2013 Changes to The Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act

Changes to The Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act were contained in HB 6403, Public Act 13-196: AN ACT MAKING MINOR AND TECHNICAL CHANGES TO DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER PROTECTION STATUTES (effective June 21, 2013).  The following is the new language.

Sec. 21a-190b. Registration of charitable organizations prior to solicitation. Hearing on application. Late fee. Extension of time for financial report. Failure to register. (a) Every charitable organization not exempted by section 21a-190d shall annually register with the department prior to conducting any solicitation or prior to having any solicitation conducted on its behalf by others. Application for registration shall be in a form prescribed by the commissioner and shall include payment of a fee of fifty dollars. Such application shall include: (1) A registration statement, (2) an annual financial report for such organization for the preceding fiscal year that is prepared in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 21a-190c, and (3) an audited financial statement as required by subsection (b) of section 21a-190c. Two authorized officers of the organization shall sign the registration statement and shall certify that the statements therein are true and correct to the best of their knowledge. A chapter, branch or affiliate in this state of a registered parent organization shall not be required to register provided the parent organization files a consolidated annual registration for itself and its chapter, branch or affiliate. Each charitable organization shall annually renew its registration not later than eleven months after the end of such organization’s fiscal year.

(b) In the event the department determines that the application for registration does not contain the documents required in subsection (a) of this section or is not in accordance with the regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this chapter, the department shall notify the charitable organization of such noncompliance not later than ten days after the department’s receipt of such application for registration. An application for registration shall be deemed to be approved if the charitable organization is not notified of noncompliance by the department not later than ten days after the department’s receipt of the application for registration. Any such charitable organization may request a hearing on its noncompliant status not later than seven days after receipt of such noncompliance notice. Such hearing shall be held not later than seven days after the department’s receipt of such request and a determination as to the organization’s compliance status shall be rendered no later than three days after such hearing.

(c) In addition to the application fee required pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, a charitable organization shall pay a late fee of twenty-five dollars for each month, or part thereof, that such application for registration is late. The commissioner may, upon written request and for good cause shown, waive or reduce any late fee under this section.

(d) In the event that a charitable organization fails to register in accordance with the provisions of this section, such organization shall include in its application for registration an annual financial report for each of the previous years in which such organization was required to file an application for registration or an annual financial report.

(e) Any charitable organization registered in accordance with this section on September 30, 2005, shall be deemed to be registered pursuant to this section until the last day of the fifth month after the close of the fiscal year in effect on September 30, 2005.