2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 9 - Elections
Chapter 155 - Elections: Campaign Financing
Section 9-605 - (Formerly Sec. 9-333g). Political committees; designation of campaign treasurer; registration statement, time for filing, contents of statement. Exception. Limits on establishment of political committees. Legislative caucus committees. Legislative leadership committees.

(a) The chairperson of each political committee shall designate a campaign treasurer and may designate a deputy campaign treasurer. The campaign treasurer and any deputy campaign treasurer so designated shall sign a statement accepting the designation. The chairperson of each political committee shall file a registration statement described in subsection (b) of this section along with the statement signed by the designated campaign treasurer and deputy campaign treasurer with the proper authority, within ten days after its organization, provided that the chairperson of any political committee organized within ten days prior to any primary, election or referendum in connection with which it intends to make any contributions or expenditures, shall immediately file a registration statement.

(b) The registration statement shall include: (1) The name and address of the committee; (2) a statement of the purpose of the committee; (3) the name and address of its campaign treasurer, and deputy campaign treasurer if applicable; (4) the name, address and position of its chairman, and other principal officers if applicable; (5) the name and address of the depository institution for its funds; (6) the name of each person, other than an individual, that is a member of the committee; (7) the name and party affiliation of each candidate whom the committee is supporting and the office or position sought by each candidate; (8) if the committee is supporting the entire ticket of any party, a statement to that effect and the name of the party; (9) if the committee is supporting or opposing any referendum question, a brief statement identifying the substance of the question; (10) if the committee is established by a business entity or organization, the name of the entity or organization; (11) if the committee is established by an organization, whether it will receive its funds from the organization’s treasury or from voluntary contributions; (12) if the committee files reports with the Federal Elections Commission or any out-of-state agency, a statement to that effect including the name of the agency; (13) a statement indicating whether the committee is established for a single primary, election or referendum or for ongoing political activities; (14) if the committee is established or controlled by a lobbyist, a statement to that effect and the name of the lobbyist; (15) the name and address of the person making the initial contribution or disbursement, if any, to the committee; and (16) any information that the State Elections Enforcement Commission requires to facilitate compliance with the provisions of this chapter or chapter 157. If no such initial contribution or disbursement has been made at the time of the filing of such statement, the campaign treasurer of the committee shall, not later than forty-eight hours after receipt of such contribution or disbursement, file a report with the State Elections Enforcement Commission. The report shall be in the same form as statements filed under section 9-608.

(c) The chairman of each political committee shall report any addition to or change in information previously submitted in a statement of organization to the proper authority not later than ten days after the addition or change.

(d) A group of two or more individuals who have joined solely to promote the success or defeat of a referendum question shall not be required to file as a political committee, make such designations in accordance with subsections (a) and (b) of this section or file statements pursuant to section 9-608, if the group does not receive or expend in excess of one thousand dollars for the entire campaign. If the group receives funds or makes or incurs expenditures exceeding one thousand dollars in the aggregate, the group shall complete the statement of organization and file as a political committee not later than three business days thereafter. The group shall provide the designated campaign treasurer with all information required for completion of the statements for filing as required by section 9-608.

(e) (1) No individual shall establish or control more than one political committee. The indicia of establishment or control of a political committee by an individual includes the individual serving as chairperson or campaign treasurer of the committee and may include, but shall not be limited to, the individual making the initial contribution to the committee. Such indicia shall not include (A) an individual communicating with (i) an officer of the political committee, or (ii) any individual establishing or controlling the political committee, or (B) the individual monitoring contributions made by the political committee. Any individual who, on December 31, 2006, has established or controls more than one political committee shall, not later than thirty days after said date, disavow all but one of such committees, in writing, to the State Elections Enforcement Commission. The provisions of this subdivision shall not apply to the establishment of an exploratory committee by an elected public official.

(2) The members of the same political party in a house of the General Assembly may establish a single legislative caucus committee. The chairperson of each such committee shall certify the designation of such committee as a legislative caucus committee and shall file such certification along with the statement of organization pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Each such committee shall be identified in such designation by the house of the General Assembly in which such legislators serve and the political party to which they belong. A legislative caucus committee shall not be subject to the limitation in subdivision (1) of this subsection on the establishment or control of one political committee by any individual.

(3) The speaker of the House of Representatives, majority leader of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore of the Senate and majority leader of the Senate may each establish a single legislative leadership committee, and the minority leader of the House of Representatives and the minority leader of the Senate may each establish two legislative leadership committees. The chairperson of each such committee shall certify the designation of such committee as a legislative leadership committee and shall file such certification along with the statement of organization pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. Each such committee shall be identified in such designation by the General Assembly leader who establishes the committee. A legislative leadership committee shall not be subject to the limitation in subdivision (1) of this subsection on the establishment or control of one political committee by any individual.

(P.A. 86-99, S. 8, 34; P.A. 87-524, S. 2, 7; P.A. 88-296, S. 1, 2; P.A. 91-351, S. 6, 28; P.A. 95-144, S. 7; P.A. 96-119, S. 8, 14; P.A. 02-130, S. 7; Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5, S. 23; P.A. 08-2, S. 4; P.A. 10-187, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 87-524 added Subsec. (b)(14), re lobbyists; P.A. 88-296 added Subsec. (d) re information required on each check issued by campaign treasurer of a political committee to a committee; P.A. 91-351 inserted “or position” in Subsec. (b)(7), transferred former Subsec. (d) to Sec. 9-333i(m) and added new Subsec. (d) re exemption from political committee and filing requirements for group of individuals joining to promote success or defeat of referendum question; P.A. 95-144 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision that deputy campaign treasurer serve only in event that campaign treasurer unable to perform his duties; P.A. 96-119 added provisions in Subsec. (a) to require the designated campaign treasurer and deputy campaign treasurer to sign and file a statement accepting designation, effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 02-130 amended Subsec. (d) by changing $500 to $1,000 re applicable expenditure limit, effective January 1, 2003, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after said date; Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5 amended Subsec. (b) to add Subdiv. (15) requiring statement to include name and address of person making initial contribution or disbursement to committee and to require report if no contribution or disbursement has been made at time of filing statement, made a technical change in Subsec. (c) and added Subsec. (e) prohibiting individuals from establishing or controlling more than one political committee and authorizing establishment of limited number of legislative caucus committees and legislative leadership committees, effective December 31, 2006, and applicable to elections held on or after that date; Sec. 9-333g transferred to Sec. 9-605 in 2007; P.A. 08-2 changed “statement of organization” to “registration statement” in Subsecs. (a) and (b) and amended Subsec. (b) to replace “by or on behalf of” with “or controlled by” in Subdiv. (14) and add Subdiv. (16) re information State Elections Enforcement Commission requires to facilitate compliance, effective April 7, 2008; P.A. 10-187 amended Subsec. (d) by deleting provisions re agent filing certification and making conforming changes, effective June 8, 2010.