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SB 1168 Connecticut Senate · 2025 Regular Session

AN ACT CONCERNING ONLINE POLITICAL FUNDRAISING PLATFORMS AND RESTRICTING AUTOMATICALLY RECURRING CONTRIBUTIONS.

SB 1168 clarifies which activities do not count as political contributions under state law, specifically targeting online fundraising. It exempts certain low-value interactions, such as volunteers providing unpaid services (including travel costs), small food/beverage donations (capped at $800 annually), and limited advertising purchases (up to $250 for businesses, $50 for individuals). The bill directly affects candidates, political committees, and party organizations by reducing reporting requirements for these specific fundraising activities. It does not restrict recurring donations but instead defines exemptions to streamline compliance for minor contributions. This change aims to simplify reporting without altering core campaign finance rules.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 28, 2025 Last action Apr 7, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Bill → GAE Joint Favorable Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was renamed from a Committee Bill to a Substitute Bill and its title was expanded to more broadly address online political fundraising platforms. The most significant change is the complete replacement of the definition of 'contribution' in section 9-601a, which now includes numerous exemptions for common activities like loans, volunteer services, small donations at fundraising events, lawn signs, and advertising purchases, clarifying what does not count as a political contribution.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from focusing narrowly on recurring contributions to broadly defining what constitutes and does not constitute a political contribution, affecting how various fundraising activities are regulated.
DEFINITION

The definition of 'contribution' was substantially rewritten to include 13 specific exemptions, clarifying that loans, volunteer services, small in-kind donations, lawn signs, and certain advertising purchases do not count as political contributions.

REQUIREMENT

The original requirement prohibiting automatically recurring contributions without affirmative consent was removed and replaced with a new definition of contribution, shifting the focus from recurring contribution restrictions to what activities qualify as contributions.

SCOPE

The bill title was changed to more broadly address online political fundraising platforms and restrict automatically recurring contributions, expanding the legislative intent beyond just contribution definitions.

TECHNICAL

The bill number designation changed from Committee Bill No. 1168 to Substitute Bill No. 1168, indicating it has been amended by the General Assembly.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
2
Committee
4
Mar 19, 2025
Upper · Passed
Joint Favorable Substitute
upper
Mar 7, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Administration and Elections
upper
Mar 6, 2025
Upper · Passed
DRAFTED BY COMMITTEE
upper
Jan 28, 2025
Committee
REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Administration and Elections
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.