Sec. 9-702. Citizens' Election Program established. Eligibility for grants.
Sec. 9-702. Citizens' Election Program established. Eligibility for grants. (a)
There is established a Citizens' Election Program under which (1) the candidate committee of a major party candidate for nomination to the office of state senator or state
representative in 2008, or thereafter, or the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
Attorney General, State Comptroller, Secretary of the State or State Treasurer in 2010,
or thereafter, may receive a grant from the Citizens' Election Fund for the candidate's
primary campaign for said nomination, and (2) the candidate committee of a candidate
nominated by a major party, or the candidate committee of an eligible minor party
candidate or an eligible petitioning party candidate, for election to the office of state
senator or state representative at a special election held on or after December 31, 2006,
or at a regular election held in 2008, or thereafter, or for election to the office of Governor,
Attorney General, State Comptroller, Secretary of the State or State Treasurer in 2010,
or thereafter, may receive a grant from the fund for the candidate's general election
campaign for said office.
(b) Any such candidate committee is eligible to receive such grants for a primary
campaign, if applicable, and a general election campaign if (1) the candidate certifies
as a participating candidate under section 9-703, (2) the candidate's candidate committee
receives the required amount of qualifying contributions under section 9-704, (3) the
candidate's candidate committee returns all contributions that do not meet the criteria
for qualifying contributions under section 9-704, (4) the candidate agrees to limit the
campaign expenditures of the candidate's candidate committee in accordance with the
provisions of subsection (c) of this section, and (5) the candidate submits an application
and the commission approves the application in accordance with the provisions of section 9-706.
(c) A candidate participating in the Citizens' Election Program shall limit the expenditures of the candidate's candidate committee (A) before a primary campaign and a
general election campaign, to the amount of qualifying contributions permitted in section
9-705 and any personal funds provided by the candidate under subsection (c) of section
9-710, (B) for a primary campaign, to the sum of (i) the amount of such qualifying
contributions and personal funds that have not been spent before the primary campaign,
(ii) the amount of the grant for the primary campaign authorized under section 9-705,
and (iii) the amount of any additional moneys for the primary campaign authorized
under section 9-713 or 9-714, and (C) for a general election campaign, to the sum of (i)
the amount of such qualifying contributions and personal funds that have not been spent
before the general election campaign, (ii) any unexpended funds from any grant for a
primary campaign authorized under section 9-705 or from any additional moneys for a
primary campaign authorized under section 9-713 or 9-714, (iii) the amount of the grant
for the general election campaign authorized under section 9-705, and (iv) the amount
of any additional moneys for the general election campaign authorized under section
9-713 or 9-714. The candidate committee of a minor or petitioning party candidate who
has received a general election campaign grant from the fund pursuant to section 9-705
shall be permitted to receive contributions in addition to the qualifying contributions
subject to the limitations and restrictions applicable to participating candidates for the
same office, provided such minor or petitioning party candidate shall limit the expenditures of the candidate committee for a general election campaign to the sum of the
qualifying contributions and personal funds, the amount of the general election campaign grant received and the amount raised in additional contributions that is equivalent
to the difference between the amount of the applicable general election campaign grant
for a major party candidate for such office and the amount of the general election campaign grant received by such minor or petitioning party candidate.
(d) For the purposes of sections 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, if a qualified candidate
committee receives a grant for a primary campaign and has qualifying contributions
that have not been spent before the primary campaign, no expenditures by such committee during the primary campaign shall be deemed to have been made from such qualifying contributions until the primary campaign grant funds have been fully spent.
(e) No grants or moneys paid to a qualified candidate committee from the Citizens'
Election Fund under sections 9-700 to 9-716, inclusive, shall be deemed to be public
funds under any other provision of the general statutes or any public or special act unless
specifically stated by such provision.
(Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5, S. 3; P.A. 06-137, S. 20.)
History: Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5 effective December 31, 2006, and applicable to elections held on or after that date;
P.A. 06-137 amended Subsec. (c) to add provision re ability of minor or petitioning party candidate to receive contributions
in addition to the qualifying contributions, provided such candidate abides by the limitations and restrictions applicable
to participating candidates for the same office, effective December 31, 2006, and applicable to elections held on or after
that date.
See Sec. 9-717 re effect of court of competent jurisdiction's prohibiting or limiting the expenditure of funds from the
Citizens' Election Fund established in Sec. 9-701.