Connecticut Statutes § 9-601 (Formerly Sec. 9-333a). General definitionsVersion dated Oct. 30, 2024

(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:

(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)

(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.