2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 9 - Elections
Chapter 155 - Elections: Campaign Financing
Section 9-601a - (Formerly Sec. 9-333b). “Contribution” defined.

(a) As used in this chapter and chapter 157, “contribution” means:

(1) Any gift, subscription, loan, advance, payment or deposit of money or anything of value, made to promote the success or defeat of any candidate seeking the nomination for election, or election or for the purpose of aiding or promoting the success or defeat of any referendum question or the success or defeat of any political party;

(2) A written contract, promise or agreement to make a contribution for any such purpose;

(3) The payment by any person, other than a candidate or treasurer, of compensation for the personal services of any other person which are rendered without charge to a committee or candidate for any such purpose;

(4) An expenditure that is not an independent expenditure; or

(5) Funds received by a committee which are transferred from another committee or other source for any such purpose.

(b) As used in this chapter and chapter 157, “contribution” does not mean:

(1) A loan of money made in the ordinary course of business by a national or state bank;

(2) Any communication made by a corporation, organization or association solely to its members, owners, stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, or their families;

(3) Nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns by any corporation, organization or association aimed at its members, owners, stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, or their families;

(4) Uncompensated services provided by individuals volunteering their time on behalf of a party committee, political committee, slate committee or candidate committee, including any services provided for the benefit of nonparticipating and participating candidates under the Citizens' Election Program and any unreimbursed travel expenses made by an individual who volunteers the individual's personal services to any such committee. For purposes of this subdivision, an individual is a volunteer if such individual is not receiving compensation for such services regardless of whether such individual received compensation in the past or may receive compensation for similar services that may be performed in the future;

(5) The use of real or personal property, a portion or all of the cost of invitations and the cost of food or beverages, voluntarily provided by an individual to a candidate, including a nonparticipating or participating candidate under the Citizens' Election Program, or to a party, political or slate committee, in rendering voluntary personal services at the individual's residential premises or a community room in the individual's residence facility, to the extent that the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any candidate or committee does not exceed four hundred dollars with respect to any single event or does not exceed eight hundred dollars for any such event hosted by two or more individuals, provided at least one such individual owns or resides at the residential premises, and further provided the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any such candidate or committee does not exceed eight hundred dollars with respect to a calendar year or single election, as the case may be;

(6) The sale of food or beverage for use by a party, political, slate or candidate committee, including those for a participating or nonparticipating candidate, at a discount, if the charge is not less than the cost to the vendor, to the extent that the cumulative value of the discount given to or on behalf of any single candidate committee does not exceed four hundred dollars with respect to any single primary or election, or to or on behalf of any party, political or slate committee, does not exceed six hundred dollars in a calendar year;

(7) The display of a lawn sign by a human being or on real property;

(8) The payment, by a party committee or slate committee of the costs of preparation, display, mailing or other distribution incurred by the committee or individual with respect to any printed slate card, sample ballot or other printed list containing the names of three or more candidates;

(9) The donation of any item of personal property by an individual to a committee for a fund-raising affair, including a tag sale or auction, or the purchase by an individual of any such item at such an affair, to the extent that the cumulative value donated or purchased does not exceed one hundred dollars;

(10) (A) The purchase of advertising space which clearly identifies the purchaser, in a program for a fund-raising affair sponsored by the candidate committee of a candidate for an office of a municipality, provided the cumulative purchase of such space does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars from any single such candidate or the candidate's committee with respect to any single election campaign if the purchaser is a business entity or fifty dollars for purchases by any other person;

(B) The purchase of advertising space which clearly identifies the purchaser, in a program for a fund-raising affair or on signs at a fund-raising affair sponsored by a party committee or a political committee, other than an exploratory committee, provided the cumulative purchase of such space does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars from any single party committee or a political committee, other than an exploratory committee, in any calendar year if the purchaser is a business entity or fifty dollars for purchases by any other person. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subparagraph, the following may not purchase advertising space in a program for a fund-raising affair or on signs at a fund-raising affair sponsored by a party committee or a political committee, other than an exploratory committee: (i) A communicator lobbyist, (ii) a member of the immediate family of a communicator lobbyist, (iii) a state contractor, (iv) a prospective state contractor, or (v) a principal of a state contractor or prospective state contractor. As used in this subparagraph, “state contractor”, “prospective state contractor” and “principal of a state contractor or prospective state contractor” have the same meanings as provided in subsection (f) of section 9-612;

(11) The payment of money by a candidate to the candidate's candidate committee, provided the committee is for a nonparticipating candidate;

(12) The donation of goods or services by a business entity to a committee for a fund-raising affair, including a tag sale or auction, to the extent that the cumulative value donated does not exceed two hundred dollars;

