Connecticut 2021 Regular Session Status: In Committee 6 D cosponsors

SB 761 — AN ACT PERMITTING THE USE OF CITIZENS' ELECTION PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS TO OFFSET A PARTICIPATING CANDIDATE'S CHILD CARE COSTS.

Last action — MOVED TO FOOT OF CAL., SENATE

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill died with 2021 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

144 added · 31 removed

144 line(s) added, 31 removed.

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Latest
General Assembly Committee Bill No.
Senate General Assembly File No.
761 January Session, 2021 LCO No.
484 January Session, 2021 Substitute Senate Bill No.
4988 Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AND ELECTIONS Introduced by:
761 Senate, April 15, 2021 The Committee on Government Administration and Elections reported through SEN.
(GAE) AN ACT PERMITTING THE USE OF CITIZENS' ELECTION PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS TO OFFSET A PARTICIPATING CANDIDATE'S CHILD CARE COSTS.
FLEXER of the 29th Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the substitute bill ought to pass.
AN ACT PERMITTING THE USE OF CITIZENS' ELECTION PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS TO OFFSET A PARTICIPATING CANDIDATE'S CHILD CARE COSTS.
Section 9-601 of the general statutes is amended by adding subdivision (32) as follows (Effective October 1, 2021):
Section 9-601 of the general statutes is amended by adding subdivision (32) as follows (Effective July 1, 2021):
Subsection (e) of section 9-706 of the general statutes is repealed andthefollowing issubstituted inlieuthereof(EffectiveOctober 1, 2021):
Subsection (e) of section 9-706 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(e) (1) The State Elections Enforcement Commission shall (A) adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, on permissible expenditures under subsection (g) of section 9-607, as LCO No.
(e) (1) The State Elections Enforcement Commission shall (A) adopt sSB761 / File No.
4988 1 of 5 amended by this act, for qualified candidate committees receiving grants from the fund under sections 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, and (B) on or after July 1, 2021, amend such regulations to permit expenditures for child care services.
484 1 sSB761 File No.
484 regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, on permissible expenditures under subsection (g) of section 9-607, as amended by this act, for qualified candidate committees receiving grants from the fund under sections 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, and (B) on or after July 1, 2021, amend such regulations to permit expenditures for child care services.
Subsection (c) of section 9-710 of the general statutes is repealed andthefollowing issubstituted inlieuthereof(EffectiveOctober 1, 2021):
Subsection (c) of section 9-710 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
For the purposes of this section, and after the amendment of regulations pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 9-706, as amended by this act, expenditures for child care services made directly from any such candidate's personal funds and for which such candidate does not seek reimbursement from his or her candidate committee, as provided in subsection (k) of section 9-607, shall not count toward the amounts provided in subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, as applicable, of this subsection.
For the purposes of this section, and after the amendment of regulations pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 9-706, as amended by this act, expenditures for child care services made directly from any such candidate's personal funds and for which such candidate does not seek reimbursement from his or her candidate committee, as provided in subsection (k) of section 9-607, shall not count toward the amounts sSB761 / File No.
LCO No.
484 2 sSB761 File No.
4988 2 of 5 Sec.
484 provided in subdivisions (1) to (4), inclusive, as applicable, of this subsection.
Sec.
Subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 9-607 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2021):
Subdivision (2) of subsection (g) of section 9-607 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021):
(K) lease, rental or use charges of any ordinary and necessary campaign office equipment including, but not limited to, copy machines, telephones, postage meters, facsimile machines, computer hardware, software and printers, provided a party committee or political committee organized for ongoing political activities may purchase office equipment, and provided further that a candidate committee or a political committee, other than a political committee formed for ongoing political activities LCO No.
(K) lease, rental or use charges of any ordinary and necessary campaign office equipment including, but not limited to, copy machines, telephones, postage meters, facsimile machines, computer hardware, software and printers, provided a party committee or political committee organized sSB761 / File No.
4988 3 of 5 or an exploratory committee, may purchase computer equipment;
484 3 sSB761 File No.
484 for ongoing political activities may purchase office equipment, and provided further that a candidate committee or a political committee, other than a political committee formed for ongoing political activities or an exploratory committee, may purchase computer equipment;
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
sSB761 / File No.
LCO No.
484 4 sSB761 File No.
4988 4 of 5 Section 1 October 1, 2021 9-601 Sec.
484 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
2 October 1, 2021 9-706(e) Sec.
Section 1 July 1, 2021 9-601 Sec.
3 October 1, 2021 9-710(c) October 1, 2021 Sec.
2 July 1, 2021 9-706(e) Sec.
4 9-607(g)(2) Statement of Purpose:
3 July 1, 2021 9-710(c) Sec.
To permit the use of Citizens' Election Program grant funds to offset a participating candidate's child care costs.
4 July 1, 2021 9-607(g)(2) GAE Joint Favorable Subst.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets.
sSB761 / File No.
Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.] Co-Sponsors:
484 5 sSB761 File No.
SEN.
484 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.
FLEXER, 29th Dist.;
In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.
REP.
Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.
SIMMONS, 144th Dist.
OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:
REP.
None Municipal Impact:
MORRIN BELLO, 28th Dist.
None Explanation This bill requires the State Elections Enforcement Commission to amend the Citizens’ Election Program (CEP) to permit expenditures for certain child care services.
S.B.
