An Act To Clarify the Financial Reporting Responsibilities of Political Action Committees and Ballot Question Committees
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1869
Committee Amendment CA_A_S377 (Senate)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1, 21-A MRSA §1060, 21-A MRSA §1062-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A " to S.P. 641, L.D. 1869, Bill, "An Act To 
Clarify the Financial Reporting Responsibilities of Political Action Committees and 
Ballot Question Committees" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section 1 the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§3-A is enacted to read: 
3-A. Ballot question committee. "Ballot question committee" means a person 
required to register as a ballot question committee under section 1056-B. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§29-A is enacted to read: 
29-A. Political action committee. "Political action committee" means a person 
required to register as a political action committee under section 1052-A.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 11 the following: 
'Sec. 12. 21-A MRSA §1060, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, 
§36, is further amended to read: 
1. Identification of candidates. The names of and offices sought by all candidates 
whom the political action committee supports, intends to support or seeks to defeat; 
Sec. 13. 21-A MRSA §1060, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §36, 
is further amended to read: 
2. Identification of committees; parties. The names of all political committees or 
party committees supported in any way by the political action committee; 
Sec. 14. 21-A MRSA §1060, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §36, 
is further amended to read: 
3. Identification of referendum or initiated petition. The referenda or initiated 
petitions that the political action committee supports or opposes;' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 12 the following: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" H "to S.P. 641, L.D. 1869 ( ', - ,'iT 0 
'Sec. 13. 21-A MRSA §1062-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §30, is 
further amended to read: 
1. Registration. A political action committee required to register under section 
1052-A. 1053-A or 1053-B or a ballot question committee required to register under 
section 1053-A or 1056-B that fails to do so or that fails to provide the information 
required by the commission for registration may be assessed a fine of no more than 
$2,500. In assessing a fme, the commission shall consider, among other things, whether 
the violation was intentional, the amount of campaign and financial activity that occurred 
before the committee registered, whether the committee intended to conceal its campaign 
or financial activity and the level of experience of the committee's volunteers and staff. 
Sec. 14. 21-A MRSA §1062-A, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2019, c. 323, §25, is 
further amended to read: 
4. Maximum penalties. The maximum penalty under this subchapter is $10,000 for 
reports required under section 1053-A. 1056-B or section 1059, except that if the dollar 
amount of the financial activity that was not timely filed or did not substantially conform 
to the reporting requirements of this subchapter exceeds $50,000, the maximum penalty is 
100% of the dollar amount of that financial activity.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority report of the committee, clarifies that the 
terms "ballot question committee" and "political action committee," as those terms are 
used throughout the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A, mean a person required to 
register as a ballot question committee or as a political action committee, respectively, in 
chapter 13, subchapter 4 of that Title. 
The amendment also adds cross-references to the penalty provisions of chapter 13, 
subchapter 4 to clarify that, as stated in the bill, those penalties apply to political action 
committees or ballot question committees that are required to register and to file 
campaign finance reports with a municipal clerk and that violate the campaign finance 
laws. Finally, the amendment makes technical changes to the law governing the content 
of political action committees' campaign finance reports to clarify that the law does not 
apply to ballot question committees. 
FISCAL ~~OTE REQl!IRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 01/28/20 ;:w-ac 
LD 1869 
LR 2936(02) 
An Act To Clarify the Financial Reporting Responsibilities of Political Action Committees and Ballot 
Question Committees 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment",~\" ( S· -~ ,1) 
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Any additional costs to the C01mnission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices as a result of changes to the 
laws regarding political action committees and ballot question committees are anticipated to be minor and can be 
absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2936(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1