An Act To Improve the Maine Clean Election Act
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1197
Committee Amendment CA_A_S214 (Senate)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1015, 21-A MRSA §1122, 21-A MRSA §1125

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " A" to S.P. 445, L.D. 1197, Bill, "An Act To 
Improve the Maine Clean Election Act" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 2 and 3 and insel1ing the following: 
'Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, § 1 0, 
is further amended to read: 
1. Individuals. An individual may not make contributions to a candidate in supp0l1 
of the candidacy of one person aggregating more than $-SOO $750 in any election for a 
gubernatorial candidate or more than ~ 
$350 in any election for any other candidate. 
This limitation does not apply to contributions in support of a candidate by that candidate 
or that candidate's spouse or domestic partner. Beginning December 1, 2010, contribution 
limits in accordance with this subsection are adjusted every 2 years based on the 
Consumer Price Index as reR0I1ed by the United States DeRaJ1ment of Labor, Bureau of 
Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $25. The commission 
shall Rost the current contribution limit and the amount of the next adjustment and the 
date that it will become effective on its Rublicly accessible website and include this 
information with any Rublication to be used as a guide for candidates. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, § II, 
is further amended to read: 
2. Committees; corporations; associations. A political committee, political action 
committee, other commit1ee, firm, pm1nership, corporation, association or organization 
may not make contributions to a candidate in support of the candidacy of one person 
aggregating more than $WG $750 in any election for a gubernatorial candidate or more 
than·~ $350 in any election for any other candidate. Beginning December 1, 2010, 
contribution limits in accordance with this subsection are adjusted evelY 2 years based on 
the Consumer Price Index as reRorted by the Ullited States DeRaJ1ment of Labor, Bureau 
of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $25. The commission 
shall Rost the current contribution limit and the amount of the next adjustment .and the 
date that it will become effective. on its Rublicly accessible website and include this 
information with any Rublication to be used as a guide for candidates. 
Page I - 124LR1332(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITI'EE AMENDMENT "A" [0 S.P. 445, L.D. 1197 
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§7, ~A, as amended byPL 2007, c. 443, Pt. B, 
§2, is fmiher amended to read: 
A. Of $5 or more in the fOim of a check or a money order payable to the fl\11d, signed 
by the contributor and made in suppOli of a candidate; 
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§8, ~, as amended by PL 2001, c. 465, §3, is 
fmiher amended to read: 
B. For State Senate or State House of Representatives paliicipating candidates, the 
qualifying period begins January 1st of the election year and ends at 5:00 p.m. on 
April ~ 
20th of that election year unless the candidate is unenrolled. in which case 
tlte-j3BFied ends at 5:00 n.m. on June 2nd of the election vear. 
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, ~, as enacted by TB 1995, c. 1, §17, is 
amended to read: 
B. For a candidate for the State Senate, at least ~ 
verified registered voters 
from the candidate's electoral divi~ion must suppOli the candidacy by providing a 
qualifying contribution to that candidate; or 
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, ~C, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, § 17, is 
amended to read: 
C. For a candidate for the State House of Representatives, at least ~ 60 verified 
registered voters from the candidate's electoral division must support the candidacy 
by providing a qualifying contribution to that candidate. 
Sec. 8. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§8, GfiD, as amended by PL 2003, c. 453, § 1, is 
further amended to read: 
. 
D. 
For uncontested legislative general elections, the amount of revenues to be 
distributed from the fund is 40% 33% of the amount distributed to a patiicipating 
candidate in a contested general election.' 
Amend the bill by inserting at the end before the summary the following: 
'Sec. 5. 
Commission to adopt rules regarding general election 
contributions during primary election cycle. No later than December 1, 2009, the 
Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shall adopt rules that 
authorize candidates to accept contributions to be used for a general election campaign 
during the primary eJection period. 
The rules must require that contributions be 
segregated and declared as primary or general election contributions and that general 
election campaign contributions may not be borrowed to support a primary election 
campaign. Rules adopted in accordance with this section are routine technical rules as 
defined in Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or remimbering any nonconsecutive Pati letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
· ., 
,) 
) 
.r. 
~._ 
F: 
'. 
,,) 
! ~ 
-11 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ft, to S.P. 445, L.D. 1197 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes the provIsIOns of the bill that propose to change the 
definition of "contribution" as it relates to assistance provided by party employees and the 
increase in the trigger fi'om $500 to $1,000 that would require political action committees 
to file 24-hour reports. The amendment maintains the provision in the bill that expands 
the prohibition on certain campaign contributions from mid solicitations of lobbyists as 
they apply to political action committees closely associated with a Legislator, Governor 
or constitutional officer. 
It also maintains the provision that requires more detailed 
information regarding payments made to political actioh committ~es by candidates 
participating in the Maine Clean Election Act. The amendment also increases the number 
of qualifying contributions required of legislative candidates to 175 for candidates for the 
Senate and to 60 for I-louse candidates. It makes the qualifying period for legislative 
candidates seeking Maine Clean Election Act celtification end on April 20th. It changes 
the distribution to unopposed legislative candidates in a general election from 40% to 
33% of the distributions to candidates in a contested general election. 
Finally, this 
amendment raises the contribution limits in traditionally funded campaigns to $750 for 
gubernatorial and $350 for all other races. 
Beginning December I, 20 10 those 
contribution limits will be automatically adjusted every 2 years based on the Consumer 
Price Index and rounded to the nearest $25. 
The amendment also requires the 
Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to adopt rules that will 
permit the collection of general election contributions during a primary.election cycle. 
-FISCAL :-;-OTE REQuIRED 
(Se~ ~ttached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
, / 
Approved: 05124/09 MaC!. 
Revenue 
LD 1197 
LR 1332(02) 
An Act To Improve the Maine Clean Election Act 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A' 
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs 
Fiscal Note Requ'ired: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2009-10 
2010-11 
Projections 
2011-12 ' 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$21,300 
$0 
$22,365 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Projections 
2012-13 
$0 
This legislation increases the number of qualifying contributions required by a legislative candidate and would result 
in an increase in Other Special Revenue Funds revenue 0[$21,300 in fiscal year 2009-10, The legislation also reduces 
the dish'ibution amounts to uncontested candidates. However, as no uncontested races are anticipated in 2010, no 
savings are estimated. 
LR1332(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
) 
') 
,/ 
') 
"