings.
The bill prohibits the commission from disqualifying a contribution
because the (1) residential and billing addresses associated with the
contribution do not match or (2) contribution was made in response to
an electronically shared link to a fundraising website or fundraising
event invitation.
Under state law, when the commission approves a CEP grant
application it must notify the state comptroller and the qualifying
candidate committee about the total grant amount to be received.
Generally, committees who apply 71 days or more before an election
receive a full grant, while those that apply later receive a percentage of
the full grant based on when they apply.
The bill requires the commission, when it notifies the comptroller, to
ensure and advise him that the qualified candidate committee is only
entitled to the full grant if the committee has submitted (1) an
affirmation, as part of its written certification, that the committee
received the required QCs at least 71 days before the election and (2) a
cumulative itemized accounting that demonstrates the committee
reasonably believes the certification to be accurate (see above).
§ 9 — LIVESTREAM OF COMMISSION MEETINGS
Requires SEEC to livestream its meetings
The bill requires all SEEC meetings noticed under the Freedom of
Information Act to be livestreamed on an internet website included in
the meeting’s notice. The website may not require any member of the
public to (1) create an account to access the site or (2) take action to
reconnect to the meeting if the commission goes into executive session.
The bill specifies that this does not require broadcasting an executive
session of the commission. 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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§ 9 — APPOINTMENT OF SEEC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Creates a legislative advise and consent process for the SEEC executive director position,
including filling any vacancies
Under current law, SEEC may hire employees needed to administer
the state’s campaign finance laws, including its executive director. The
bill establishes a legislative appointment process for the executive
director position, including when it is vacant.
Under the bill, by March 1, 2027, and every four years after that, the
commission must appoint a person to serve at their pleasure for up to a
four-year term, unless reappointed for additional terms. The
appointment must be approved by either the Senate or the House of
Representatives.
SEEC must submit a nomination for the executive director position
to either legislative chamber by February 1, 2027, and then every four
years after that. The chamber must immediately refer the nomination to
the Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee, which must
report, by resolution, on the nomination within 15 days after its referral
to the committee.
The legislative chamber must either confirm or reject the nomination
through a resolution. If approved, the nominee must take office on
March 1 of the year his or her appointment was submitted.
If the legislative chamber rejects the nominee before March 1, or if the
position becomes vacant during the regular legislative session, the
commission must submit a nominee within 30 days after the rejection or
vacancy occurring, as applicable. The legislative body receiving the
referral must follow the regular appointment process for approving the
nominee except the committee resolution must be made within 15
legislative days instead of calendar days as under the initial process. If
the nominee is approved by a resolution within 30 calendar days after
the submission, he or she serves at the commission’s pleasure, but for
no longer than the original appointment’s remaining term of office. If
the legislative body rejects the nomination within that period, SEEC
must generally submit a new nomination. 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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If a nomination is submitted less than 30 days before the General
Assembly’s constitutionally required adjournment date and the
legislative chamber does not act on the nomination, or if a vacancy
occurs while the legislature is not in session, then the commission may
fill the position until the sixth Wednesday of the next regular legislative
session. At the beginning of that session, SEEC must submit a nominee,
and the legislature must follow the process outlined above for when a
vacancy occurs during a regular session.
The bill prohibits someone who was nominated and rejected by the
legislature from serving as executive director during the legislative term
in which he or she was rejected.
§§ 10-11 — CONTRIBUTION AND EXPENDITURE EXEMPTIONS
Increases the amount an individual or group may spend on certain events for invitations,
food, and beverages without being subject to certain campaign finance requirements
Generally, state law subjects “expenditures” and “contributions” by
candidate, party, and political committees to campaign finance
reporting requirements, with certain exemptions. These exemptions
include certain amounts spent by an individual on behalf of any
candidate or committee for invitations, food, and beverages served at
the individual’s residence or a community room in the facility in which
they reside. The invitation, food, and beverage may be provided on
behalf of a candidate committee, regardless of CEP participation, and
party, political, or slate committees.
Under current law, the exempted amount for an individual may not
exceed $400 for a single event and $800 for the calendar year or a single
election. Current law also exempts up to $800 for any event hosted by
two or more individuals, subject to the cumulative total noted above, if
they own or reside at the residential premises.
The bill increases the maximum for a single event by $100, to $500. It
also increases the cumulative maximum and the maximum for joint
events by $200, to $1,000. 2025SB-01405-R000489-BA.DOCX
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BACKGROUND
Related Bills
SB 515, favorably reported by the Government Oversight Committee,
makes changes to the inflationary adjustment procedures for QCs.
SB 1407, favorably reported by the Government Oversight
Committee, makes changes to the procedures for auditing candidate
committees after an election or primary.
HB 7089, favorably reported by the Government Oversight
Committee, makes changes to the inflationary adjustment procedures
for QCs and amends the definitions of the terms “organization
expenditure” and “solicit.”
HB 7222, favorably reported by the Government Administration and
Elections (GAE) Committee, makes changes to the inflationary
adjustment procedures for QCs and amends the definitions of the terms
“organization expenditure” and “solicit.”
HB 7246, favorably reported by the GAE Committee, makes very
similar changes regarding campaign finance definitions, political
advertisements, SEEC audits and authority, and SEEC executive
director appointments, but it does not have provisions modifying the
CEP inflation adjustments.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Government Oversight Committee
Joint Favorable
Yea 12 Nay 0 (03/18/2025)