Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is amended to read:

4. Political committees; intermediaries. For the purpose of the limitations imposed by this section, contributions made to any political committee authorized by a candidate to accept contributions on the candidate's behalf are considered to be contributions made to that candidate.

For the purposes of the limitations imposed by this section, all contributions made by a person, either directly or indirectly, on behalf of a particular candidate, including contributions which that are in any way earmarked or otherwise directed through an intermediary or conduit to the candidate, are considered to be contributions from that person to the candidate. The intermediary or conduit shall report the original source and the intended recipient of the contribution to the commission and to the intended recipient.

For the purposes of the limitations imposed by this section, an expenditure by a political committee for a communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate is considered an expenditure by the candidate that the communication is intended to benefit.

Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§6, as amended by PL 1991, c. 839, §11 and affected by §34, is further amended to read:

6. Prohibited expenditures. A candidate, a treasurer, a political committee, a party or party committee, a person required to file a report under this subchapter or their authorized agents may not make any expenditures for liquor to be distributed to or consumed by voters while the polls are open on election day. Expenditure for a communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified

candidate is prohibited without the authorization of the candidate that the communication is intended to benefit.

Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1056-A, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 715, §3, is amended to read:

§1056-A. Expenditures by political action committees

A political action committee shall report all expenditures in cash or in kind made by the committee and any expenditures used for communications that expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that were made with the authorization of the candidate the communications were intended to benefit.

Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§7, ķA, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:

A. Of $5 $10 in the form of a check or a money order payable to the fund in support of a candidate;

Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§9, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:

9. Seed money contribution. "Seed money contribution" means a contribution of no more than $100 per individual made to a candidate, including a contribution from the candidate or the candidate's family. To be eligible for certification, a candidate may collect and spend only seed money contributions subsequent to becoming a candidate as defined by section 1, subsection 5 beginning November 1st immediately preceding the election year and throughout the qualifying period. A candidate may not collect or spend seed money contributions after certification as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate. The primary purpose of a seed money contribution is to enable a participating candidate to collect qualifying contributions. A seed money contribution must be reported according to procedures developed by the commission.

Sec. 8. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§15 is enacted to read:

15.__Political action committee.__A participating candidate is not eligible for certification if that candidate solicits contributions or makes expenditures for a political action committee as defined by section 1052.

SUMMARY

This bill amends the laws governing campaign practices by defining "issue advocacy" and stating that expenditures made by individuals or political committees that are used for communications that expressly advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate are contributions to the campaign of the candidate that the communication is intended to benefit. Expenditures for such contributions are prohibited without the authorization of the candidate that the communication is intended to benefit. Under this bill, communications that are considered issue advocacy can not be distributed without first notifying the candidate mentioned in the communication at least 48 hours in advance. This bill also amends the Maine Clean Election Act by increasing the amount of qualifying contributions from $5 to $10, extending the time frame in which a candidate may collect and spend seed money and prohibiting participating candidates from soliciting contributions or making expenditures for a political action committee.