Sec. 9-601a. (Formerly Sec. 9-333b). "Contribution" defined. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 9-601a. (Formerly Sec. 9-333b). "Contribution" defined. (a) As used in this chapter and sections 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, "contribution" means:

      (1) Any gift, subscription, loan, advance, payment or deposit of money or anything of value, made for the purpose of influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person or for the purpose of aiding or promoting the success or defeat of any referendum question or on behalf 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 campaign 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 when made by a person with the cooperation of, or in consultation with, any candidate, candidate committee or candidate's agent or which is made in concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate, candidate committee or candidate's agent, including a coordinated 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 sections 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, "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 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;

      (5) The use of real or personal property, and the cost of invitations, food or beverages, voluntarily provided by an individual to a candidate or on behalf of a state central or town committee, in rendering voluntary personal services for candidate or party-related activities at the individual's residence, to the extent that the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by the individual on behalf of any single candidate does not exceed two hundred dollars with respect to any single election, and on behalf of all state central and town committees does not exceed four hundred dollars in any calendar year;

      (6) The sale of food or beverage for use in a candidate's campaign or for use by a state central or town committee 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 does not exceed two hundred dollars with respect to any single election, and on behalf of all state central and town committees does not exceed four hundred dollars in a calendar year;

      (7) Any unreimbursed payment for travel expenses made by an individual who on the individual's own behalf volunteers the individual's personal services to any single candidate to the extent the cumulative value does not exceed two hundred dollars with respect to any single election, and on behalf of all state central or town committees does not exceed four hundred dollars in a calendar year;

      (8) The payment, by a party committee, political committee or an individual, 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 fifty 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 sponsored by a town committee, provided the cumulative purchase of such space does not exceed two hundred fifty dollars from any single town 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 sponsored by a town 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 (g) of section 9-612;

      (11) The payment of money by a candidate to the candidate's candidate committee;

      (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 one 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, 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 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; or

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

      (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.)

      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.

      See Sec. 9-717 re effect of court of competent jurisdiction's prohibiting or limiting the expenditure of funds from the Citizens' Election Fund established in Sec. 9-701.