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An Act To Eliminate the 24-hour Reporting Requirement under the Election Laws
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1017, sub-§2, ¶D, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §10, is repealed.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1017, sub-§3-A, ¶C, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §11, is repealed.
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1017-A, sub-§4-A, ¶E, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §12, is repealed.
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1017-A, sub-§4-B, ¶C, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §13, is repealed.
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1020-A, sub-§5-A, ¶¶A and B, as amended by IB 2015, c. 1, §8, are further amended to read:
 
A. Five thousand dollars for reports required under section 1017, subsection 2, paragraph B, C, D, E or H; section 1017, subsection 3-A, paragraph B, C, D, D-1 or F; and section 1017, subsection 4, except that if the financial activity reported late exceeds $50,000, the maximum penalty is 100% of the amount reported late;
 
B. Five thousand dollars for state party committee reports required under section 1017-A, subsection 4-A, paragraphs A, B,and C and E, except that if the financial activity reported late exceeds $50,000, the maximum penalty is 100% of the amount reported late;
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1020-A, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 483, §15, is amended to read:
 
9. List of late-filing candidates.   The commission shall prepare a list of the names of candidates who are late in filing a report required under section 1017, subsection 2, paragraph C or D or section 1017, subsection 3-A, paragraph B or C within 30 days of the date of the election and shall make that list available for public inspection.
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §1059, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §28, is repealed.
 
SUMMARY
This bill removes the requirement for political candidates, party committees and political action committees to report to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices within 24 hours of receiving certain contributions or making certain expenditures after the 14th day before an election.