House Bill No. 6320 seeks to enhance the integrity of local elections by prohibiting lobbyist contributions to legislators or state officers running for municipal office during legislative sessions. The bill amends section 9-610 of the general statutes by deleting certain definitions and inserting new language that clarifies "municipal office" as elective positions for which only the electors of a specific town, city, borough, or political subdivision can vote, explicitly excluding state senator or representative roles. It establishes that lobbyists and their associated political committees cannot contribute to candidates for municipal office during any regular or special session of the General Assembly, nor can candidates accept such contributions.

Additionally, the bill modifies section 9-608 concerning exploratory committees, mandating that the treasurer file a notice of intent to dissolve the committee within fifteen days of a candidate's declaration of intent to seek nomination or election. It also stipulates that any surplus from these committees must be distributed in accordance with the new prohibitions on lobbyist contributions, ensuring that surplus attributable to lobbyist contributions is returned to the lobbyists or donated to charitable organizations. The bill includes technical updates to definitions and extends the ban on contributions to cover regular, special, and veto sessions held in odd-numbered years, with no expected fiscal impact on the state or municipalities. The bill will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 9-608
GAE Joint Favorable: 9-608