An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Political Action Committees
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1006 is enacted to read:
§ 1006. Participation in political action committees by legislative candidates
This prohibition also applies to a legislative candidate in a special election, except that the prohibition begins on the date of the candidate's nomination. This subsection does not prohibit a legislative candidate, including a legislative candidate who wins a general or special election, from engaging in fund-raising or decision making for a party caucus political action committee, a ballot question committee or a political action committee formed for the purpose of promoting or opposing a ballot question. This prohibition applies to a legislative candidate regardless of the date on which the political action committee was established.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§6-F, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 116, §1 and affected by §2, is amended to read:
This prohibition also applies to a participating gubernatorial candidate or certified gubernatorial candidate in a special election, except that the prohibition begins on the date of the gubernatorial candidate's nomination. This subsection does not prohibit a participating gubernatorial candidate or certified gubernatorial candidate, including a certified gubernatorial candidate who wins a general or special election, from engaging in fund-raising or decision making for a party caucus political action committee, a ballot question committee or a political action committee formed for the purpose of promoting or opposing a ballot question. This prohibition applies to a participating gubernatorial candidate or certified gubernatorial candidate regardless of the date on which the political action committee was established.
summary
This bill prohibits a legislative candidate from establishing a political action committee for which the candidate is a treasurer or principal officer or for which the candidate is primarily responsible for fund-raising or decision making. The bill also makes a change to a provision under the Maine Clean Election Act, which includes the same prohibition, to specify that the prohibition in that Act applies only to participating gubernatorial candidates and certified gubernatorial candidates.