An Act To Improve Disclosure of Campaign Finance Information and the Operation of the Maine Clean Election Act
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1017-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 190, Pt. A, §8, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1017-A, sub-§4-A, ¶E, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §17, is further amended to read:
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1017-A, sub-§4-B, ¶C, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §17, is further amended to read:
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1059, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §35, is further amended to read:
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§12-A, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 302, §21, is repealed.
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§12-A, ¶E is enacted to read:
summary
This bill amends the existing requirements for political action committees and party committees to file campaign finance reports within 24 hours of receiving large contributions and making large expenditures during the last 13 days before an election. Under the bill, the reporting requirements for political action committees and party committees in this 13-day period are the same as the requirements for candidates. The bill requires political action committees and party committees to report any contribution of $1,000 or more received during the 13-day period. Under existing law, those contributions are not publicly reported until the regular financial report filed 42 days after the election. It also increases the threshold for political action committees and party committees to report large expenditures from $500 to $1,000.
The bill clarifies when a party committee must itemize contributions in its regular campaign finance reports. It specifies that a party committee must itemize contributions received from the same source totaling more than $200 during the time period covered by the report.
The bill amends a requirement that a Maine Clean Election Act candidate keep a record specifying the work performed by a vendor if the candidate has paid $500 or more in public campaign funds to the vendor. The bill limits the requirement to campaign staff and consulting services, rather than services provided by vendors generally.