# Maine LD 2000: An Act to Update the Campaign Finance Laws Maine LD 2000, An Act to Update the Campaign Finance Laws, is a 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Craig V. Hickman (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-03 (Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 600) (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2000-132 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maine LD 2000 - State: Maine - Session: 132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026) - Title: An Act to Update the Campaign Finance Laws - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2025-12-03 - Last action: 2026-04-03, Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 600 - Sponsor: Craig V. Hickman (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: ELECTIONS, ELECTIONS - CAMPAIGN FINANCE - Touches household money: no - Economic provisions PRIA read: 6 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Clean election candidates get May deadline: cost, low. Beginning April 3, 2026, the law sets a specific qualifying deadline for some Maine Clean Election Act candidates. It covers State Senate and State House candidates who file their declaration of intent after January 15, 2026. Their qualifying period ends at 5:00 p.m. on May 21, 2026. - Party committees must detail campaign spending: cost, low. Beginning April 3, 2026, Maine party committees must itemize all spending intended to influence a campaign. Reports must name the candidate or ballot measure, plus the candidate's office and district when applicable. Each entry must include the spending date, amount, purpose, and whether it support… - Ballot committees get clearer coverage rules: mixed, low. Beginning April 3, 2026, party committees are excluded from the definition of a ballot question committee. Political action committees are excluded only when they are not required to register under the specified ballot-committee registration rule. Other people or committees are covered when contrib… - Higher late reporting thresholds for candidates: mixed, low. Beginning April 3, 2026, candidates with a ballot opponent or declared write-in opponent must report covered transactions within 48 hours. The general single-transaction trigger rises from $1,000 to $10,000. Office-specific triggers are $5,000 for State Senate, $2,500 for county office, and $1,500… - Higher late reporting thresholds for committees: mixed, low. Beginning April 3, 2026, covered committees must report single contributions of at least $10,000 and single expenditures of at least $2,500. These triggers rise from $5,000 and $1,000, respectively; reports remain due within 24 hours. For state party committees and committees required to file 11 da… - Independent spenders face higher reporting triggers: mixed, low. Beginning April 3, 2026, people, party committees, and political action committees must report independent spending exceeding $1,000 during one candidate's election. The previous trigger was $250, and reports follow the election commission's schedule. Reports must itemize contributions by contribut… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Craig V. Hickman (Democratic), Senate ## Actions (7) - 2026-04-03: Signed by Governor, ACTPUB Chapter 600 - 2026-03-25: PASSED TO BE ENACTED - Emergency - 2/3 Elected Required, in concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-03-24: This being an emergency measure, a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the House was necessary.PASSED TO BE ENACTED.Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-03-19: CONSENT CALENDAR - FIRST DAYUnder suspension of the rules CONSENT CALENDAR - SECOND DAY.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED as Amended by Committee Amendment "A" (S-542).In concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. (House) - 2026-03-18: COMMITTEE ON BILLS IN THE SECOND READING REPORTS NO FURTHER VERBAL AMENDMENTS NECESSARY. REPORT ACCEPTED.READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED AS AMENDED BY Committee Amendment "A" (S-542)Ordered sent down forthwith for concurrence. (Senate) - 2026-03-17: Report READ and ACCEPTED.Bill READ ONCE. Committee Amendment "A" (S-542) READ and ADOPTED. ASSIGNED FOR SECOND READING NEXT LEGISLATIVE DAY. (Senate) - 2025-12-03: Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 3, 2025 and REFERRED to the Committee on VETERANS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 (Senate) ## Bill text - Amendment C-A (S-542), adopted by House & Senate: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0814&item=2&snum=132) - Enacted: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0814&item=3&snum=132) - Introduced: [PDF](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0814&item=1&snum=132) ## Related bills - LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program (failed) - LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan for Retirement (failed) - LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families (failed) - LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (failed) - LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State Employees (failed) - LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit (failed) ## Sources - [Amendment C-A (S-542), adopted by House & Senate (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0814&item=2&snum=132) - [Enacted (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0814&item=3&snum=132) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0814&item=1&snum=132) ## Related - [LD 1522: An Act to Establish the Maine Eviction Prevention Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1522-132) - [LD 2067: An Act to Include Community Mental Health Workers Under the 1998 Special Plan f…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2067-132) - [LD 1665: An Act to Provide Property Tax Relief to Maine Families](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1665-132) - [LD 1872: An Act to Reinvest in the Pension Funds of the Maine Public Employees Retiremen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1872-132) - [LD 1611: An Act to Decrease the Retirement Contributions Required for Teachers and State…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1611-132) - [LD 1294: An Act to Expand the Dependent Exemption Tax Credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD1294-132) - [Maine bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine/bills) - [Maine state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maine) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/ME-LD2000-132 (as of 2026-10-17).