SB 490 — AN ACT CONCERNING ONLINE POLITICAL DONATION PLATFORMS AND LIMITING AUTOMATICALLY RECURRING CONTRIBUTIONS.

Senate General Assembly RaisedFile Bill No.

490507 February Session, 2026 LCOSenate Bill No.

1538490 ReferredSenate, toApril 8, 2026 The Committee on GOVERNMENTGovernment ADMINISTRATIONAdministration ANDand ELECTIONSElections Introducedreported by:through SEN.

(GAE)FLEXER ANof ACTthe CONCERNING29th ONLINEDist., POLITICALChairperson DONATIONof PLATFORMSthe ANDCommittee LIMITINGon AUTOMATICALLYthe RECURRINGpart CONTRIBUTIONS.of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING ONLINE POLITICAL DONATION PLATFORMS AND LIMITING AUTOMATICALLY RECURRING CONTRIBUTIONS.

(3)Nonpartisanvoter registrationandget-out-the-vote campaignsby anySB490 corporation,/ organizationFile or association aimed at its members, LCO 1538 1 of 10 Raised Bill No.

490507 owners,1 stockholders,SB490 executiveFile orNo. administrative personnel, or their families;

507 any corporation, organization or association aimed at its members, owners, stockholders, executive or administrative personnel, or their families;

(6) The sale of food or beverage for use by a party, political, slate or candidate committee, including those for a participating or nonparticipating candidate, at a discount, if the charge is not less than theSB490 cost/ toFile the vendor, to the extent that the cumulative value of the LCO 1538 2 of 10 Raised Bill No.

490507 discount2 givenSB490 toFile orNo. on behalf of any single candidate committee does not exceed four hundred dollars with respect to any single primary or election,or tooronbehalfofany party,politicalorslate committee,does not exceed six hundred dollars in a calendar year;

507 the cost to the vendor, to the extent that the cumulative value of the discount given to or on behalf of any single candidate committee does not exceed four hundred dollars with respect to any single primary or election,or tooronbehalfofany party,politicalorslate committee,does not exceed six hundred dollars in a calendar year;

Notwithstanding the provisions of this subparagraph, the following may not purchase advertisingSB490 space/ inFile a program for a fund-raising affair or on signs at a LCO 1538 3 of 10 Raised Bill No.

490507 fund-raising3 affairSB490 sponsoredFile byNo. a party committee or a political committee, other than an exploratory committee:

507 advertising space in a program for a fund-raising affair or on signs at a fund-raising affair sponsored by a party committee or a political committee, other than an exploratory committee:

(15) The sale of food or beverage by a town committee to an individual at a town fair, county fair, local festival 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 fiftySB490 dollars;/ File No.

LCO507 1538 4 ofSB490 10File Raised Bill No.

490507 (16)fifty Andollars; organization expenditure by a party committee, legislative caucus committee or legislative leadership committee;

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

(20)SB490 A/ communication,File as described in subdivision (7) of subsection LCO 1538 5 of 10 Raised Bill No.

490507 (b)5 ofSB490 sectionFile 9-601b,No. as amended by this act;

507 (20) A communication, as described in subdivision (7) of subsection (b) of section 9-601b, as amended by this act;

LCOSB490 1538/ 6File of 10 Raised Bill No.

490507 Sec.6 SB490 File No.

507 Sec.

(6) The use of real or personal property, a portion or all of the cost of invitations and the cost of food or beverages, voluntarily provided by LCOan 1538individual 7to ofa 10candidate, Raisedincluding Billa nonparticipating or SB490 / File No.

490507 an7 individualSB490 toFile aNo. candidate, including a nonparticipating or participating candidate under the Citizens' Election Program, or to a party, political or slate committee, in rendering voluntary personal services at the individual's residential premises or a community room in the individual's residence facility, to the extent that the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any candidate or committee does not exceed five hundred dollarswithrespect to any singleevent or doesnot exceed onethousand dollars for any such event hosted by two or more individuals, provided at least one such individual owns or resides at the residential premises, and further provided the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any such candidate or committee does not exceed one thousand dollars with respect to a calendar year or single election, as the case may be;

507 participating candidate under the Citizens' Election Program, or to a party, political or slate committee, in rendering voluntary personal services at the individual's residential premises or a community room in the individual's residence facility, to the extent that the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any candidate or committee does not exceed five hundred dollarswithrespect to any singleevent or doesnot exceed onethousand dollars for any such event hosted by two or more individuals, provided at least one such individual owns or resides at the residential premises, and further provided the cumulative value of the invitations, food or beverages provided by an individual on behalf of any such candidate or committee does not exceed one thousand dollars with respect to a calendar year or single election, as the case may be;

(10) A communication containing an endorsement on behalf of a candidate for nomination or election to the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney General, state senator or state representative, LCOfrom 1538a 8candidate for the office of 10Governor, RaisedLieutenant BillGovernor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney SB490 / File No.

490507 from8 aSB490 candidateFile forNo. the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of the State, State Treasurer, State Comptroller, Attorney General, state senator or state representative, shall not be an expenditure attributable to the endorsing candidate, if the candidate making the endorsement is unopposed at the time of the communication;

507 General, state senator or state representative, shall not be an expenditure attributable to the endorsing candidate, if the candidate making the endorsement is unopposed at the time of the communication;

[or] (15) An expense or expenses incurred by a human being acting alone in an amount that is two hundred dollars or less, in the aggregate, that LCObenefits 1538a 9candidate offor 10a Raisedsingle Billelection; No.

490or benefitsSB490 a/ candidateFile forNo. a single election;

or507 (16)9 WithSB490 respectFile toNo. an online platform that collects any contribution from a contributor and transmits such contribution to a committee, the use of such online platform to request a voluntary payment made by such contributor to such online platform, which is (A) in addition to such contribution, and (B) used by such online platform to conduct its operations.

507 (16) With respect to an online platform that collects any contribution from a contributor and transmits such contribution to a committee, the use of such online platform to request a voluntary payment made by such contributor to such online platform, which is (A) in addition to such contribution, and (B) used by such online platform to conduct its operations.

3 from passage New section GAE Joint Favorable LCOSB490 1538/ 10File ofNo. 10

507 10 SB490 File No.

507 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact: