AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF STATE ETHICS FOR REVISIONS TO THE STATE CODES OF ETHICS, REDEFINING "GIFT" FOR PURPOSES OF SAID CODES AND INCREASING VARIOUS MONETARY THRESHOLDS IN SAID CODES.

House Bill No. 5532

Public Act No. 26-66

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE
OFFICE OF STATE ETHICS FOR REVISIONS TO THE STATE
CODES OF ETHICS, REDEFINING "GIFT" FOR PURPOSES OF SAID
CODES AND INCREASING VARIOUS MONETARY THRESHOLDS IN
SAID CODES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (d) of section 1 -80 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof ( Effective from
passage):
(d) The board shall elect a chairperson who shall, except as provided
in subsection (b) of section 1 -82 and subsection (b) of section 1 -93,
preside at meetings of the board and a vice-chairperson to preside in the
absence of the chairperson. [Six] Five members of the board shall
constitute a quorum. Except as provided in subdivision (3) of subsection
(a) of section 1-81, subsections (a) and (b) of section 1-82, subsection (b)
of section 1-88, subsection (e) of section 1-92, subsections (a) and (b) of
section 1 -93 and subsection (b) of section 1 -99, a majority vote of the
members shall be required for action of the board. The chairperson or
any three members may call a meeting.
Sec. 2. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 1 -83 of the general statutes
are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof ( Effective
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October 1, 2026):
(a) (1) All state -wide elected officers, members of the General
Assembly, department heads and their deputies, members or directors
of each quasi -public agency, members of the Investment Advisory
Council and such other members of the Executive Department and such
employees of quasi-public agencies as the Governor shall require, shall
file electronically with the Office of State Ethics using the software
created by the office, under penalty of false statement, a statemen t of
financial interests for the preceding calendar year on or before the May
first next in any year in which they hold such an office or position. If, in
any year, May first falls on a weekend or legal holiday, such statement
shall be filed not later than the next business day. Any such individual
who leaves his or her office or position shall file electronically a
statement of financial interests covering that portion of the year during
which such individual held his or her office or position. The Office of
State Ethics shall notify such indi viduals of the requirements of this
subsection not later than sixty days after their departure from such
office or position. Such individuals shall file such statement
electronically not later than sixty days after receipt of the notification.
(2) Each state agency, department, board and commission shall
develop and implement, in cooperation with the Office of State Ethics,
an ethics statement as it relates to the mission of the agency, department,
board or commission. The executive head of each such age ncy,
department, board or commission shall be directly responsible for the
development and enforcement of such ethics statement and shall file a
copy of such ethics statement with the Office of State Ethics.
(b) (1) The statement of financial interests, except as provided in
subdivision (2) of this subsection, shall include the following
information for the preceding calendar year in regard to the individual
required to file the statement and the individual's spouse and
dependent children residing in the individual's household: (A) The
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names of all businesses with which associated; (B) all sources of income,
including the name of each employer, with a description of the type of
income received, in excess of one thousand dollars, without specifying
amounts of income; (C) the name of securities in excess of five thousand
dollars at fair market value owned by such individual, spouse or
dependent children or held in the name of a corporation, partnership or
trust for the benefit of such individual, spouse or dependent children;
(D) the existence of any known blind trust and the names of the trustees;
(E) all real property and its location, whether owned by such individual,
spouse or dependent children or held in the name of a corporation,
partnership or trust for the benefit of such individual , spouse or
dependent children; (F) the names and addresses of creditors to whom
the individual, the individual's spouse or dependent children,
individually, owed debts of more than ten thousand dollars; (G) any
leases or contracts with the state or a quas i-public agency held or
entered into by the individual or a business with which he or she was
associated; and (H) the name of any of the following that is a partner or
owner of, or has a similar business affiliation with, the business included
under subparagraph (A) of this subdivision: (i) Any lobbyist, (ii) any
person the individual filing the statement knows or has reason to know
is doing business with or seeking to do business with the state or is
engaged in activities that are directly regulated by the department or
agency in which the individual is employed, or (iii) any business with
which such lobbyist or person is associated.
(2) In the case of securities in excess of five thousand dollars at fair
market value held within (A) a retirement savings plan, as described in
Section 401 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent
corresponding internal revenue code of the Unit ed States, as amended
from time to time, (B) a tax -sheltered annuity retirement plan, as
described in Section 403 of said Internal Revenue Code, (C) a payroll
deduction individual retirement account plan, as described in Section
408 or 408A of said Int ernal Revenue Code, [(C)] (D) a governmental
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deferred compensation plan, as described in Section 457 of said Internal
Revenue Code, or [(D)] (E) an education savings plan, as described in
Section 529 of said Internal Revenue Code, the names of such securities
shall not be required to be disclosed in any statement of financial
interests and only the name of such retirement savings plan, tax-
sheltered annuity retirement plan, individual retirement account plan,
deferred compensation plan or education savings plan holding such
securities shall be required.
Sec. 3. Subsections (a) to (o), inclusive, of section 1 -84 of the 2026
supplement to the general statutes are repealed and the following is
substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) No public official or state employee shall, while serving as such,
have any financial interest in, or engage in, any business, employment,
transaction or professional activity, which is in substantial conflict with
the proper discharge of [his] such official's or employee's duties or
employment in the public interest and of [his] such official's or
employee's responsibilities as prescribed in the laws of this state, as
defined in section 1-85.
(b) No public official or state employee shall accept other
employment which will either impair [his] such official's or employee's
independence of judgment as to [his] such official's or employee's
official duties or employment or require [him, or induce him] or induce
such official or employee, to disclose confidential information acquired
by [him] such official or employee in the course of and by reason of [his]
such official's or employee's official duties.
(c) No public official or state employee shall wilfully and knowingly
disclose, for financial gain, to any other person, confidential information
acquired by [him] such official or employee in the course of and by
reason of [his] such official's or employee's official duties or
employment and no public official or state employee shall use [his] such
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official's or employee's public office or position or any confidential
information received through [his] such official's or employee's holding
such public office or position to obtain financial gain for [himself, his]
such official or employee , such official's or employee's spouse, child,
child's spouse, parent, brother or sister or a business with which he is
associated.
(d) No public official or state employee or employee of such public
official or state employee shall agree to accept, or be a member or
employee of a partnership, association, professional corporation or sole
proprietorship which partnership, association, professional corporation
or sole proprietorship agrees to accept any employment, fee or other
thing of value, or portion thereof, for appearing, agreeing to appear, or
taking any other action on behalf of another person before the
Department of Banking, th e Office of the Claims Commissioner, the
Health Systems Planning Unit of the Office of Health Strategy , the
Insurance Department, the Department of Consumer Protection, the
Department of Motor Vehicles, the State Insurance and Risk
Management Board, the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection, the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Connec ticut
Siting Council or the Connecticut Real Estate Commission; provided
this shall not prohibit any such person from making inquiry for
information on be half of another before any of said commissions or
commissioners if no fee or reward is given or promised in consequence
thereof. For the purpose of this subsection, partnerships, associations,
professional corporations or sole proprietorships refer only to such
partnerships, associations, professional corporations or sole
proprietorships which have been formed to carry on the business or
profession directly relating to the employment, appearing, agreeing to
appear or taking of action provided for in this su bsection. Nothing in
this subsection shall prohibit any employment, appearing, agreeing to
appear or taking action before any municipal board, commission or
council. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as applying (1) to
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the actions of any teaching or research professional employee of a public
institution of higher education if such actions are not in violation of any
other provision of this chapter, (2) to the actions of any other
professional employee of a public institution of higher education if such
actions are not compensated and are not in violation of any other
provision of this chapter, (3) to any member of a board or commission
who receives no compensation other than per diem payments or
reimbursement for actual or necessary expenses, or both, incurred in the
performance of the member's duties, or (4) to any member or director of
a quasi -public agency. Notwithstanding the provisions of this
subsection to the contrary, a legislator, an officer of the General
Assembly or part -time legislative employee may be or become a
member or employee of a firm, partnership, association or professional
corporation which represents clients for compensation before agencies
listed in this subsection, provided the legislator, officer of the General
Assembly or part -time legislative employee shall take no part in any
matter involving the agency listed in this subsection and shall not
receive compensation from any such matter. Receipt of a previously
established salary, not based on the current or anticipated business of
the firm, partnership, association or professional corporation involving
the agencies listed in this subsection, shall be permitted.
(e) No legislative commissioner or [his] the legislative
commissioner's partners, employees or associates shall represent any
person subject to the provisions of part II concerning the promotion of
or opposition to legislation before the General Assembly, or accept any
employment which includes an agreement or understanding t o
influence, or which is inconsistent with, the performance of [his] the
legislative commissioner's official duties.
