Section 9-601 - (Formerly Sec. 9-333a). General definitionsAs used in this chapter and chapter 157:
(1) "Committee" means a party committee, political committee or a candidate committee organized, as the case may be, for a single primary, election or referendum, or for ongoing political activities, to aid or promote the success or defeat of any political party, any one or more candidates for public office or the position of town committee member or any referendum question.(2) "Party committee" means a state central committee or a town committee. "Party committee" does not mean a party-affiliated or district, ward or borough committee which receives all of its funds from the state central committee of its party or from a single town committee with the same party affiliation. Any such committee so funded shall be construed to be a part of its state central or town committee for purposes of this chapter and chapter 157.(3) "Political committee" means (A) a committee organized by a business entity or organization, (B) persons other than individuals, or two or more individuals organized or acting jointly conducting their activities in or outside the state, (C) an exploratory committee, (D) a committee established by or on behalf of a slate of candidates in a primary for the office of justice of the peace, but does not mean a candidate committee or a party committee, (E) a legislative caucus committee, or (F) a legislative leadership committee.(4) "Candidate committee" means any committee designated by a single candidate, or established with the consent, authorization or cooperation of a candidate, for the purpose of a single primary or election and to aid or promote such candidate's candidacy alone for a particular public office or the position of town committee member, but does not mean a political committee or a party committee. For purposes of this chapter, "candidate committee" includes candidate committees for participating and nonparticipating candidates, unless the context of a provision clearly indicates otherwise.(5) "Exploratory committee" means a committee established by a candidate for a single primary or election (A) to determine whether to seek nomination or election to (i) the General Assembly, (ii) a state office, as defined in subsection (e) of section 9-610, or (iii) any other public office, and (B) if applicable, to aid or promote such candidate's candidacy for nomination to the General Assembly or any such state office.(6) "National committee" means the organization which according to the bylaws of a political party is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the party at the national level.(7) "Organization" means all labor organizations, (A) as defined in the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as from time to time amended, or (B) as defined in subdivision (9) of section 31-101, employee organizations as defined in subsection (d) of section 5-270 and subdivision (6) of section 7-467, bargaining representative organizations for teachers, any local, state or national organization, to which a labor organization pays membership or per capita fees, based upon its affiliation or membership, and trade or professional associations which receive their funds exclusively from membership dues, whether organized in or outside of this state, but does not mean a candidate committee, party committee or a political committee.(8) "Business entity" means the following, whether organized in or outside of this state: Stock corporations, banks, insurance companies, business associations, bankers associations, insurance associations, trade or professional associations which receive funds from membership dues and other sources, partnerships, joint ventures, private foundations, as defined in Section 509 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended; trusts or estates; corporations organized under sections 38a-175 to 38a-194, inclusive, 38a-199 to 38a-209, inclusive, and 38a-214 to 38a-225, inclusive, and chapters 594 to 597, inclusive; cooperatives, and any other association, organization or entity which is engaged in the operation of a business or profit-making activity; but does not include professional service corporations organized under chapter 594a and owned by a single individual, nonstock corporations which are not engaged in business or profit-making activity, organizations, as defined in subdivision (7) of this section, candidate committees, party committees and political committees as defined in this section. For purposes of this chapter, corporations which are component members of a controlled group of corporations, as those terms are defined in Section 1563 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as from time to time amended, shall be deemed to be one corporation.(9) "Individual" means a human being, a sole proprietorship, or a professional service corporation organized under chapter 594a and owned by a single human being.(10) "Person" means an individual, committee, firm, partnership, organization, association, syndicate, company trust, corporation, limited liability company or any other legal entity of any kind but does not mean the state or any political or administrative subdivision of the state.(11) "Candidate" means an individual who seeks nomination for election or election to public office whether or not such individual is elected, and for the purposes of this chapter and chapter 157, an individual shall be deemed to seek nomination for election or election if such individual has (A) been endorsed by a party or become eligible for a position on the ballot at an election or primary, or (B) solicited or received contributions, other than for a party committee, made expenditures or given such individual's consent to any other person, other than a party committee, to solicit or receive contributions or make expenditures with the intent to bring about such individual's nomination for election or election to any such office. "Candidate" also means a slate of candidates which is to appear on the ballot in a primary for the office of justice of the peace. For the purposes of sections 9-600 to 9-610, inclusive, and section 9-621, "candidate" also means an individual who is a candidate in a primary for town committee members.(12) "Treasurer" means the individual appointed by a candidate or by the chairperson of a party committee or a political committee to receive and disburse funds on behalf of the candidate or committee.