An Act To Extend the Dairy Stabilization Subsidy Through May 31,
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1852
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: COLWELL, BRYANT, DUPLESSIE, RICHARDSON, DAGGETT, DAVIS, GAGNON, TREAT, WOODCOCK
Amends: 7 MRSA §31

Legislative Document 
No. 1852 
H.P.1378 
House of Representatives, February 12,2004 
An Act To Extend the Dairy Stabilization Subsidy Through May 31, 
2004 
(EMERGENCY) 
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed. 
17l~ 
/J7.1ll1l£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Speaker COLWELL of Gardiner. (GOVERNOR'S BILL) 
Cosponsored by Senator BRYANT of Oxford and 
Representatives: DUPLESSIE of Westbrook, RICHARDSON of Brunswick, Senators: 
President DAGGETT of Kennebec, DAVIS of Piscataquis, GAGNON of Kennebec, TREAT 
of Kennebec, WOODCOCK of Franklin. 
Printed on recycled puper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, Acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
Whereas, serious financial harm will occur to dairy farmers 
due to rapidly declining prices for their milk before the 90 days 
have passed; and 
Whereas, a delay in providing these payments could cause 
irreparable harm to the dairy industry and result in the loss of 
additional dairy farms and agriculture-related businesses, which 
will have significant adverse effects on the economy of rural and 
inland Maine, jeopardize maintenance of valuable open space and 
compound existing problems of sprawl; and 
Whereas, this legislation will provide temporary financial 
assistance for dairy farmers while the Legislature deliberates on 
a proposal to provide a 
long-term response to inadequate and 
unpredictable milk prices; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts 
create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §31S3·A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 120, §2, is 
amended to read: 
§3153-A. 
Dairy stabilization subsidy 
If 
the 
base 
price 
of 
milk 
falls 
below 
$16.94 
per 
hundredweight in any month beginning September 1, 2003 and ending 
QeeeRlaeE--3-l-,--6GG6 May 31, 2004, the administrator of the Maine 
Milk Pool shall distribute to Maine milk producers on a 
per 
hundredweight basis §§% 40% for the months of January to May 2004 
of the difference between $16.94 per hundredweight and the base 
price of milk per hundredweight. 
The amount distributed for milk 
produced during the period between SeF~eRlaer-*r-aGG6-aRa-Qe€eRlaeF 
~*r--6GG6 January 1, 
2004 
and 
May 
31, 
2004 
may 
not exceed 
$6r GGG r GGG $2,100,000. 
The Governor shall provide these funds to 
the Maine milk pool administrator for distribution to Maine milk 
producers, as provided for in this section, during the months of 
October 2003 to JaR~aFy ~ 
2004. 
The base price of milk is the 
Suffolk County, Massachusetts Class I price of milk as determined 
for each month by the Northeast Market Administrator of the 
United States Department of Agriculture. ~ae-~~~-~~~-see* 
Page l-LR27S0(1) 
a-GeBeEal-¥~BQ-~~~~~~~~~~~~-~~ba~-Se&&ieB-e' 
~ 
~He-161s~-be~isla~~~e-i~-Reeaea-~e~-~He-F~~Feses-e~-~His-see~ieRT 
Sec. 2. PL 2003, c. 513, Pt. C, §1 is repealed. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
The recently enacted budget bill, Public Law 2003, chapter 
513, included language extending the dairy stabilization subsidy 
program. 
This bill removes the dairy stabilization subsidy from 
the recently enacted budget and enacts it as separate, emergency 
legislation in order for the financial assistance to be made 
available immediately. 
The purpose of this bill is to prevent 
serious 
financial 
harm 
to 
Maine 
dairy 
farmers 
while 
the 
Legislature 
considers 
a 
proposal 
from 
the 
Governor 
for 
a 
long-term response to inadequate and unpredictable milk prices.