Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1052, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A.__Caucus campaign committee.__"Caucus campaign committee" means a committee, the principal officers of which are members of the party holding the largest or 2nd-largest number of seats in the Senate or members of the party holding the largest or 2nd- largest number of seats in the House of Representatives, established to support the election of candidates of a party to the respective chambers of the Legislature.

Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§§2-A and 2-B are enacted to read:

2-A.__Political action committee participation prohibited.__ Except as provided in subsection 2-B, a participating candidate may not solicit contributions or accept money for or otherwise participate in a political action committee, as defined in section 1052, subsection 5, established to influence the election or defeat of legislative candidates or to support that participating candidate's effort to be elected to a legislative leadership position.

2-B.__Soliciting contributions for caucus campaign committees permitted.__A participating candidate may solicit contributions for a caucus campaign committee, as defined in section 1052, subsection 1-A, if the participating candidate does not solely make expenditures on behalf of the caucus campaign committee.

SUMMARY

This bill provides for the creation of caucus campaign committees established to support the election of candidates and determine legislative leadership of the 2 major parties in the House of Representatives and the Senate. This bill prohibits a Maine Clean Election Act candidate from participating in political action committees, except that a Maine Clean Election Act candidate may solicit contributions for a caucus campaign committee.