(f) No person shall offer or give to a public official or state employee
or candidate for public office or [his] such official's or employee's
spouse, [his] parent, brother, sister or child or the spouse of such child
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or a business with which he is associated, anything of value, including,
but not limited to, a gift, loan, political contribution, reward or promise
of future employment based on any understanding that the vote, official
action or judgment of the public official, state employee or candidate for
public office would be or had been influenced thereby.
(g) No public official or state employee or candidate for public office
shall solicit or accept anything of value, including but not limited to, a
gift, loan, political contribution, reward or promise of future
employment based on any understanding that the vo te, official action
or judgment of the public official or state employee or candidate for
public office would be or had been influenced thereby.
(h) Nothing in subsection (f) or (g) of this section shall be construed
(1) to apply to any promise made in violation of subdivision (6) of
section 9 -622, or (2) to permit any activity otherwise prohibited in
section 53a-147 or 53a-148.
(i) (1) No public official or state employee or member of the official's
or employee's immediate family or a business with which he or she is
associated shall enter into any contract with the state, valued at [one]
two hundred fifty dollars or more, unless (A) such contract is awarded
through an open and public process that includes, at a minimum, (i) pre-
award public disclosure of all offers to enter into such contract, and (ii)
post-award public disclosure of such contract, or (B) such contract is a
contract (i) of employment as a state employee, (ii) with the Technical
Education and Career System for students enrolled in a school in the
system to perform services in conjunction with vocational, technical,
technological or postsecondary education and training any such student
is receiving at a school in the system, subject to the review process under
subdivision (2) of this subsection, (iii) with a public institution of higher
education to support a collaboration with such institution to develop
and commercialize any invention or discovery, (iv) pursuant to a court
appointment, or (v) with the office of the Attorney General to be
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retained as an expert witness for, or in anticipation of, litigation or an
administrative proceeding, provided the office of the Attorney General
files with the Office of State Ethics, in a form and manner prescribed by
the Office of State Ethics and not l ater than thirty days after the expert
witness is disclosed, or required to be disclosed, to the opposing party
or parties, either directly or through the court of competent jurisdiction
or administrative agency, or resolution of the litigation or
administrative proceeding for which the expert witness was retained,
whichever occurs first, a statement disclosing (I) the name of the expert
witness, (II) the qualifications of the expert witness, (III) the scope of the
services provided by the expert witness, ( IV) the date of execution of
such contract, (V) the beginning and ending dates of the term of such
contract, and (VI) the value of such contract, if known by the office of
the Attorney General. In no event shall an executive head of an agency,
as defined in section 4-166, including a commissioner of a department,
or an executive head of a quasi -public agency, or the executive head's
immediate family or a business with which he is associated enter into
any contract with that agency or quasi -public agency. No thing in this
subsection shall be construed as applying to any public official who is
appointed as a member of the executive branch or as a member or
director of a quasi -public agency and who receives no compensation
other than per diem payments or reimbursement for actual or necessary
expenses, or both, incurred in the performance of the public official's
duties unless such public official has authority or control over the
subject matter of the contract. Any contract made in violation of this
subsection shall be voidable by a court of competent jurisdiction if the
suit is commenced not later than one hundred eighty days after the
making of the contract. For purposes of this subdivision, "expert
witness" means any individual who is qualified to provide testimony on
any scientific, technical or other specialized matter by virtue of his or
her knowledge, skill, experience, training or education, and is retained
to provide his or her testimony on such matter, including, but not
limited to, in the form of an expert opinion.
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(2) The superintendent of the Technical Education and Career System
shall establish an open and transparent process to review any contract
entered into under subparagraph (B)(ii) of subdivision (1) of this
subsection.
(j) No public official, state employee or candidate for public office, or
a member of any such person's staff or immediate family shall
knowingly accept any gift, as defined in subdivision (5) of section 1-79,
as amended by this act , from a person known to be a registrant or
anyone known to be acting on behalf of a registrant.
