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An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Political Action Committees
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §1006  is enacted to read:
§ 1006. Participation in political action committees by legislative candidates
 
1.  Establishing a political action committee prohibited.     A legislative candidate may not establish a political action committee for which the candidate is a treasurer or principal officer or for which the candidate is primarily responsible for fund-raising or decision making. This prohibition applies between April 1st immediately preceding a general election through:
 
A.  The date on which the candidate withdraws from a race;
 
B.  The date of the primary election or general election for a candidate who loses either election; or
 
C.  January 1st immediately preceding the next general election for a candidate who wins the general election.
 
This prohibition also applies to a legislative candidate in a special election, except that the prohibition begins on the date of the candidate's nomination. This subsection does not prohibit a legislative candidate, including a legislative candidate who wins a general or special election, from engaging in fund-raising or decision making for a party caucus political action committee, a ballot question committee or a political action committee formed for the purpose of promoting or opposing a ballot question. This prohibition applies to a legislative candidate regardless of the date on which the political action committee was established.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§6-F, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 116, §1 and affected by §2, is amended to read:
 
6-F. Gubernatorial candidate participation in political action committees.   A participating gubernatorial candidate or a certified gubernatorial candidate may not establish a political action committee for which the gubernatorial candidate is a treasurer or principal officer or for which the gubernatorial candidate is primarily responsible for fund-raising or decision making. This prohibition applies between April 1st immediately preceding a general election through:
 
A. The date on which the gubernatorial candidate withdraws from a race;
 
B. The date of the primary election or general election for a gubernatorial candidate who loses either election; or
 
C. January 1st immediately preceding the next general election for a gubernatorial candidate who wins the general election.
 
This prohibition also applies to a participating gubernatorial candidate or certified gubernatorial candidate in a special election, except that the prohibition begins on the date of the gubernatorial candidate's nomination. This subsection does not prohibit a participating gubernatorial candidate or certified gubernatorial candidate, including a certified gubernatorial candidate who wins a general or special election, from engaging in fund-raising or decision making for a party caucus political action committee, a ballot question committee or a political action committee formed for the purpose of promoting or opposing a ballot question. This prohibition applies to a participating gubernatorial candidate or certified gubernatorial candidate regardless of the date on which the political action committee was established.
 
SUMMARY
This bill prohibits a legislative candidate from establishing a political action committee for which the candidate is a treasurer or principal officer or for which the candidate is primarily responsible for fund-raising or decision making. The bill also makes a change to a provision under the Maine Clean Election Act, which includes the same prohibition, to specify that the prohibition in that Act applies only to participating gubernatorial candidates and certified gubernatorial candidates.