A.__The fund receives revenue from the tax checkoff established in Title 36, section 5289, allowing a resident of the State who files a tax return with the State Tax Assessor to contribute 25__to the fund. If a husband and wife file a joint return, each spouse may designate that 25__ be paid. The State Tax Assessor shall report annually the amounts designated for the fund to the State Controller, who shall transfer that amount to the fund.

B.__In addition to the contribution described in paragraph A, the fund may receive other voluntary contributions.__Any contributions received pursuant to this paragraph may be used only for the purposes of subsection 1 and may not be transferred to the General Fund.

C.__If the fund, for any 2 consecutive election cycles, produces a surplus of more than 100% of the previous cycles' expenses related to subsections 1 and 3, then 50% of that surplus may be assigned, at the Secretary of State's discretion, to the operating budget of the Office of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, Elections Division for that year.

Sec. 2. 36 MRSA §5289 is enacted to read:

§5289.__Contribution to Maine Electoral Transparency Fund;

voluntary checkoff

1.__Designation.__Resident taxpayers may designate that 25__of their taxes be deposited in the Maine Electoral Transparency Fund in accordance with Title 21-A, section 737-B, subsection 5.

2.__Forms.__The State Tax Assessor shall provide on the first page of the income tax form a space for the filing individual to indicate whether that filer wishes to pay 25¢, or 50__if filing a joint return, from the General Fund to finance the Maine Electoral Transparency Fund created in Title 21-A, section 737-B, subsection 5.

3.__Transfer of funds.__The State Tax Assessor shall transfer funds pursuant to this section from the General Fund in accordance with Title 21-A, section 1124.