(13) "Deputy treasurer" means the individual appointed by the candidate or by the chairperson of a committee to serve in the capacity of the treasurer if the treasurer is unable to perform the treasurer's duties.(14) "Solicitor" means an individual appointed by a treasurer of a committee to receive, but not to disburse, funds on behalf of the committee.(15) "Referendum question" means a question to be voted upon at any election or referendum, including a proposed constitutional amendment.(16) "Lobbyist" means a lobbyist, as defined in section 1-91, and "communicator lobbyist" means a communicator lobbyist, as defined in section 1-91, and "client lobbyist" means a client lobbyist, as defined in section 1-91.(17) "Business with which he is associated" means any business in which the contributor is a director, officer, owner, limited or general partner or holder of stock constituting five per cent or more of the total outstanding stock of any class. Officer refers only to the president, executive or senior vice-president or treasurer of such business.(18) "Agent" means a person authorized to act for or in place of another.(19) "Entity" means the following, whether organized in this or any other state: An organization, corporation, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, cooperative association, limited partnership, professional association, limited liability company and limited liability partnership. "Entity" includes any tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, and any tax-exempt political organization organized under Section 527 of said code.(20) "Federal account" means a depository account that is subject to the disclosure and contribution limits provided under the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended from time to time.(21) "Public funds" means funds belonging to, or under the control of, the state or a political subdivision of the state.(22) "Legislative caucus committee" means a committee established under subdivision (2) of subsection (e) of section 9-605 by the majority of the members of a political party who are also state representatives or state senators.(23) "Legislative leadership committee" means a committee established under subdivision (3) of subsection (e) of section 9-605 by a leader of the General Assembly.(24) "Immediate family" means the spouse or a dependent child of an individual.(25) "Organization expenditure" means an expenditure by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee for the benefit of a candidate or candidate committee for: (A) The preparation, display or mailing or other distribution of a party candidate listing. As used in this subparagraph, "party candidate listing" means any communication that meets the following criteria: (i) The communication lists the name or names of candidates for election to public office,(ii) the communication is distributed through public advertising such as broadcast stations, cable television, newspapers or similar media, or through direct mail, telephone, electronic mail, publicly accessible sites on the Internet or personal delivery, and(iii) the communication is made to promote the success or defeat of any candidate or slate of candidates 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, provided such communication is not a solicitation for or on behalf of a candidate committee;(B) A document in printed or electronic form, including a party platform, an electronic page providing merchant account services to be used by a candidate for the collection of on-line contributions, a copy of an issue paper, information pertaining to the requirements of this title, a list of registered voters and voter identification information, which document is created or maintained by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee for the general purposes of party or caucus building and is provided (i) to a candidate who is a member of the party that has established such party committee, or (ii) to a candidate who is a member of the party of the caucus or leader who has established such legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee, whichever is applicable;(C) A campaign event at which campaign materials are present and food or beverage may be provided, but at which no contribution shall be received, solicited or bundled; or(D) The retention of the services of an advisor or individual to provide assistance relating to a candidate's campaign.(26) "Solicit" means (A) requesting that a contribution be made, (B) participating in any fundraising activities for a candidate committee, exploratory committee, political committee or party committee, including, but not limited to, forwarding tickets to potential contributors, receiving contributions for transmission to any such committee, serving on the committee that is hosting a fundraising event, introducing the candidate or making other public remarks at a fundraising event, being honored or otherwise recognized at a fundraising event, or bundling contributions, (C) serving as chairperson, treasurer or deputy treasurer of any such committee, or (D) establishing a political committee for the sole purpose of soliciting or receiving contributions for any committee. "Solicit" does not include (i) making a contribution that is otherwise permitted under this chapter, (ii) informing any person of a position taken by a candidate for public office or a public official, (iii) notifying the person of any activities of, or contact information for, any candidate for public office, (iv) serving as a member in any party committee or as an officer of such committee that is not otherwise prohibited in this subdivision, or (v) mere attendance at a fundraiser.(27) "Bundle" means the forwarding of five or more contributions to a single committee by a communicator lobbyist, an agent of such lobbyist, or a member of the immediate family of such lobbyist, or raising contributions for a committee at a fundraising affair held by, sponsored by, or hosted by a communicator lobbyist or an agent of such lobbyist, or a member of the immediate family of such lobbyist.(28) "Slate committee" means a political committee formed by two or more candidates for nomination or election to any municipal office in the same town, city or borough, or in a primary for the office of justice of the peace or the position of town committee member, whenever such political committee will serve as the sole funding vehicle for the candidates' campaigns.(29)(A) "Covered transfer" means any donation, transfer or payment of funds by a person to another person if the person receiving the donation, transfer or payment makes independent expenditures or transfers funds to another person who makes independent expenditures.