An Act to Limit Contributions to Political Action Committees That Make Independent Expenditures Transmitted to the Clerk of the 131st Maine Legislature by the Secretary of State on February 27, 2024 and ordered printed.
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 2232
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1015, 21-A MRSA §1019-B

Legislative Document
No. 2232
I.B. 5
House of Representatives, February 28, 2024
An Act to Limit Contributions to Political Action Committees That 
Make Independent Expenditures
Transmitted to the Clerk of the 131st Maine Legislature by the Secretary of State on 
February 27, 2024 and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§2-C is enacted to read:
2-C.  Contributions by individuals to political action committees making 
independent expenditures.  An individual may not make contributions aggregating more 
than $5,000 in any calendar year to a political action committee for the purpose of making 
independent expenditures under section 1019-B, subsection 1. Beginning December 1, 
2024, contribution limits in accordance with this subsection are adjusted every 2 years 
based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $25. The 
commission shall post the current contribution limit and the amount of the next adjustment 
and the date that it will become effective on its publicly accessible website and include this 
information with any publication to be used as a guide for candidates. 
Sec. 2.  21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§2-D is enacted to read:
2-D.  Contributions by political action committees and business entities to political 
action committees making independent expenditures.  A leadership political action 
committee, a separate segregated fund committee, a caucus political action committee, any 
other political action committee or any business entity may not make contributions 
aggregating more than $5,000 in any calendar year to a political action committee for the 
purpose of making independent expenditures under section 1019-B, subsection 1. 
Beginning December 1, 2024, contribution limits in accordance with this subsection are 
adjusted every 2 years based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States 
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount 
divisible by $25. The commission shall post the current contribution limit and the amount 
of the next adjustment and the date that it will become effective on its publicly accessible 
website and include this information with any publication to be used as a guide for 
candidates.  For purposes of this subsection, "business entity" includes a firm, partnership, 
corporation, incorporated association, labor organization or other organization, whether 
organized as a for-profit or a nonprofit entity.
Sec. 3.  21-A MRSA §1019-B, sub-§4, ¶B, as amended by PL 2023, c. 324, §12, 
is further amended to read:
B.  A report required by this subsection must contain an itemized account of the total 
contributions from each contributor, each expenditure in excess of $250 in any one 
candidate's election, the date and purpose of each expenditure and the name of each 
payee or creditor.  The report must state whether the expenditure is in support of or in 
opposition to the candidate and must include, under penalty of unsworn falsification, 
as provided in Title 17‑A, section 453, a statement whether the expenditure is made in 
cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, the 
candidate or an authorized committee or agent of the candidate.
Sec. 4.  21-A MRSA §1019-B, sub-§6 is enacted to read:
6.  Segregated contributions required.  A political action committee may use only 
funds received in compliance with section 1015, subsection 2-C or 2-D when making 
independent expenditures. A political action committee that makes independent 
expenditures shall keep an account of any contributions received for the purpose of making 
those expenditures.  
SUMMARY
This initiated bill limits the amount of contributions that may be made by individuals 
and by political action committees and business entities to political action committees that 
make independent expenditures. In both cases, the aggregate limit is $5,000 in any calendar 
year.