(13) The advance of a security deposit by an individual to a telephone company, as defined in section 16-1, for telecommunications service for a committee or to another utility company, such as an electric distribution company, provided the security deposit is refunded to the individual;

(14) The provision of facilities, equipment, technical and managerial support, and broadcast time by a community antenna television company, as defined in section 16-1, for community access programming pursuant to section 16-331a, unless (A) the major purpose of providing such facilities, equipment, support and time is to influence the nomination or election of a candidate, or (B) such facilities, equipment, support and time are provided on behalf of a political party;

(15) The sale of food or beverage by a town committee to an individual at a town fair, county fair, local festival or similar mass gathering held within the state, to the extent that the cumulative payment made by any one individual for such items does not exceed fifty dollars;

(16) An organization expenditure by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee;

(17) The donation of food or beverage by an individual for consumption at a slate, candidate, political committee or party committee meeting, event or activity that is not a fund-raising affair to the extent that the cumulative value of the food or beverages donated by an individual for a single meeting or event does not exceed fifty dollars;

(18) The value associated with the de minimis activity on behalf of a party committee, political committee, slate committee or candidate committee, including for activities including, but not limited to, (A) the creation of electronic or written communications or digital photos or video as part of an electronic file created on a voluntary basis without compensation, including, but not limited to, the creation and ongoing content development and delivery of social media on the Internet or telephone, including, but not limited to, the sending or receiving of electronic mail or messages, (B) the posting or display of a candidate's name or group of candidates' names at a town fair, county fair, local festival or similar mass gathering by a party committee, (C) the use of personal property or a service that is customarily attendant to the occupancy of a residential dwelling, or the donation of an item or items of personal property that are customarily used for campaign purposes, by an individual, to a candidate committee, provided the cumulative fair market value of such use of personal property or service or items of personal property does not exceed one hundred dollars in the aggregate for any single election or calendar year, as the case may be;

(19) The use of offices, telephones, computers and similar equipment provided by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee that serve as headquarters for or are used by such party committee, legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee;

(20) A communication, as described in subdivision (7) of subsection (b) of section 9-601b;

(21) An independent expenditure, as defined in section 9-601c;

(22) A communication containing an endorsement on behalf of a candidate for nomination or election to the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney General, state senator or state representative, from a candidate for the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney General, state senator or state representative, provided the candidate (A) making the endorsement is unopposed at the time of the communication, and (B) being endorsed paid for such communication;

(23) A communication that is sent by mail to addresses in the district for which a candidate being endorsed by another candidate pursuant to this subdivision is seeking nomination or election to the office of state senator or state representative, containing an endorsement on behalf of such candidate for such nomination or election from a candidate for the office of state senator or state representative, provided the candidate (A) making the endorsement is not seeking election to the office of state senator or state representative for a district that contains any geographical area shared by the district for the office to which the endorsed candidate is seeking nomination or election, and (B) being endorsed paid for such communication; or

(24) Campaign training events provided to multiple individuals by a legislative caucus committee and any associated materials, provided the cumulative value of such events and materials does not exceed six thousand dollars in the aggregate for a calendar year.

(c) The provisions of subdivision (5) of subsection (b) of this section concerning the cost of invitations shall not be construed as preventing the candidate or the party, political or slate committee from paying all or any portion of such costs, in which case such amount paid by such candidate or committee shall not count toward the calculation of the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided pursuant to said subdivision (5).

(P.A. 86-99, S. 3, 34; P.A. 87-576, S. 2, 6; P.A. 91-407, S. 35, 42; P.A. 92-246, S. 2, 5; P.A. 95-144, S. 5, 11; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-5, S. 9, 19; P.A. 99-264; P.A. 02-130, S. 4; Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5, S. 19; P.A. 10-187, S. 3; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 13; P.A. 11-48, S. 286; 11-61, S. 101; 11-139, S. 3; P.A. 13-180, S. 2; P.A. 14-134, S. 45.)