(k) No public official, spouse of the Governor or state employee shall
accept a fee or honorarium for an article, appearance or speech, or for
participation at an event, in the public official's, spouse's or state
employee's official capacity, provided a publi c official, Governor's
spouse or state employee may receive payment or reimbursement for
necessary expenses for any such activity in his or her official capacity. If
a public official, Governor's spouse or state employee receives such a
payment or reim bursement for lodging or out -of-state travel, or both,
the public official, Governor's spouse or state employee shall, not later
than thirty days thereafter, file a report of the payment or
reimbursement with the Office of State Ethics, unless the payment or
reimbursement is provided by the federal government or another state
government. If a public official, Governor's spouse or state employee
does not file such report within such period, either intentionally or due
to gross negligence on the public offici al's, Governor's spouse's or state
employee's part, the public official, Governor's spouse or state employee
shall return the payment or reimbursement. If any failure to file such
report is not intentional or due to gross negligence on the part of the
public official, Governor's spouse or state employee, the public official,
Governor's spouse or state employee shall not be subject to any penalty
under this chapter. When a public official, Governor's spouse or state
employee attends an event in this state in the public official's,
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Governor's spouse's or state employee's official capacity and as a
principal speaker at such event and receives admission to or food or
beverage at such event from the sponsor of the event, such admission or
food or beverage shall not be considered a gift and no report shall be
required from such public official, spouse or state employee or from the
sponsor of the event.
(l) No public official or state employee, or any person acting on behalf
of a public official or state employee, shall wilfully and knowingly
interfere with, influence, direct or solicit existing or new lobbying
contracts, agreements or business relationships for or on behalf of any
person.
(m) No public official or state employee shall knowingly accept,
directly or indirectly, any gift, as defined in subdivision (5) of section 1-
79, as amended by this act , from any person the public official or state
employee knows or has reason to know: (1) Is doing business with or
seeking to do business with the department or agency in which the
public official or state employee is employed; (2) is engaged in activities
which are directly regulated by such dep artment or agency; or (3) is
prequalified under section 4a -100. No person shall knowingly give,
directly or indirectly, any gift or gifts in violation of this provision. For
the purposes of this subsection, the exclusion to the term "gift" in
subparagraph (L) of subdivision (5) of section 1-79, as amended by this
act, for a gift for the celebration of a major life event shall not apply. Any
person prohibited from making a gift under this subsection shall report
to the Office of State Ethics any solicitation of a gift from such person by
a state employee or public official.
(n) (1) As used in this subsection, (A) "investment services" means
investment legal services, investment banking services, investment
advisory services, underwriting services, financial advisory services or
brokerage firm services, and (B) "principal of an invest ment services
firm" means (i) an individual who is a director of or has an ownership
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interest in an investment services firm, except for an individual who
owns less than five per cent of the shares of an investment services firm
which is a publicly traded corporation, (ii) an individual who is
employed by an investment services firm as pre sident, treasurer, or
executive or senior vice president, (iii) an employee of such an
investment services firm who has managerial or discretionary
responsibilities with respect to any investment services, (iv) the spouse
or dependent child of an individua l described in this subparagraph, or
(v) a political committee established by or on behalf of an individual
described in this subparagraph.
(2) The State Treasurer shall not pay any compensation, expenses or
fees or issue any contract to any firm which provides investment
services when (A) a political committee, as defined in section 9 -601,
established by such firm, or (B) a principal of the inves tment services
firm has made a contribution, as defined in section 9-601a, to, or solicited
contributions on behalf of, any exploratory committee or candidate
committee, as defined in section 9 -601, established by the State
Treasurer as a candidate for nomination or election to the office of State
Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall not pay any compensation,
expenses or fees or issue any contract to such firms or principals during
the term of office as State Treasurer, including, for an incumbent State
Treasurer seeking reelection, any remainder of the current term of office.
(o) If (1) any person (A) is doing business with or seeking to do
business with the department or agency in which a public official or
state employee is employed, or (B) is engaged in activities which are
directly regulated by such department or agency, and (2) such person or
a representative of such person gives to such public official or state
employee anything having a value of more than [ten] twenty dollars,
such person or representative shall, not later than ten days thereafter,
give such recipient and the executive head of the recipient's department
or agency a written report stating the name of the donor, a description
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of the item or items given, the value of such items and the cumulative
value of all items given to such recipient during that calendar year. The
provisions of this subsection shall not apply to a political contribution
otherwise reported as required by law.
