Substitute Senate Bill No. 953 seeks to amend campaign finance laws by redefining the terms "state contractor," "prospective state contractor," and "subcontractor" to explicitly exclude statutorily recognized Indian tribes from these definitions. The bill repeals and replaces subsection (f) of section 9-612 of the general statutes, clarifying that these entities, along with municipalities and political subdivisions, are not considered state contractors or prospective state contractors for campaign finance purposes. This change allows recognized Indian tribes to make contributions to statewide and legislative candidates, which is typically prohibited for state contractors under existing law. The effective date for these amendments is set for October 1, 2025.

In addition to the insertions regarding Indian tribes, the bill imposes new regulations on campaign contributions from state contractors and their principals, prohibiting them from soliciting contributions from employees or subcontractors for political committees or candidates. It establishes consequences for violations, including the potential voiding of contracts and a one-year prohibition on awarding new contracts to violators. Furthermore, state contractors and prospective contractors must certify that they have not made any prohibited contributions in the past four years and disclose any contributions made during that period. The bill aims to enhance transparency and prevent conflicts of interest in state contracting while maintaining existing exemptions for municipalities and certain public employees.