CHAPTER 448

S.P. 402 - L.D. 1196

An Act To Clarify the Definition of Independent Expenditures

Under the Election Laws

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1014-B, sub-§2, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 416, §1, is amended to read:

D. If the call is an independent expenditure, as defined in section 1019 1019-B, that a candidate has not approved the call must be disclosed during each call.

Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1019, as amended by PL 2001, c. 465, §1, is repealed.

Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1019-B is enacted to read:

§1019-B.__Reports of independent expenditures

1.__Independent expenditures; definition.__For the purposes of this section, an "independent expenditure":

A.__Is any expenditure made by a person, party committee, political committee or political action committee, other than by contribution to a candidate or a candidate's authorized political committee, for any communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate; and

B.__Is presumed in races involving a candidate who is