Sec. 4. Subdivision (5) of section 1 -79 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(5) "Gift" means anything of value, which is directly and personally
received, unless consideration of equal or greater value is given in
return. "Gift" does not include:
(A) A political contribution otherwise reported as required by law or
a donation or payment as described in subdivision (9) or (10) of
subsection (b) of section 9-601a;
(B) Services provided by persons volunteering their time, if provided
to aid or promote the success or defeat of any political party, any
candidate or candidates for public office or the position of convention
delegate or town committee member or any referendum question;
(C) A commercially reasonable loan made on terms not more
favorable than loans made in the ordinary course of business;
(D) A gift received from (i) an individual's spouse, fiancé or fiancée,
(ii) the parent, grandparent, brother or sister of such spouse or such
individual, or (iii) the child of such individual or the spouse of such
child;
(E) Goods or services (i) that are provided to a state agency or quasi-
public agency (I) for use on state or quasi-public agency property, or (II)
that support an event or the participation by a public official or state
employee at an event, and (ii) that facilitate state or quasi-public agency
action or functions. As used in this subparagraph, "state property"
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means property owned by the state or a quasi-public agency or property
leased to a state agency or quasi-public agency;
(F) A certificate, plaque or other ceremonial award costing less than
[one] two hundred fifty dollars;
(G) A rebate, discount or promotional item available to the general
public;
(H) Printed or recorded informational material germane to state
action or functions;
(I) Food or beverage or both, costing less than [fifty] one hundred
dollars in the aggregate per recipient in a calendar year, and consumed
on an occasion or occasions at which the person paying, directly or
indirectly, for the food or beverage, or [his] such person's representative,
is in attendance;
(J) Food or beverage or both, costing less than [fifty] one hundred
dollars per person and consumed at a publicly noticed legislative
reception to which all members of the General Assembly are invited and
which is hosted not more than once in any calendar year by a lobbyist
or business organization. For the purposes of su ch limit, (i) a reception
hosted by a lobbyist who is an individual shall be deemed to have also
been hosted by the business organization which such lobbyist owns or
is employed by, and (ii) a reception hosted by a business organization
shall be deemed to have also been hosted by all owners and employees
of the business organization who are lobbyists. In making the
calculation for the purposes of such [fifty-dollar] one-hundred-dollar
limit, the donor shall divide the amount spent on food and beverage by
the number of persons whom the donor reasonably expects to attend the
reception;
(K) Food or beverage or both, costing less than [fifty] one hundred
dollars per person and consumed at a publicly noticed reception to
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which all members of the General Assembly from a region of the state
are invited and which is hosted not more than once in any calendar year
by a lobbyist or business organization. For the purposes of such limit, (i)
a reception hosted by a lobbyist who is an individual shall be deemed
to have also been hosted by the business organization which such
lobbyist owns or is employed by, and (ii) a reception hosted by a
business organization shall be deemed to have also been hosted by all
owners and employees of the business organization who are lobbyists.
In making the calculation for the purposes of such [fifty-dollar] one-
hundred-dollar limit, the donor shall divide the amount spent on food
and beverage by the number of persons whom the donor reasonably
expects to attend the reception. As used in this subparagraph, "region of
the state" means the established geographic service area of th e
organization hosting the reception;
(L) A gift, including, but not limited to, food or beverage or both,
provided by an individual for the celebration of a major life event,
provided any such gift provided by an individual who is not a member
of the family of the recipient does not exceed one thousand five hundred
dollars in value;
(M) Gifts costing less than [one] two hundred fifty dollars in the
aggregate or food or beverage provided at a hospitality suite at a
meeting or conference of an interstate legislative association, by a
person who is not a registrant or is not doing business with the state of
Connecticut;
(N) Admission to a charitable or civic event, including food and
beverage provided at such event, but excluding lodging or travel
expenses, at which a public official or state employee participates in his
or her official capacity, provided such admission is pr ovided by the
primary sponsoring entity;
(O) Anything of value provided by an employer of (i) a public official,
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(ii) a state employee, or (iii) a spouse of a public official or state
employee, to such official, employee or spouse, provided such benefits
are customarily and ordinarily provided to others in similar
circumstances;
(P) Anything having a value of not more than [ten] twenty dollars,
provided the aggregate value of all things provided by a donor to a
recipient under this subdivision in any calendar year does not exceed
[fifty] one hundred dollars;
(Q) Training that is provided by a vendor for a product purchased by
a state or quasi -public agency that is offered to all customers of such
vendor;
(R) Travel expenses, lodging, food, beverage and other benefits
customarily provided by a prospective employer, when provided to a
student at a public institution of higher education whose employment
is derived from such student's status as a student at such i nstitution, in
connection with bona fide employment discussions;
(S) Expenses of a public official, paid by the party committee of which
party such official is a member, for the purpose of accomplishing the
lawful purposes of the committee. As used in this subparagraph, "party
committee" has the same meaning as provided in subdivision (2) of
section 9 -601 and "lawful purposes of the committee" has the same
meaning as provided in subsection (g) of section 9-607; [or]
(T) Travel expenses, lodging, food, beverage and other benefits
customarily provided in the course of employment, when provided to a
public member of the Investment Advisory Council established under
section 3-13b; or
(U) Admission to an intercollegiate sporting event in the state hosted
by a constituent unit, as defined in section 10a-1, at the invitation of the
constituent unit, when provided to a public official or state employee
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and not more than one guest of such public official or state employee
not more than once per calendar year.
