An Act To Strengthen the Ballot Initiative Process
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1730
Committee Amendment CA_A-SA_D_S488 (Senate)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §903-D, 21-A MRSA §904

SENATE AMENDMENT d)" to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 662, 
L.D. 1730, Bill, "An Act To Strengthen the Ballot Initiative Process" 
Amend the amendment by inserting after section 4 the following: 
'Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §903-D is enacted to read: 
§903-D. 
Organization opposed to direct initiative and people's veto petition 
."~.-.,.,. 
required to be registered 
An organization opposed to a petition shall register with the Secretary of State in 
accordance with this section. For the purposes of this section, "organization opposed to a 
petition" means a business entity that receives compensation for organizing, supervising 
or managing the opposition of petitions for a direct initiative. of legislation or a people's 
veto referendum. 
1. Registration. 
Prior to organizing, supervising or managing the opposition of 
petitions for a direct initiative of legislation or a people's veto referendum, an 
organization opposed to a petition, in addition to meeting any other requirement to 
transact business in this State, shall register with the Secretary of State on a form 
prescribed by the Secretary of State. The registration form must include the following: 
A. The ballot question or title of each direct initiative of legislation or people's veto 
referendum for which the organization opposed to a petition will receive 
compensation; 
B. Contact information for the organization opposed to a petition, including the name 
of the organization opposed to a petition, street address or post office box, telephone 
number and e-mail address; and 
C. The name and signature of a designated agent for the organization opposed to a 
petition. 
The information contained in the registration must be made available for public 
inspection and must be posted on the publicly accessible website of the SecretalY of 
State. 
Sec. 6. 21-A MRS A §904, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 2007, c. 455, 
§53, is amended to read: 
Page I - 124LR2310(08)-1 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT ':0'10 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A"lo S.P. 662, L.D. 1730 
4. Duplicate signature. Knowingly signs the person's name more than once on 
initiative or referendum petitions for the same measure; 6f 
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §904, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 455, §53, is 
amended to read: 
5. 
False swearing; signature made in circulator's presence. . Circulates an 
initiative or referendum petition and willfully swears that a signature to the petition was 
made in the circulator's presence when it was not;,,;,.QI: 
Sec. 8. 21-A MRSA §904, sub-§6 is enacted to read: 
6. Interfere with free passage. Interferes with the free passage of circulators of 
petitions or members of the public signing initiatives or referendum petitions.' 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter 
or section number to r¥ad consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment does the following. 
1. It provides that a person comm its a Class E crime if that person interferes with the 
free passage of circulators of petitions or members of the public signing initiatives or 
referendum petitions. 
2. It imposes on organizations that are opposed to a petition registration requirements 
that are modeled on those imposed on petition organizations. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
. d1 U;hed) 
SPONSORED BY:~~ 
(Senator TRAHAN) 
COUNTY: Lincoln 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 03/26/1 0 Mac. 
124tb MAINE LEGISLATURE 
LD 1730 
LR 2310(08) 
An Act To Strengthen the Ballot Initiative Process 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment~" to Committee Amendment "A" 
Sponsor: Sen. Trahan of Lincoln 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
,..~orrectional and Judicial Impact Statements 
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Establishes new Class E crimes. 
, 
The collection of additional fines may also increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
LR231 0(08) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I