An Act Regarding Advertisements by Maine Clean Election Act Candidates
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1014, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 494, §1, is further amended to read:
1. Authorized by candidate. Whenever a person makes an expenditure to finance a communication expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate through broadcasting stations, cable television systems, newspapers, magazines, campaign signs or other outdoor advertising facilities, publicly accessible sites on the Internet, direct mails or other similar types of general public political advertising or through flyers, handbills, bumper stickers and other nonperiodical publications, the communication, if authorized by a candidate, a candidate's authorized political committee or their agents, must clearly and conspicuously state that the communication has been so authorized and must clearly state the name and address of the person who made or financed the expenditure for the communication. If the candidate is a certified candidate, as defined in section 1122, subsection 1, the communication also must clearly and conspicuously state that the communication was paid for with Maine taxpayer funds. A communication financed by a candidate or the candidate's committee is not required to state the address of the candidate or committee that financed the communication. If a communication that is financed by someone other than the candidate or the candidate's authorized committee is broadcast by radio, only the city and state of the address of the person who financed the communication must be stated.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1014, sub-§2-A, as amended by PL 2013, c. 362, §3, is further amended to read:
2-A. Other communications. Whenever a person makes an expenditure to finance a communication that names or depicts a clearly identified candidate and that is disseminated during the 21 days before a primary election or 35 days before a general election through the media described in subsection 1, the communication must state the name and address of the person who made or financed the communication and a statement that the communication was or was not authorized by the candidate, except that a communication broadcast by radio is only required to state the city and state of the address of the person that financed the communication. If the communication was authorized by a candidate who is a certified candidate, as defined in section 1122, subsection 1, the communication also must state that the communication was paid for with Maine taxpayer funds. The disclosure is These disclosures are not required if the communication was not made for the purpose of influencing the candidate's nomination for election or election.
summary
This bill requires a campaign communication authorized by a candidate who is a certified candidate under the Maine Clean Election Act to state that the communication was paid for with Maine taxpayer funds.