Sec. 5. Subdivision (6) of section 1 -91 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(6) "Expenditure" means any advance, conveyance, deposit,
distribution, transfer of funds, loan, payment, unless expressly
excluded; any payments for telephone, mailing, postage, printing and
other clerical or office services and materials; any paid communications,
costing [fifty] one hundred dollars or more in any calendar year,
disseminated by means of any printing, broadcasting or other medium,
provided such communications refer to pending administrative or
legislative action; any contract, agreement, promise or other obligation;
any solicitation or solicitations, costing [fifty] one hundred dollars or
more in the aggregate for any calendar year, of other persons to
communicate with a public official or state employee for the purpose of
influencing any legislative or administrative act and any pledge,
subscription of money or anything of valu e. "Expenditure" does not
include (A) the payment of a registrant's fee pursuant to section 1-95, (B)
any expenditure made by any club, committee, partnership,
organization, business, union, association or corporation for the
purpose of publishing a newsletter or other release intended primarily
for its members, shareholders or employees, whether in written or
electronic form or made orally during a regularly noticed meeting, (C)
any expenditure made by any club, committee, partnership,
organization, business, union, association or corporation for th e
purpose of transporting its members, shareholders or employees to or
from a specific site, where such members, shareholde rs or employees
received no other compensation or reimbursement for lobbying from
such club, committee, partnership, organization, business, union,
association or corporation, or (D) contributions, membership dues or
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other fees paid to associations, nonstock corporations or tax -exempt
organizations under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
or any subsequent corresponding internal revenue code of the United
States, as amended from time to time. [amended.]
Sec. 6. Subdivision (7) of section 1 -91 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(7) "Gift" means anything of value, which is directly and personally
received, unless consideration of equal or greater value is given in
return. "Gift" does not include:
(A) A political contribution otherwise reported as required by law or
a donation or payment described in subdivision (9) or (10) of subsection
(b) of section 9-601a;
(B) Services provided by persons volunteering their time, if provided
to aid or promote the success or defeat of any political party, any
candidate or candidates for public office or the position of convention
delegate or town committee member or any referendum question;
(C) A commercially reasonable loan made on terms not more
favorable than loans made in the ordinary course of business;
(D) A gift received from (i) the individual's spouse, fiancé or fiancée,
(ii) the parent, grandparent, brother or sister of such spouse or such
individual, or (iii) the child of such individual or the spouse of such
child;
(E) Goods or services (i) that are provided to a state agency or quasi-
public agency (I) for use on state or quasi-public agency property, or (II)
that support an event or the participation by a public official or state
employee at an event, and (ii) that facilitate state or quasi-public agency
action or functions. As used in this subparagraph, "state property"
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means property owned by the state or a quasi-public agency or property
leased to a state or quasi-public agency;
(F) A certificate, plaque or other ceremonial award costing less than
[one] two hundred fifty dollars;
(G) A rebate, discount or promotional item available to the general
public;
(H) Printed or recorded informational material germane to state
action or functions;
(I) Food or beverage or both, costing less than [fifty] one hundred
dollars in the aggregate per recipient in a calendar year, and consumed
on an occasion or occasions at which the person paying, directly or
indirectly, for the food or beverage, or [his] such person's representative,
is in attendance;
(J) Food or beverage or both, costing less than [fifty] one hundred
dollars per person and consumed at a publicly noticed legislative
reception to which all members of the General Assembly are invited and
which is hosted not more than once in any calendar year by a lobbyist
or business organization. For the purposes of su ch limit, (i) a reception
hosted by a lobbyist who is an individual shall be deemed to have also
been hosted by the business organization which [he] such lobbyist owns
or is employed by, and (ii) a reception hosted by a business organization
shall be deemed to have also been hosted by all owners and employees
of the business organization who are lobbyists. In making the
calculation for the purposes of such [fifty-dollar] one-hundred-dollar
limit, the donor shall divide the amount spent on food and beverage by
the number of persons whom the donor reasonably expects to attend the
reception;
(K) Food or beverage or both, costing less than [fifty] one hundred
dollars per person and consumed at a publicly noticed reception to
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which all members of the General Assembly from a region of the state
are invited and which is hosted not more than once in any calendar year
by a lobbyist or business organization. For the purposes of such limit, (i)
a reception hosted by a lobbyist who is an individual shall be deemed
to have also been hosted by the business organization which [he] such
lobbyist owns or is employed by, and (ii) a reception hosted by a
business organization shall be deemed to have also been hosted by all
owners and employees of the business organization who are lobbyists.
