An Act To Reform Payments to Legislators by Political Action Committees
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1621
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: MAXMIN, HICKMAN, JACKSON
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1054-B

Legislative Document
No. 1621
S.P. 514
In Senate, April 28, 2021
An Act To Reform Payments to Legislators by Political Action 
Committees
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MAXMIN of Lincoln.
Cosponsored by Senators: HICKMAN of Kennebec, President JACKSON of Aroostook.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §1054-B, as amended by PL 2019, c. 21, §1 and c. 563, §9, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place:
§1054-B.  Payments to Legislators by political action committees
1.  Political action committee requirements.  A political action committee is subject 
to the following requirements if a Legislator is a principal officer or treasurer of the political 
action committee or is one of the individuals primarily responsible for raising contributions 
or making decisions for the political action committee:
A.  The political action committee may not compensate the Legislator or an immediate 
family member of the Legislator for services provided to the political action committee.  
The political action committee may not make payments or distribute, loan, advance, 
deposit or gift money or anything of value to or compensate a business owned or 
operated by the Legislator or an immediate family member of the Legislator;
B.  The political action committee may pay for or reimburse the Legislator for travel 
expenses, including the cost of fuel for the use of the Legislator's vehicle, incurred in 
the proper performance of the duties of the Legislator and for conducting activities for 
the political action committee.  The political action committee may not pay for or 
reimburse the Legislator for costs of repairing or maintaining the Legislator's vehicle 
or for accessories that are not necessary for the proper performance of the vehicle;
C.  The political action committee may pay for or reimburse the Legislator for other 
expenses incurred in the proper performance of the duties of the Legislator, for 
purchases made on behalf of the political action committee and for travel expenses 
associated with volunteering for the political action committee;
D.  The political action committee may not pay for or reimburse the Legislator for any 
expenses that have been or will be reimbursed by the Legislature or any other source 
of payment or reimbursement; and
E.  The funds of the political action committee may not be commingled with the 
personal funds of the Legislator or any other person or the funds of a business owned 
or operated by the Legislator or any other person.
Allowable payments or reimbursements for expenses do not include payments from the 
political action committee that are determined by the commission to be for the purpose of 
personal financial enrichment of the Legislator or an immediate family member of the 
Legislator.
2.  Penalties.  A Legislator or political action committee that is found to be in violation 
of this section may be subject to a penalty of up to $500 or the amount of the impermissible 
payment or reimbursement, whichever is greater.
3.  Rules.  The commission may establish, by rule, record-keeping and reporting 
requirements and travel and vehicle reimbursement rates necessary to monitor compliance 
with this section.  Any rule established pursuant to this subsection is a routine technical 
rule as described in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill makes the following changes to the laws governing payments to a Legislator 
by a political action committee if the Legislator is a principal officer or treasurer of the 
political action committee or is one of the individuals primarily responsible for raising 
contributions or making decisions for the political action committee.
1.  It provides that the political action committee may not compensate an immediate 
family member of the Legislator for services provided to the political action committee or 
make payments or distribute, loan, advance, deposit or gift money or anything of value to 
or compensate a business owned or operated by an immediate family member of the 
Legislator.
2.  It provides that the cost of fuel for the use of a Legislator's vehicle is a type of travel 
expense for which a political action committee may pay for or reimburse the Legislator.  It 
prohibits a political action committee from paying for or reimbursing a Legislator for costs 
of repairing or maintaining the Legislator's vehicle or for accessories that are not necessary 
for the proper performance of the vehicle.
3.  It prohibits a political action committee from paying for or reimbursing a Legislator 
for any expenses that have been or will be reimbursed by the Legislature or any other source 
of payment or reimbursement.
4.  It provides that allowable payments or reimbursements for expenses do not include 
payments from a political action committee that are determined by the Commission on 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to be for the purpose of personal financial 
enrichment of an immediate family member of a Legislator.
5.  It provides that the funds of a political action committee may not be commingled 
with the personal funds of a Legislator or any other person or the funds of a business owned 
or operated by the Legislator or any other person.
6.  It provides that a Legislator or political action committee that is found to be in 
violation of the laws governing payments to Legislators by political action committees may 
be subject to a penalty of up to $500 or the amount of the impermissible payment or 
reimbursement, whichever is greater.
7.  It provides that the commission may establish, by routine technical rule, record-
keeping and reporting requirements and travel and vehicle reimbursement rates.