An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1323
Committee Amendment CA_A_H405 (House)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §902, 21-A MRSA §903-D

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "#,' to H.P. 917, L.D. 1323, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Direct Initiative Signature Gathering Process" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following: 
'Sec. 4. 
21-A MRSA §902, as amended by PL 2011, c. 342, §31, is further 
amended to read: 
§902. Verification and certification 
The verification and certification of the petition as required by the Constitution of 
Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 20, must be worded so that a single verification or 
certification may cover one or more pages fastened together as a single petition. 
The petitions must be signed, verified and eertified in the same manner as are 
nonparty nomination petitions under section 354, subsections 3 and 4 and subseotion 7, 
paragraphs A and C. The circulator of a petition must sign the petition and verify the 
petition by oath or affirmation as deseribed in section 354, subseotion 7, paragraph A 
prior to submitting the petition to the registrar before a notary public or other person 
authorized by law to administer oaths or affirmations that the circulator personally 
witnessed all of the signatures to the petition and that to the best of the circulator's 
knowledge and belief each signature is the signature of the person whose name it purports 
to be and that each signature authorized under section 153-A was made by the authorized 
signer in the presence and at the direction of the voter. After administering the oath to the 
circulator, the notary public or other authorized person must sign the notarial certificate 
on the petition while in the presence of the circulator. After the petition is signed and 
verified in this manner, the petition must be submitted to the registrar for certification in 
accordance with the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 20. If the 
petitions submitted to the registrar are not signed and verified in accordance with this 
paragraph, the registrar may not certify the petitions and is required only to return the 
petitions. The clerk or registrar shall keep a log of petitions submitted to the municipal 
office for verification. The log must contain the title of the petition, the name of the 
person submitting the petition, the date of submission, the number of petition f01ms 
submitted and the date and manner by which the petitions were returned. The notary 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
A.« s. 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT "#to H.P. 917, L.D. 1323 
Q!LQlic or other authorized person who administered the oath to the circulator must keep a 
log of petitions for which that person administered the circulator's oath, listing the title of 
the petition, the name of the circulator taking the oath, the date of the oath and the 
number of petition forms signed and verified by the circulator that day. 
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §903-D is enacted to read: 
§903-D. Notaries public 
1. Notaries public. A notary public or other person authorized by law to administer 
oaths or affirmations is prohibited from notarizing or certifying a petition under section 
902: 
A. If employed or compensated by a petition organization for any purpose other than 
notarial acts; 
B. 
If providing services or offering assistance to a ballot question committee 
established to influence the ballot measure for which the petitions are being 
circulated or employed by or receiving compensation from such a ballot question 
committee for any purpose other than notarial acts; or 
C. If a treasurer, principal officer, primary fundraiser or primary decision maker to a 
ballot question committee established to influence the ballot measure for which 
petitions are being circulated.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 5 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 5. 
Secretary of State to accept reports of suspected fraudulent 
signature gathering practices. The Secretary of State shall establish a method to 
facilitate the acceptance of reports from members of the public regarding suspected 
fraudulent or illegal signature gathering practices for direct initiative and people's veto 
petitions.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment adds sections to the bill regarding certifying and notarizing petitions 
for a direct initiative or people's veto referendum. The amendment requires that a 
circulator sign a petition in the presence of a notary public or other authorized person to 
verify by oath or affirmation that the circulator personally witnessed all signatures to the 
petition. After administration of the oath or affirmation by the notary public or other 
authorized person, the notary public or other authorized person is required to sign the 
notarial certificate in the presence of the circulator. It also requires the notary public or 
other authorized person to maintain a log of the petitions for which the notary public or 
other authorized person administered the circulator's oath. 
The amendment also provides that a notary public or other authorized person is 
prohibited from notarizing a petition for a direct initiative or people's veto if the notary 
public or other authorized person is employed or compensated by a petition organization 
or ballot question committee for any purpose other than providing notarial acts. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ft. d s. 
COMMITIEE AMENDMENT "ff,o H.P. 917, L.D. 1323 
Finally, the amendment strikes the provision in the bill that requires the Secretary of 
State to establish an online reporting system for suspected fraudulent signature gathering 
practices and instead directs the Secretary of State to establish a method to facilitate the 
acceptance of such reports from members of the public. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Approved: 05/25/17 feac.. 
LD 1323 
LR2089(02) 
An Act To Amend the Direct Initiative Signature Gathering Process 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ffr( fl-t./6 6) 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Additional costs to the Department of Secretary of State associated with establishing a method to facilitate the 
acceptance of reports from members of the public regarding suspected fraudulent signature gathering practices can be 
absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2089(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1