History: P.A. 87-576, in Subsec. (b)(9), changed $30 to $50 and, in Subsec. (b)(10), changed from purchase of single ticket to fund-raising affair to extent purchase price of ticket does not exceed $15 to purchase of “tickets” to any “single” fund-raising affair to extent “aggregate” purchase price of “all” such “tickets” does not exceed $30; P.A. 91-407 added Subsec. (b)(14) excluding advance of security deposit to telephone company from definition of “contribution”; P.A. 92-246 amended Subsec. (b)(11) to revise the exception from “contribution” for purchase of advertising space in a fund-raising affair program; P.A. 95-144 made technical changes; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-5 repealed Subsec. (b)(10) re purchase of tickets to single fund-raising affair when aggregate price does not exceed $30, and renumbered remaining Subdivs., effective July 1, 1997, and applicable to elections and primaries held on or after January 1, 1998; P.A. 99-264 added Subsec. (b)(14) re the provision of facilities, equipment, support and broadcast time by a community antenna television company for community access programming unless the purpose is to influence the nomination or election of a candidate or the facilities, equipment, support and time are provided on behalf of a political party; P.A. 02-130 amended Subsec. (b) by making technical changes in Subdivs. (7), (10), (11) and (14) and by adding Subdiv. (15) re sale of food or beverage by town committee at a fair or similar mass gathering, effective January 1, 2003, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after said date; Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5 applied provisions to Secs. 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, amended Subsec. (a)(4) by adding “including a coordinated expenditure”, amended Subsec. (b)(10) by designating existing provisions as Subpara. (A), limiting same to program for fund-raising affair sponsored by candidate committee of candidate for office of a municipality and adding Subpara. (B) re purchase of advertising space in program for fund-raising affair sponsored by town committee, and added Subsec. (b)(16) re organization expenditure by party committee, legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee, effective December 31, 2006, and applicable to elections held on or after that date; Sec. 9-333b transferred to Sec. 9-601a in 2007; P.A. 10-187 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing language re coordinated expenditure with exception for independent expenditure in Subdiv. (4) and by making a technical change, effective June 8, 2010; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1 amended Subsec. (b) by adding Subdiv. (17) re donation of food or beverage by an individual, Subdiv. (18) re value associated with de minimis campaign activity and Subdiv. (19) re display of a lawn sign, effective August 13, 2010, and applicable to primaries and elections held on and after that date; P.A. 11-48 amended Subsec. (b)(4) by adding provisions stating on behalf of whom the services are provided and describing an individual, amended Subsec. (b)(5) by replacing “or on behalf of a state central or town committee” with language re nonparticipating or participating candidate, party, political or slate committee, including community room, and limiting restriction to single event not to exceed $400 in the case of an individual hosting, or in the case of two or more individuals hosting, $800, amended Subsec. (b)(6) by replacing language re use in a candidate's campaign or by state central or town committee with language re party, political, slate or candidate committee, and by changing $200 limitation to $400 and $400 limitation to $600, amended Subsec. (b)(7) by replacing language re unreimbursed payment for travel with language re lawn sign, amended Subsec. (b)(8) by replacing “political committee or an individual” with “or slate committee”, amended Subsec. (b)(9) by replacing “fifty dollars” with “one hundred dollars”, amended Subsec. (b)(10) by adding language re signs at a fund-raising affair, amended Subsec. (b)(11) by adding proviso re committee for nonparticipating candidate, amended Subsec. (b)(12) by replacing “one hundred dollars” with “two hundred dollars”, amended Subsec. (b)(13) by adding language re another utility company, amended Subsec. (b)(15) by adding “local festival”, amended Subsec. (b)(17) by replacing “legislative caucus, legislative leadership” with “political committee”, amended Subsec. (b)(18) by replacing “de minimis campaign activity” with “de minimis activity”, by deleting language re legislative caucus and legislative leadership committees and language re activity undertaken for the benefit of a participating or nonparticipating candidate, by replacing language re sending of messages from an individual's computer or cellular phone with Subparas. (A), (B) and (C) re electronic or written communications, posting or display of names and use of personal property or service, and by defining “social media”, deleted former Subsec. (b)(19) re lawn sign and made technical changes, effective January 1, 2012, and applicable to primaries and elections held on and after that date; P.A. 11-61 amended Subsec. (b)(7) by adding “on” re real property, effective January 1, 2012, and applicable to primaries and elections held on or after that date; P.A. 11-139 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 8, 2011; P.A. 13-180 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing language re purpose of influencing with language re promotion of the success or defeat of a candidate or party in Subdiv. (1) and by replacing “campaign treasurer” with “treasurer” in Subdiv. (3), amended Subsec. (b) by adding “solely” in Subdiv. (2), by replacing language re such services in the future with language re similar services that may be performed in the future in Subdiv. (4), by adding language specifying that the costs associated with invitations may be portioned, replacing restriction re calendar year or primary or general election with respect to the cumulative value provided to a single candidate or committee with restriction re single event and making technical changes in Subdiv. (5), by replacing “town committee” with “party committee or a political committee, other than an exploratory committee” and making technical changes in Subdiv. (10)(B), by adding language re digital photos or video and deleting definition of “social media” in Subdiv. (18) and by adding Subdivs. (19) to (24) re use of offices and equipment, a communication described in Sec. 9-601b, an independent expenditure, a communication endorsing another candidate and campaign training events, and added Subsec. (c) re prohibition against construing language to prevent candidate or committee from paying all or portion of cost of invitations, effective June 18, 2013; P.A. 14-134 amended Subsec. (b)(13) by changing “electric company” to “electric distribution company”, effective June 6, 2014.