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An Act To Define the Term "Caucus Political Action Committee"
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA §1001, sub-§1-A  is enacted to read:
 
1-A.  Caucus political action committee.     "Caucus political action committee" means a political action committee designated under section 1053-C to promote the election of nominees of a political party to the Senate or the House of Representatives.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1018-B, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §14, is further amended to read:
 
2. Limitations.   After an election, candidates may receive donations for purposes of a recount. The donations must be within the limitations of section 1015, except that no limitation applies to donations from party committees and caucus campaignpolitical action committees and from attorneys, consultants and their firms that are donating their services without reimbursement. Candidates may not spend revenues received under chapter 14 for recount expenditures.
Sec. 3.  21-A MRSA §1053-C  is enacted to read:
§ 1053-C. Caucus political action committees
Each appointed leader of a political party in the Senate or the House of Representatives may designate one caucus political action committee to promote the election of nominees of that appointed leader's political party to the body of the Legislature of which that appointed leader is a member. The designation must be made in a letter to the commission and remains effective until it is amended by the appointed leader of that political party in that body of the Legislature in writing.
Sec. 4.  21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§1-A  is enacted to read:
 
1-A.  Caucus political action committee.     "Caucus political action committee" has the same meaning as in section 1001, subsection 1-A.
Sec. 5. 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. Participation in political action committees.   A participating candidate or a certified 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 participating candidate or certified candidate in a special election, except that the prohibition begins on the date of the candidate's nomination. This subsection does not prohibit a participating candidate or certified candidate, including a certified 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 candidate or certified candidate regardless of the date on which the political action committee was established.
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the laws governing the financing of political campaigns and the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices by defining "caucus political action committee" to mean a political action committee designated by a party leader in the Legislature to promote the election of the nominees of the party leader's political party to the Senate or the House of Representatives. It allows each appointed leader of a political party in the Senate or House of Representatives to designate one caucus political action committee to promote the election of nominees of that appointed leader's political party to the body of the Legislature of which that appointed leader is a member.