Expanding permissible expenditures to include child care services has no fiscal impact as the bill does not alter grant awards to qualified candidates.
761 LCO No.
The Out Years State Impact:
4988 5 of 5
None Municipal Impact:
None sSB761 / File No.
484 6 sSB761 File No.
484 OLR Bill Analysis sSB 761 AN ACT PERMITTING THE USE OF CITIZENS' ELECTION PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS TO OFFSET A PARTICIPATING CANDIDATE'S CHILD CARE COSTS.
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SUMMARY This bill requires the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC), on or after July 1, 2021, to amend the Citizens’ Election Program (CEP) regulations to permit expenditures for child care services.
It authorizes qualified candidate committees (i.e., those of participating CEP candidates that SEEC has approved for a Citizens’ Election Fund (CEF) grant) to make expenditures for these services using CEF grants, subject to certain limits and conditions, after SEEC amends the regulations.
Currently, participating CEP candidates who have qualified for a grant may use CEF grants for these expenditures under a Superior Court decision (see BACKGROUND).
The bill defines “child care services” as necessary services rendered to a candidate for the care of a child younger than age 13 and for whom the candidate is the parent or legal guardian when the services (1) are a direct result of campaign activity and (2) would not exist but for the candidate’s campaign.
By law, the CEP is the state’s voluntary public campaign financing program open to candidates running for statewide office or the General Assembly.
The bill also makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
July 1, 2021 PERMISSIBLE EXPENDITURES FOR CHILD CARE SERVICES State law establishes permissible expenditures that candidate sSB761 / File No.
484 7 sSB761 File No.
484 committees and exploratory committees may make to accomplish their lawful purposes (e.g., compensation for staff).
The law applies broadly to candidates participating in the CEP, as well as to those who are privately funded and running in a state or municipal election.
However, the law also requires SEEC to adopt regulations on permissible expenditures specifically for participating CEP candidates who qualify for a grant (see BACKGROUND).
The bill requires SEEC, on or after July 1, 2021, to amend the CEP regulations on permissible expenditures.
After the regulations are amended, it authorizes participating candidates who qualify for a grant to make expenditures for child care services using CEF grants, subject to the following conditions and limits:
1.
aggregate child care services expenditures may not exceed the amount of qualifying contributions (QCs) required to qualify for a CEF grant (e.g., in 2020, $16,000 for candidates for state senator and $5,300 for candidates for state representative);
2.
candidates may not use CEF grants to compensate themselves or immediate family members for child care services;
and 3.
any compensation for child care services must be reasonable and customary for the services rendered.
By law, participating CEP candidates may provide their campaign with a limited amount of personal funds (e.g., $2,000 for state senator and $1,000 for state representative).
The bill exempts child care services expenditures made directly from a candidate’s personal funds from these limits, as long as the candidate does not seek reimbursement from his or her candidate committee.
The exemption applies once SEEC amends the CEP regulations as required by the bill.
Finally, the bill clarifies that privately funded candidates may pay for child care services using campaign funds, thus conforming the law to current practice.
BACKGROUND sSB761 / File No.
484 8 sSB761 File No.
484 Related Bill SB 883, favorably reported by the reported by the Government Administration Elections Committee, contains the same provisions on the CEP and expenditures for child care services.
Related Declaratory Ruling In Declaratory Ruling 2019-02,SEEC (1) ruledthat under current CEP regulations, child care services are not a permissible expense for candidates who have been approved for a CEF grant and (2) indicated that a change to the law or its regulations would be necessary to permit these expenditures.
SEEC also reaffirmed its 1976 advisory opinion concerning privately funded candidates.
In that opinion, the commission held that privately funded candidates may generally use campaign funds to pay for childcare services, provided the payments are (1) a direct result of campaign activity which would not exist but for the candidate’s campaign, (2) reasonable and customary for the services rendered, and (3) properly documented by the campaign (AO 1976-23).
Related Case In Pereirav.
StateElections EnforcementCommission,theSuperior Court sustained an administrative appeal from Declaratory Ruling 2019-02.
It held that expenditures for child care services that meet the three conditions outlined in AO 1976-23 are permissible under CEP regulations.
Specifically, they satisfy the requirement that all funds in a qualified candidate committee’s depository account be used only for campaign-related expenditures that directly further the candidate’s nomination for election or election (Not Reported, 2020 WL 5624102 (2020)).
COMMITTEE ACTION Government Administration and Elections Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 15 Nay 3 (03/29/2021) sSB761 / File No.
484 9
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Action History

  1. MOVED TO FOOT OF CAL., SENATE

  2. FILE NO. 484

  3. SENATE CALENDAR NUMBER 284

  4. FAV. RPT., TAB. FOR CAL., SEN.

  5. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  6. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 04/14/21

  7. FILED WITH LCO

  8. Joint Favorable Substitute

  9. PUBLIC HEARING 0319

  10. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Administration and Elections

  11. DRAFTED BY COMMITTEE

  12. Vote to Draft

  13. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Government Administration and Elections

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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9 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 178 not signed on

Sponsors (9)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (178)

178 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 761?
SB 761 is sponsored by Smith, Brian T., Winkler, Michael A., Morrin Bello, Amy, Mae Flexer (Democratic), Jennifer Leeper (Democratic), Aimee Berger-Girvalo (Democratic), Patricia Billie Miller (Democratic), Gary A. Turco (Democratic), and Patricia A. Dillon (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 761?
This bill died with 2021 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 761?
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