An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Political Action Committees Relating to Union, Business and Nonprofit Organizations
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0726
Committee: Veterans and Legal Affairs
Sponsors: TIMBERLAKE, FARRIN, MORRIS
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1015, 21-A MRSA §1056-C

Legislative Document
No. 726
S.P. 284
In Senate, February 16, 2023
An Act to Amend the Laws Governing Political Action Committees 
Relating to Union, Business and Nonprofit Organizations
Reference to the Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator TIMBERLAKE of Androscoggin.
Cosponsored by Senator: FARRIN of Somerset, Representative: MORRIS of Turner.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 607, §1 and 
affected by §5, is further amended to read:
A.  A party committee under section 1013‑A, subsection 3, a ballot question committee, 
a leadership political action committee, a separate segregated fund committee, a caucus 
political action committee and any other political action committee may make 
contributions to a candidate in support of the candidacy of one person aggregating no 
more than the amount that an individual may contribute to that candidate under 
subsection 1, except that the committee may not make any monetary contributions to a 
candidate using funds that derive, in whole or in part, from a business entity.  Nothing 
in this paragraph prohibits a separate segregated fund committee that receives 
nonmonetary contributions from a business entity under section 1056‑D, subsection 2, 
paragraph A from making monetary contributions to a candidate within the limits 
described in this paragraph.
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §1056-C, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2021, c. 607, §2 
and affected by §5, is further amended to read:
A.  A party committee under section 1013‑A, subsection 3, a ballot question committee, 
a leadership political action committee, a separate segregated fund committee, a caucus 
political action committee and any other political action committee may make 
contributions to a leadership political action committee aggregating no more in a 
calendar year than the amount that the committee may contribute to a legislative 
candidate in any election under section 1015, subsection 2, paragraph A, except that 
the committee may not make any monetary contributions to a leadership political action 
committee using funds that derive, in whole or in part, from a business entity.  Nothing 
in this paragraph prohibits a separate segregated fund committee that receives 
nonmonetary contributions from a business entity under section 1056‑D, subsection 2, 
paragraph A from making monetary contributions to a candidate within the limits 
described in this paragraph.
SUMMARY
This bill removes the provision of law stating that monetary contributions from party 
committees, ballot question committees and political action committees to candidates and 
leadership political action committees may not be derived, in whole or in part, from a 
business entity.  Under current law, a business entity includes a firm, partnership, 
corporation, incorporated association, labor organization or other organization, whether 
organized as a for-profit or a nonprofit entity.