| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 1 MRSA §1008, sub-§6, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §6, is | amended to read: |
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| | 6. Enhanced monitoring; source of revenue. To provide for | enhanced monitoring and enforcement of election practices and to | institute electronic submission of reports and computerized | tracking of campaign, election and lobbying information under the | commission's jurisdiction. Funds to support enhanced monitoring | and computerized data collection must come from the commission's | share of Maine Clean Election Fund established pursuant to Title | 21-A, section 1124; lobbyist registration fees, penalties and | other revenues pursuant to Title 3, section 320 as well as other | revenue sources chapter 15; and from other entities that may | benefit from the commission's acquisition and use of an | electronic data collection and disclosure system. |
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| | Sec. 2. 3 MRSA §313, as amended by IB 1995, c. 1, §7, is further | amended to read: |
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| §313. Registration of lobbyists and employers |
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| | Every employer of a lobbyist and every lobbyist and lobbyist | associate who lobbies on behalf of that employer shall register | jointly at the office of the commission no later than 15 business | days after commencement of lobbying and pay a registration fee | determined by the commission. The fee must be at least $400 of | $200 for the registration of each lobbyist and at least $200 $100 | for the registration of each lobbyist associate or such other | amounts as the commission determines based upon the cost to the | commission of administering and enforcing the provisions of this | chapter. |
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| | Sec. 3. 3 MRSA §320, first ¶, as amended by IB 1995, c. 1, §8, is | further amended to read: |
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| | Fees collected pursuant to this chapter must go in equal | portions to the General Fund and to the commission and be | deposited in a special, dedicated, nonlapsing account and any | interest generated by that account must be credited to the | account. |
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| | This bill reduces the registration fee paid annually by | lobbyists and lobbyist associates and provides for all fees | collected to be credited to a dedicated lobbyist registration fee | account administered by the Commission on Governmental Ethics and | Election Practices. The bill also provides that the electronic |
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