Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1124, sub-§1, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:

1. Established. The Maine Clean Election Fund is established to finance the election campaigns of certified Maine Clean Election Act candidates running for Governor, State Senator and, State Representative and leadership positions and to pay administrative and enforcement costs of the commission related to this Act. The fund is a special, dedicated, nonlapsing fund and any interest generated by the fund is credited to the fund. The commission shall administer the fund.

Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§9, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 688, Pt. A, §22, is amended to read:

9. Matching funds. When any campaign, finance or election report shows that the sum of a candidate's expenditures or obligations, or funds raised or borrowed, whichever is greater, alone or in conjunction with independent expenditures reported under section 1019-B, exceeds the distribution amount under subsection 8 or 15, the commission shall issue immediately to any opposing Maine Clean Election Act candidate an additional amount equivalent to the reported excess. Matching funds are limited to 2 times the amount originally distributed under subsection 8, paragraph A, C, E or F, whichever is applicable.

Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§15 is enacted to read:

15.__Leadership positions.__A certified candidate for State Senator or State Representative under subsection 5 may run for a leadership position as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate.__The following provisions apply to a candidate for a leadership position who runs as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate:

A.__A certified candidate who wishes to run for a leadership position in the Senate must collect 9 signatures in support of the candidate's leadership candidacy from members of the candidate's party who were nominated to seats in the Senate for the upcoming election;

B.__A certified candidate who wishes to run for a leadership position in the House of Representatives must collect 38 signatures in support of the candidate's leadership candidacy from members of the candidate's party who were