(B) The term "covered transfer" does not include:(i) A donation, transfer or payment made by a person in the ordinary course of any trade or business;(ii) A donation, transfer or payment made by a person, if the person making the donation, transfer or payment prohibited the use of such donation, transfer or payment for an independent expenditure or a covered transfer and the recipient of the donation, transfer or payment agreed to follow the prohibition and deposited the donation, transfer or payment in an account which is segregated from any account used to make independent expenditures or covered transfers;(iii) Dues, fees or assessments that are transferred between affiliated entities and paid by individuals on a regular, periodic basis in accordance with a per-individual calculation that is made on a regular basis;(iv) For purposes of this subdivision, "affiliated" means (I) the governing instrument of the entity requires it to be bound by decisions of the other entity; (II) the governing board of the entity includes persons who are specifically designated representatives of the other entity or who are members of the governing board, officers, or paid executive staff members of the other entity, or whose service on the governing board is contingent upon the approval of the other entity; or (III) the entity is chartered by the other entity. "Affiliated" includes entities that are an affiliate of the other entity or where both of the entities are an affiliate of the same entity.(30) "Party building activity" includes, but is not limited to, any political meeting, conference, convention, and other event, attendance or involvement at which promotes or advances the interests of a party at a local, state or national level, and any associated expenses, including travel, lodging, and any admission fees or other costs, whether or not any such meeting, conference, convention, or other event is sponsored by the party.(31) "Social media" means an electronic medium where users may create and view user-generated content, such as uploaded or downloaded videos or still photographs, blogs, video blogs, podcasts or instant messages.(32) "Child care services" means services rendered to a candidate for the care of any child who is under thirteen years of age and for whom such candidate is the parent or legal guardian, which services are necessary as a direct result of campaign activity that would not exist but for such candidate's campaign.(33) "Foreign national" means:(A) A foreign principal and any agent or separate segregated fund of a foreign principal;(B) An individual who is not (i) a citizen of the United States, (ii) a national of the United States, or (iii) lawfully admitted for permanent residence; or(C) A firm, partnership, corporation, association, organization or other entity: (i) With respect to which a foreign owner or a person described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision holds, owns, controls or otherwise has a direct or indirect beneficial ownership of at least five per cent of such entity's total equity or outstanding voting shares;(ii) With respect to which two or more, in combination, foreign owners or persons described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision hold, own, control or otherwise have a direct or indirect beneficial ownership of at least twenty per cent of such entity's total equity or outstanding voting shares, excluding interests held in a widely held, diversified fund;(iii) With respect to which a foreign owner or individual described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision, as applicable, of this subdivision participates directly or indirectly in decisions to engage in any activity subject to the provisions of chapter 155 or 157; or(iv) That is exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, and with respect to which at least twenty per cent of the income received by such entity in the most recent taxable year derives from one or more foreign owners.(34) "Foreign principal" has the same meaning as provided in 22 USC 611(b), as amended from time to time.(35) "National of the United States" has the same meaning as provided in 8 USC 1101(a)(22), as amended from time to time.(36) "Lawfully admitted for permanent residence" has the same meaning as provided in 8 USC 1101(a)(20), as amended from time to time.(37) "Foreign owner" means a firm, partnership, corporation, association, organization or other entity with respect to which a person described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of subdivision (33) of this section holds, owns, controls or otherwise has a direct or indirect beneficial ownership of at least fifty per cent of such entity's total equity or outstanding voting shares, excluding interests held in a widely held, diversified fund.(38) "Widely held, diversified fund" means a pooled investment, including a common trust fund of a financial institution, mutual fund or limited partnership, (A) that has more than one hundred investors, (B) that invests not more than five per cent of its value in the securities of a single issuer, other than the federal government, (C) that invests not more than twenty per cent of its value in any one economic or geographic sector, and (D) for which no investor, and no immediate family member of an investor, is able to exercise control over the financial interests held by the pooled investment, including by exercising the pooled investment's authority as the holder of corporate securities.(P.A. 86-99, S. 2, 34; P.A. 87-264, S. 2; 87-524, S. 1; 87-576, S. 1, 6; P.A. 89-211, S. 16; P.A. 91-351 , S. 2 , 28 ; P.A. 95-79 , S. 18 , 189 ; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-5 , S. 11 , 19 ; P.A. 98-7 , S. 1 , 4 ; P.A. 99-12 , S. 1 , 3 ; P.A. 03-241 , S. 10 ; Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5 , S. 18 ; P.A. 07-1 , S. 4 ; P.A. 10-187 , S. 1 ; July Sp. Sess. P.A. 10-1, S. 7, 8; P.A. 11-48 , S. 298 ; P.A. 13-180 , S. 1 ; P.A. 17-198 , S. 11 .)
Amended by P.A. 24-0028,S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2024 Regular Session, eff. 5/21/2024.Amended by P.A. 23-0205,S. 173 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 6/29/2023.Amended by P.A. 21-0049, S. 1 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2021 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2021.Amended by P.A. 17-0198, S. 11 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2017 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2017.