In making the calculation for the purposes of such [fifty-dollar] one-
hundred-dollar limit, the donor shall divide the amount spent on food
and beverage by the number of persons whom the donor reasonably
expects to attend the reception. As used in this subparagraph, "region of
the state" means the established geographic service area of th e
organization hosting the reception;
(L) A gift, including, but not limited to, food or beverage or both,
provided by an individual for the celebration of a major life event,
provided any such gift provided by an individual who is not a member
of the family of the recipient does not exceed one thousand five hundred
dollars in value;
(M) Gifts costing less than [one] two hundred fifty dollars in the
aggregate or food or beverage provided at a hospitality suite at a
meeting or conference of an interstate legislative association, by a
person who is not a registrant or is not doing business with the state of
Connecticut;
(N) Admission to a charitable or civic event, including food and
beverage provided at such event, but excluding lodging or travel
expenses, at which a public official or state employee participates in his
or her official capacity, provided such admission is pr ovided by the
primary sponsoring entity;
(O) Anything of value provided by an employer of (i) a public official,
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(ii) a state employee, or (iii) a spouse of a public official or state
employee, to such official, employee or spouse, provided such benefits
are customarily and ordinarily provided to others in similar
circumstances;
(P) Anything having a value of not more than [ten] twenty dollars,
provided the aggregate value of all things provided by a donor to a
recipient under this subdivision in any calendar year does not exceed
[fifty] one hundred dollars; or
(Q) Training that is provided by a vendor for a product purchased by
a state or quasi -public agency that is offered to all customers of such
vendor.
Sec. 7. Subdivision (12) of section 1 -91 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(12) "Lobbyist" means a person who in lobbying and in furtherance
of lobbying makes or agrees to make expenditures, or receives or agrees
to receive compensation, reimbursement, or both, and such
compensation, reimbursement or expenditures are three thousand
dollars or more in any calendar year or the combined amount thereof is
three thousand dollars or more in any such calendar year. "Lobbyist"
does not include:
(A) A public official, employee of a branch of state government or a
subdivision thereof, including an official or employee of a quasi -public
agency, or elected or appointed official of a municipality or his or her
designee other than an independent contractor, who is acting within the
scope of his or her authority or employment;
(B) A publisher, owner or an employee of the press, radio or
television while disseminating news or editorial comment to the general
public in the ordinary course of business;
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(C) An individual representing himself or herself or another person
before the legislature or a state agency other than for the purpose of
influencing legislative or administrative action;
(D) Any individual or employee who receives no compensation or
reimbursement specifically for lobbying and who limits his activities
solely to formal appearances to give testimony before public sessions of
committees of the General Assembly or public hearings of state agencies
and who, if he or she testifies, registers his or her appearance in the
records of such committees or agencies;
(E) A member of an advisory board acting within the scope of his or
her appointment;
(F) A senator or representative in Congress acting within the scope of
his or her office;
(G) Any person who receives no compensation or reimbursement
specifically for lobbying and who spends no more than five hours in
furtherance of lobbying unless such person (i) exclusive of salary,
receives compensation or makes expenditures, or both, of three
thousand dollars or more in any calendar year for lobbying or the
combined amount thereof is three thousand dollars or more in any such
calendar year, or (ii) expends [fifty] one hundred dollars or more for the
benefit of a public official in the legis lative or executive branch, a
member of his or her staff or immediate family;
(H) A communicator lobbyist who receives or agrees to receive
compensation, reimbursement, or both, the aggregate amount of which
is less than three thousand dollars from each client in any calendar year.
