Bill > LD818

This bill amends the Maine Clean Election Act to allow candidates who are publicly funded through the Maine Clean Election Fund to use those campaign funds to pay for caregiving services under specific circumstances. The bill permits candidates to use campaign funds to hire paid caregivers for themselves, their spouse, or domestic partner to provide direct care for a dependent family member, but only if the need for such caregiving services is directly related to the candidate's campaign activities and would not otherwise exist without the campaign. This means that if a candidate's campaign schedule or demands create a situation where they need additional childcare or family care support, they can now use their publicly allocated campaign funds to cover those specific caregiving expenses. The bill modifies existing language in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A, section 1125, subsection 6, by explicitly expanding the definition of "campaign-related purposes" to include these types of caregiving services, which could help make political candidacy more accessible for individuals with caregiving responsibilities.

Military Affairs and Security

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=818&snum=132