An Act To Transfer Responsibility from the Potato Marketing Improvement Committee to the Maine Potato Board Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the following: Sec. I. 5 MRSA §12004-H, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 786, §5, is repealed. Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §972, as amended by PL 2001, c. 125, §1, is repealed. Sec.3. 7 MRS A §972-A is enacted to read: §972-A. Advisory role of Maine Potato Board The Maine Potato Board, established in Title 36, section 4603 and referred to in this article as "the board," shall advise the commissioner on the development and implementation of programs and activities that improve the economic viability of the potato industry. The board shall also advise the commissioner Page 1-LR0730(2) COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1002
Committee Amendment CA_A_S276 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-H, 7 MRSA §972, 7 MRSA §975-A, 7 MRSA §976, 10 MRSA §1023-N

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A" to S.P. 342, L.D. 1002, Bill, "An 
Act To Transfer Responsibility of Potato Marketing Matters to the 
Maine Potato Board" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting 
the following: 
'An Act To Transfer Responsibility from the Potato Marketing 
Improvement Committee to the Maine Potato Board' 
Further amend the bill by striking out everything after the 
enacting clause and before the summary and inserting in its place 
the following: 
'Sec. I. 5 MRSA §12004-H, sub-§10, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 
786, §5, is repealed. 
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §972, as amended by PL 2001, c. 125, §1, is 
repealed. 
Sec.3. 7 MRS A §972-A is enacted to read: 
§972-A. 
Advisory role of Maine Potato Board 
The Maine Potato Board, established in Title 36, 
section 
4603 and referred to in this article as "the board," shall advise 
the 
commissioner 
on 
the 
development 
and 
implementation 
of 
programs and activities that improve the economic viability of 
the potato industry. The board shall also advise the commissioner 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~flO . 
... 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,~, to S.P. 342, L.D. 1002 
concerning the funding and expenditures of the Potato Marketing 
Improvement Fund created pursuant to Title 10, section 1023-N. 
The 
board shall make 
recommendations 
to the 
commissioner 
on 
authorized uses of the fund and activities relating to the fund 
other 
than 
activities 
relating 
to 
the 
processing 
of 
loan 
applications or the servicing and administration of loans. 
Sec. 4. 7 MRS A §974-A, sub-§l, 1rD, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 
319, §4, is amended to read: 
D. 
Other terms and conditions 
commissioner 
upon consultation 
Imp~9vemea~-G9mm~~~ee ~. 
prescribed by rule by the 
with the 
P9~a~9--Ma~*e~ia~ 
Sec. 5. 7 MRSA §975-A, as amended by PL 1997, c. 388, §3, is 
further amended to read: 
§975-A. 
Interest on Potato Marketing Improvement 
FUDd balance 
Allor any portion of the interest earned or accruing on the 
cash balance of the Potato Marketing Improvement Fund may be used 
for grants to partially or fully fund research projects to study 
and 
assess 
technical 
problems 
experienced 
with 
new 
and 
retrofitted storage facilities and to develop means of dealing 
with such problems, 
or to examine, 
monitor 
and develop 
new 
technologies for the production, storage and handling of potatoes 
or to fund programs and activities that improve the economic 
viability of the potato industry. 
Sec. 6. 7 MRSA §976, as enacted by PL 1989, c. 502, Pt. B, 
§6, is amended to read: 
§976. 
Aroostook COUDty office 
The department shall maintain or arrange for the maintenance 
of 
an 
office 
in 
Aroostook 
County 
located in 
a 
town 
most 
convenient to the largest number of potential users of the Potato 
Marketing Improvement Fund and sufficiently close to any local 
office of the 
Maiae--Po-t-a-t-()--8ea~a ~ 
as to foster a close 
working relationship and provide a 
convenience to farmers who 
wish to visit both agencies. 
This office ssaJ,J, IDYll be staffed 
by --a,.-
one or more business development 
spee~aJ,is~ specialists 
whose 
responsibilities 
ssa~J---ge 
are 
as 
defined 
by 
the 
department. 
The 
business 
development 
speeiaJ,is~ specialists 
shall be available in the Aroostook County office on a regular 
basis. 
Should 
development 
the performance of the 
spee~a*~s~ specialists 
functions of 
be 
contracted 
the business 
for, 
this 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
d~ 
~.). 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A, to S.P. 342, L.D. 1002 
contract saa;!,;!, must be made by the agency managing the fund and 
6aa;!,;!, must be awarded through competitive bidding. 
Sec. 7. 10 MRSA §1023-N, first" 
as enacted by PL 2001, c. 
125, §6, is amended to read: 
There is created 
a 
fund 
known 
as 
the Potato Marketing 
Improvement Fund, referred to in this section as the "fund." 
The 
fund must be deposited with and maintained by the authority to be 
used solely for investment in the Maine potato industry. 
The 
fund must be administered by the Commissioner of Agriculture, 
Food and Rural Resources in accordance with Title 7, chapter 103, 
subchapter X 10. 
All money received by the authority from any 
source for the development and implementation of --a£r-
improved 
storage, 
packing 
and 
marketing 
F~e~~am 
and 
programs 
and 
activities that improve the economic viability of the potato 
industry must be credited to the fund. 
Any money credited to the 
fund 
from the issuance of bonds on behalf of the State for 
agr icul tural development may be used only for the purposes of 
state loans as prescribed by Title 7, section 974-A to provide 
assistance 
to 
potato 
farmers 
for 
the 
design, 
construction, 
improvement, 
support 
and 
operation 
of 
storage, 
packing 
and 
marketing facilities; for programs and activities that improve 
the economic viability of the potato industry: and to pay the 
administrative 
costs 
of 
processing 
loan 
applications 
and 
servicing and administering the fund and loans and grants made 
therein, 
to 
the extent that 
the 
costs exceed 
the 
fee 
for 
administrative 
costs 
established by Title 7, 
section 
974~A, 
subsection 2. 
Repayment of these loans and interest on the loans 
must 
be 
credited 
to 
the 
fund 
to 
be 
available 
for 
making 
additional state loans for the same purposes, except that any 
interest earned on the cash balance of the fund may be used for 
the grants authorized by Title 7, section 975-A. 
In order to 
provide 
additional 
amounts 
for 
loans, 
the 
Commissioner 
of 
Agriculture, 
Food 
and Rural Resources, 
at the commissioner's 
discretion, may take such actions and enter into such agreements 
as may be necessary to sell or assign up to $2,000,000 in the 
aggregate principal amount of loans and undivided interests in a 
pool of loans and assign or pledge any mortgage or other security 
to the authority, under the terms and conditions the commissioner 
considers advisable. 
The assignment and related transactions may 
not result in indebtedness of the State. 
The proceeds of the 
sale or assignment must be credited to the fund and used for the 
purposes authorized in this section.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment changes the title and replaces the bill. 
It 
repeals 
the 
provisions 
relating 
to 
the 
Potato 
Marketing 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .~tI to S.P. 342, L.D. 1002 
Improvement Committee and designates the Maine Potato Board to 
serve in an advisory capacity to the Commissioner of Agriculture, 
Food and Rural Resources 
on matters relating to uses of the 
Potato Marketing Improvement Fund. 
It expands use of the fund to 
include 
programs 
and 
activities 
that 
improve 
the 
economic 
viability of the potato industry. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/17/05 ~ae 
LD 1002 
LR0730(02) 
An Act To Transfer Responsibility of Potato Marketing Matters to the Maine Potato Board 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,It 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor savings - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
LR0730(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1