Sec. 8. Subsection (a) of section 1-96 of the general statutes is repealed
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(a) Each client lobbyist registrant shall file with the Office of State
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Ethics between the first and tenth day of April, July and January a
financial report, signed under penalty of false statement. The April and
July reports shall cover its lobbying activities during the previous
calendar quarter and the January report shall cover its lobbying
activities during the previous two calendar quarters. In addition to such
reports, each client lobbyist registrant which attempts to influence
legislative action shall file, under penalty of false statement, interim
monthly reports of it s lobbying activities for each month the General
Assembly is in regular session, except that no monthly report shall be
required for any month in which it neither expends nor agrees to expend
[one] two hundred fifty dollars or more in furtherance of lobbying. Such
interim monthly reports shall be filed with the Office of State Ethics no
later than the tenth day of the month following the last day of the month
reported. If the client lobbyist registrant is not an indi vidual, an
authorized officer or agent of the client lobbyist registrant shall sign the
form. A communicator lobbyist for a municipality or any subdivision of
a municipality shall file the reports described in this subsection utilizing
the client lobbyist reporting schedule.
Sec. 9. Subsection (e) of section 1-96 of the general statutes is repealed
and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
(e) Each client lobbyist registrant financial report shall be on a form
prescribed by the board and shall state expenditures made and the
fundamental terms of contracts, agreements or promises to pay
compensation or reimbursement or to make expenditures in furtherance
of lobbying. Any such fundamental terms shall be reported once in the
monthly, quarterly or post -termination report next following the
entering into of such contract. Such financial report shall include an
itemized statement of each expenditure of [ten] twenty dollars or more
per person for each occasion made by the reporting registrant or a group
of registrants which includes the reporting registrant for the benefit of a
public official in the legislative or executive branch, a member of his
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staff or immediate family, itemized by date, beneficiary, amount and
circumstances of the transaction. The requirement of an itemized
statement shall not apply to an expenditure made by a reporting
registrant or a group of registrants which includes the re porting
registrant for (1) the benefit of the members of the General Assembly at
an event that is a reception to which all such members are invited or all
members of a region of the state, as such term is used in subparagraph
(K) of subdivision (7) of section 1-91, as amended by this act, are invited,
unless the expenditure is [thirty] sixty dollars or more per person, or (2)
benefits personally and directly received by a public official or state
employee at a charitable or civic event at which the public official or
state employee participates in his official capacity, unless the
expenditure is [thirty] sixty dollars or more per person, per event. If the
compensation is required to be reported for an individual whose
lobbying is incidental to his or her reg ular employment, it shall be
sufficient to report a prorated amount based on the value of the time
devoted to lobbying. On the first financial report following registration
each client lobbyist registrant shall include any expenditures incident to
lobbying activities that were received or expended prior to registration
and not previously reported to the Office of State Ethics.
Sec. 10. Subsection (g) of section 1 -96 of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(g) Each former registrant shall (1) report receipts or expenditures
incident to lobbying activities during [his] such registrant's period of
registration which are received or expended following termination of
registration and (2) report each expenditure of [ten] twenty dollars or
more per person for each occasion made by [him] such registrant for the
benefit of a public official or a member of such official's immediate
family or staff which occurs within six months after termination of
registration.
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Sec. 11. Subsection (a) of section 1 -96a of the general statutes is
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October
1, 2026):
(a) Each registrant shall obtain and preserve all accounts, bills,
receipts and other documents necessary to substantiate the financial
reports required by section 1-96, as amended by this act, for a period of
three years from the date of the filing of the report referring to such
financial matters, provided this section shall apply to each expenditure
for the benefit of a public official of [ten] twenty dollars or more and all
other expenditures of [fifty] one hundred dollars or more.
Sec. 12. Section 1 -96e of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026):
Each registrant who pays or reimburses a public official or state
employee [ten] twenty dollars or more for necessary expenses, as
defined in section 1 -79, as amended by this act, shall, within forty-five
days of such payment or reimbursement, file a statement with the Office
of State Ethics indicating the name of such individual and the amount
of the expenses.