An Act To Require Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates To Disclose Their Federal Income Tax Returns
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0722
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: BERRY, BELLOWS, ACKLEY, BLUME, HICKMAN, MOONEN, SCHNECK, STANLEY, CARPENTER

Legislative Document
No. 722
H.P. 527
House of Representatives, February 11, 2019
An Act To Require Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates 
To Disclose Their Federal Income Tax Returns
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BERRY of Bowdoinham.
Cosponsored by Senator BELLOWS of Kennebec and
Representatives: ACKLEY of Monmouth, BLUME of York, HICKMAN of Winthrop, 
McCREIGHT of Harpswell, MOONEN of Portland, SCHNECK of Bangor, STANLEY of 
Medway, Senator: CARPENTER of Aroostook.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA c. 5, sub-c. 8 is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 8
DISCLOSURE OF FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURNS BY 
PRESIDENTIAL AND VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
§441.  Disclosure of federal income tax returns by presidential and vice-presidential 
candidates
1.  Candidate nominated by petition.  For a candidate who has been nominated by 
petition for the office of President of the United States or for the office of Vice President 
of the United States pursuant to subchapter 2, in order for the candidate's name to appear 
on the general election ballot, the candidate shall provide documentation of the previous 3 
years of that candidate's federal income tax returns by 5 p.m. on August 1st of the 
presidential election year with the nomination petition filed pursuant to section 354, 
subsection 8-A.
2.  Candidate selected by political party.  For a candidate who has been selected by 
a political party at convention to be a nominee for the office of President of the United 
States or for the office of Vice President of the United States pursuant to subchapter 1, 
Article 3, in order for the candidate's name to appear on the general election ballot, the 
candidate shall provide documentation of the previous 3 years of that candidate's federal 
income tax returns by 5 p.m. on the 3rd business day after the day on which the chair and 
the secretary of the political party's state committee certify to the Secretary of State the 
names of the party's candidates for presidential elector pursuant to section 322, subsection 
2.
3.  Redaction of certain information; Internet posting.  A candidate or the 
candidate's staff may redact the candidate's federal income tax returns to remove 
personally identifying information other than the candidate's name.  As used in this 
subsection, "personally identifying information" includes social security numbers, home 
addresses, the employer identification numbers and street addresses of any businesses and 
the preparer tax identification numbers and addresses of any paid tax return preparers.  
The Secretary of State shall post the income tax returns on the Secretary of State's 
publicly accessible website.
Sec. 2.  Contingent effective date.  The Secretary of State shall monitor 
legislative activities in other states and shall certify to the Revisor of Statutes when 
legislation requiring that, in order for a candidate for President or a candidate for Vice 
President to appear on a general election ballot, the candidate for President or the 
candidate for Vice President disclose the previous 3 years of that candidate's federal 
income tax returns has been adopted in a sufficient number of other states so that the 
combined total of electoral votes held by those states adds up to at least 100 electoral 
votes when added to Maine's electoral votes.  The Secretary of State shall notify the joint 
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over elections matters when 
that certification is made.  That section of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, 
Title 21-A, chapter 5, subchapter 8 takes effect 30 days after the date of the Secretary of 
State's certification.
SUMMARY
This bill requires that, in order for a candidate for President or a candidate for Vice 
President to appear on a general election ballot, the candidate for President or the 
candidate for Vice President must disclose the previous 3 years of that candidate's federal 
income tax returns, which may be redacted to remove personally identifying information 
other than the candidate's name.  It directs the Secretary of State to post the tax returns on 
the Secretary of State's website.  The legislation takes effect upon enactment of this 
requirement in other states.