An Act Regarding Campaign Finance Disclosure by Political Action Committees
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1052, sub-§5, ¶A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 575, §5, is further amended to read:
(1) Any separate or segregated fund established by any corporation, membership organization, nonprofit organization, cooperative or , labor organization or other organization whose purpose is to influence the outcome of an election, including a candidate or question; and
(2) Any person who serves as a funding and transfer mechanism and spends money to initiate, advance, promote, defeat or influence in any way a candidate, campaign, political party, referendum or initiated petition in this State;
(3) Any organization, including any corporation or association, that has as its major purpose advocating the passage or defeat of a ballot question and that makes expenditures other than by contribution to a political action committee, for the purpose of the initiation, promotion or defeat of any question; and
(4) Any organization, including any corporation or association, that has as its major purpose advocating the passage or defeat of a ballot question and that solicits funds from members or nonmembers and spends more than $1,500 in a calendar year to initiate, advance, promote, defeat or influence in any way a candidate, campaign, political party, referendum or initiated petition, including the collection of signatures for a direct initiative, in this State; and
(5) Any organization that has as its major purpose influencing the nomination or election of any person to political office or initiating, promoting or defeating a campaign, referendum or initiative in this State and that raises contributions or makes expenditures in excess of $1,500 for that purpose; and
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1052-A is enacted to read:
§ 1052-A. Requirement to form a political action committee
An organization that does not have as its major purpose influencing elections in this State is required to form an affiliated political action committee as set forth in this section.
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1056-B, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 729, §8, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1060-A is enacted to read:
§ 1060-A. Reporting by an affiliated political action committee
A political action committee that is affiliated with another organization shall report contributions in compliance with this section.
summary
This bill defines a political action committee as an organization whose major purpose is to influence elections and that raises or spends more than $1,500 to influence an election. The definition also includes a separate or segregated fund established to influence elections. The bill also requires that an organization that does not have a major purpose to influence elections form an affiliated political action committee if the organization spends more than $5,000 in any calendar year to influence an election. The bill also establishes how a political action committee affiliated with another organization must report contributions, funds transfers and donated staff time from that organization. The bill repeals the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A, section 1056-B, which required reports from any person other than a political action committee than raised or spent more than $1,500 to influence an election.