An Act To Make Revisions to the Maine Revised Statutes Relating to Agriculture
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1720
Committee Amendment CA_A_H805 (House)
Amends: 7 MRSA §539, 7 MRSA §540-B, 7 MRSA §1007-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ·n .. 
To Make Revisions to the 
to H.P. 1227, L.D. 1720, Bill, "An 
Maine Revised Statutes Relating to 
Agriculture" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 27 the following: 
. Sec. 28. 7 MRSA §539, as amended by PL 1971, c. 13, §L is 
further amended to read: 
§539. 
Sale, exchange or transport of "controlled atmosphere" 
apples 
Ne A person shall may not sell or exchange or offer or 
expose for sale or exchange or transport for sale any apples 
represented as having been exposed to "controlled atmospherer" or 
"modified atmosphere," alone or with other words, or shall-se u,;e 
any such term or form of words or symbols of similar import on 
any container or lot of apples advertised, sold, offered for sale 
or transported for sale within this State unless such apples have 
been kept in a room or storage building with not more than 5°" 
oxygen for a minimum of 99 ~ days, except that the commissioner, 
after notice and public hearing, may change the minimum e.£--9-9 
Eiay&--t-o--aRY number of less days, 
as conditions in the apple 
industry may require. 
If within a period of 199 50 consecutive days the oxygen 
content of a sealed storage room seall-se is at 5% or less for a 
total of 99 45 days, the room 
seall-~~alit:y qualifies as a legal 
controlled atmosphere room. 
Sec. 29. 7 MRSA §540-B, as amended by PL 1979, c. 731, §19, 
is further amended to read: 
Page l-LR3052(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
".~~. 
~8 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "~,, to H.P. 1227, L.D. 1720 
§540-B. Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources seal 
All controlled atmosphere storage rooms 
saa~~ must be sealed 
by a Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources sealT 
affixed by an authorized representative of the department. All 
storages to qualify for controlled atmosphere must have been 
sealed by a department representative on or before November 15th 
of the storage year. 
No seal 
saa*~ may be brokenT nor any such room be entered 
during the gO-say 45-day required period, except as provided in 
section 539. Whenever such interruptions occur, the 
~~y3:&i,.e.B--ef 
MaF*e~s--~--~~-~r~B-~--ef--A~~~~~~~~~--~~--aa4--RHFal 
ReseHFees department must be notified within 48 hours after the 
opening of such rooms. Such entered room saa*~ must thereafter be 
resealed by an authorized representative of the department. I 
Further amend the bill by inserting after section 40 the 
following: 
I Sec. 41. 7 MRSA §1007-A, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 
538, §1, is amended to read: 
6. 
Civil penalties. 
Any person who violates any of the 
requirements of this section or any rules adopted under this 
section commits a civil violation for which a 
feFfe~~HFe fine of 
not more than $1,000 for each violation, together with not more 
than 
$600 
$1,000 
for 
each 
succeeding 
day 
of 
a 
continuing 
violation, may be adjudged. I 
Further amend the 
nonconsecutive 
consecutively. 
Part 
bill by relettering or renumbering any 
letter 
or 
section 
number 
to 
read 
SUMMARY 
This amendment revises the number of days that apples must 
be kept under specified conditions to be represented as exposed 
to "controlled storage" to reflect changes in technology and the 
industry standards. 
It also increases the fine for violation of 
laws pertaining to the disposal of cull potatoes. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 02/27/06 ~ae 
LD 1720 
LR3052(02) 
An Act To Make Revisions to the Maine Revised Statutes Relating to Agriculture 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,It" 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements: 
Increases the penalty for violations pertaining to the disposal of cull potatoes. 
LR3052(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1