Substitute House Bill No. 5547 seeks to amend existing laws regarding lobbyist contributions during legislative sessions by repealing and replacing subsection (e) of section 9-610 of the general statutes. The new legal language introduces definitions for "municipal office" and "municipal officer," which refer to elective offices and elected officers at the local level, explicitly excluding state senators and representatives. The bill prohibits lobbyists and their associated political committees from making contributions to candidates for municipal offices, judges of probate, or political committees during both regular and special sessions of the General Assembly. This expansion of the existing ban aims to enhance transparency and regulate the influence of lobbyists in the electoral process at both state and municipal levels.

Additionally, the bill modifies subsection (f) of section 9-608, which governs exploratory committees, by requiring the treasurer to file a notice of intent to dissolve within fifteen days of a candidate's declaration of intent to seek nomination or election. It also mandates that any surplus from an exploratory committee be distributed according to specific guidelines, particularly emphasizing the return of contributions from lobbyists during the prohibition period. The bill eliminates the previous exemption that allowed exploratory committees established by state legislators to receive contributions for non-legislative offices. The effective date for these changes is set for January 1, 2027, and the bill has no fiscal impact on the state or municipalities, having been unanimously approved by the Government Administration and Elections Committee.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 9-608
GAE Joint Favorable: 9-608
File No. 552: 9-608