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An Act Concerning Nonprofit Political Action Committees
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1052, sub-§5, ¶A,  as amended by PL 2005, c. 575, §5, is further amended to read:
 
A.  Includes:
 
(1) Any separate or segregated fund established by any corporation, membership organization, cooperative or, labor organization or nonprofit entity whose purpose is to influence the outcome of an election, including a candidate or question;
 
(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 or nonprofit entity, 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 or nonprofit entity, 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
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1053, sub-§4,  as enacted by PL 1985, c. 161, §6, is amended to read:
 
4. Form of organization.   The form or structure of organization, including cooperatives, corporations, voluntary associations, partnerships, nonprofit entities or any other structure by which the committee functions. The date of origin or incorporation must also be specified;
 
SUMMARY
This bill includes nonprofit entities in the laws governing required reporting by political action committees.