Connecticut HB 5547: AN ACT CONCERNING LOBBYIST CONTRIBUTIONS DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5547
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING LOBBYIST CONTRIBUTIONS DURING
LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (e) of section 9-610 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 2
1, 2027): 3
(e) For purposes of this subsection and subsection (f) of this section, 4
the exclusions to the term "contribution" in subsection (b) of section 9-5
601a shall not apply; [the term] "state office" means the office of 6
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Comptroller, 7
State Treasurer or Secretary of the State; [and the term] "state officer" 8
means the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State 9
Comptroller, State Treasurer or Secretary of the State; "municipal office" 10
means an elective office for which only the electors of a single town, city, 11
borough or political subdivision may vote, but does not include the 12
office of state senator or state representative; "municipal officer" means 13
an elected officer for which only the electors of a single town, city, 14
borough or political subdivision were permitted to vote, but does not 15
include a state senator or state representative; and "political 16
subdivision" has the same meaning as provided in section 9-372. 17
Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, [to the contrary,] during 18
any regular session of the General Assembly, during any special session 19
of the General Assembly held between the adjournment of the regular 20

Substitute Bill No. 5547

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session in an odd-numbered year and the convening of the regular 21
session in the following even-numbered year or during any reconvened 22
session of the General Assembly held in an odd-numbered year to 23
reconsider vetoed bills, (1) no lobbyist or political committee established 24
by or on behalf of a lobbyist shall make or offer to make a contribution 25
to or on behalf of, and no lobbyist shall solicit a contribution on behalf 26
of, (A) a candidate or exploratory committee established by a candidate 27
for nomination or election to the General Assembly, [or] a state office, a 28
municipal office or the office of judge of probate, or (B) a political 29
committee (i) established for an assembly or senatorial district, (ii) 30
established by a member of the General Assembly, [or] a state officer, a 31
municipal officer, a judge of probate or such [member or officer's] 32
member's, officer's or judge's agent, or in consultation with, or at the 33
request or suggestion of, any such member, officer, judge or agent, or 34
(iii) controlled by such member, officer, judge or agent, to aid or 35
promote the nomination or election of any candidate or candidates to 36
the General Assembly, [or] a state office, a municipal office or the office 37
of judge of probate, and (2) no such candidate or political committee 38
shall accept such a contribution. The provisions of this subsection shall 39
not apply to a candidate committee established by a member of the 40
General Assembly or a candidate for nomination or election to the 41
General Assembly, at a special election for the General Assembly, from 42
the date on which the candidate or the [chairman] chairperson of the 43
committee files the designation of a treasurer and a depository 44
institution under section 9-602 with the State Elections Enforcement 45
Commission, to the date on which the special election is held, inclusive. 46
[, or to an exploratory committee established by a member of the 47
General Assembly to promote his candidacy for an office other than the 48
General Assembly.] 49
Sec. 2. Subsection (f) of section 9-608 of the general statutes is repealed 50
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective January 1, 2027): 51
(f) If an exploratory committee has been established by a candidate 52
pursuant to subsection (c) of section 9-604, the treasurer of the 53
committee shall file a notice of intent to dissolve it with the appropriate 54

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authority not later than fifteen days after the candidate's declaration of 55
intent to seek nomination or election to a particular public office, except 56
that in the case of an exploratory committee established by a candidate 57
for purposes that include aiding or promoting the candidate's candidacy 58
for nomination or election to the General Assembly or a state office, the 59
treasurer of the committee shall file such notice of intent to dissolve the 60
committee not later than fifteen days after the earlier of: (1) The 61
candidate's declaration of intent to seek nomination or election to a 62
particular public office, (2) the candidate's endorsement at a convention, 63
caucus or town committee meeting, or (3) the candidate's filing of a 64
candidacy for nomination under section 9-400 or 9-405. The treasurer 65