Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1001, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1012, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 2013, c. 334, §4, is further amended to read:
(1) Any news story, commentary or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, cable television system, newspaper, magazine or other periodical publication, unless the facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, candidate or spouse or domestic partner of a candidate;
(1-A) Any communication distributed through a public access television channel on a cable television system if the communication complies with the laws and rules governing the channel and all candidates in the race have an equal opportunity to promote their candidacies through the channel;
(2) Activity or communication designed to encourage individuals to register to vote or to vote if that activity or communication does not mention a clearly identified candidate;
(3) Any communication by any membership organization or corporation to its members or stockholders, if that membership organization or corporation is not organized primarily for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of any person to state or county office;
(4) The use of real or personal property and the cost of invitations, food and beverages, voluntarily provided by an individual to a candidate in rendering voluntary personal services for candidate-related activities, if the cumulative value of these activities does not exceed $250 with respect to any election;
(5) Any unreimbursed travel expenses incurred by an individual in the course of providing voluntary personal services to a candidate and paid for by that individual, if the cumulative amount of these expenses does not exceed $350 with respect to any election;
(5-A) Any unreimbursed campaign-related travel expenses incurred and paid for by the candidate or the candidate's spouse or domestic partner;
(6) Any communication by any person that is not made for the purpose of influencing the nomination for election, or election, of any person to state, county or municipal office;
(7) The payment by a party's state, district, county or municipal committee of the costs of preparation, display or mailing or other distribution of a party candidate listing;
(8) The use or distribution of any communication, as described in section 1014, obtained by the candidate for a previous election and fully paid for during that election campaign;
(9) Documents, in printed or electronic form, including party platforms, single copies of issue papers, information pertaining to the requirements of this Title, lists of registered voters and voter identification information, created or maintained by a political party for the general purpose of party building and provided to a candidate who is a member of that party;
(10) Compensation paid by a state party committee to its employees for the following purposes:
(a) Providing no more than a total of 40 hours of assistance from its employees to a candidate in any election;
(b) Recruiting and overseeing volunteers for campaign activities involving 3 or more candidates; or
(c) Coordinating campaign events involving 3 or more candidates;
(10-A) Costs paid for by a party committee in connection with a campaign event at which 3 or more candidates are present;
(11) Campaign training sessions provided to 3 or more candidates;
(11-A) Wood or other materials used for political signs that are found or contributed if not originally obtained by the candidate or contributor for campaign purposes;
(12) The use of offices, telephones, computers and similar equipment when that use does not result in additional cost to the provider; or
(13) A purchase of apparel from a commercial vendor with a total cost of $25 or less by an individual when the vendor has received a graphic or design from the candidate or the candidate's authorized committee . ; or
(14) The value of services provided without compensation by individuals who volunteer any amount of their time on behalf of a candidate or political committee.
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1012, sub-§4-B is enacted to read:
"Key person affiliated with the candidate's campaign" does not include any vendor that provides only printing, mailing, advertising, broadcast time or similar services and is not otherwise involved in campaign strategy or advice.
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2011, c. 389, §14, is further amended to read:
For the purposes of the limitations imposed by this section, all contributions made by a person, either directly or indirectly, on behalf of a particular candidate, that are in any way earmarked or otherwise directed through an intermediary or conduit to the candidate are considered to be contributions from that person to the candidate. The intermediary or conduit shall report the original source and the intended recipient of the contribution to the commission and to the intended recipient.
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§5, as amended by PL 1989, c. 504, §§7 and 31, is further amended to read:
The financing by any person of the dissemination, distribution or republication, in whole or in part, of any broadcast or any written or other campaign materials prepared by the candidate , or by any key person affiliated with the candidate's political committee or committees or their authorized agents is considered to be campaign is a contribution to that candidate.
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1019-B, sub-§5, ¶A, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 389, §21, is amended to read: