An Act To Amend Certain Laws Related to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1255
House Amendment HA_A_H551 (House)
Amends: 7 MRSA §743-A, 7 MRSA §765, 7 MRSA §766

I-lOUSE AMENDMENT" ,:;" to H.P. 874, L.D. 1255, Bill, "An Act To Amend 
Certain Laws Related to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources" 
Amend the bill by insel1ing after section 1 the following: 
'Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §743-A is enacted to read: 
§743-A. Tonnage report 
1. Registrants required to report. On or before September 1 st of each year, a 
registrant shall file with the commissioner, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, the 
number of tons of each brand and grade of commerCial fel1ilizer sold by the registrant in 
the State during the 12 months preceding July 1 st of that year. A fee of $1 per ton or 
$100 for each brand and grade of fel1ilizer, whichever is more, sold during the 12 months 
preceding July 1 st of that year must accompany the for111. 
2. Fees; nOlllapsing fund. The commissioner shall deposit all fees collected under 
this section in a dedicated, nonlapsing account established under section 765, subsection 
for the purpose of administering ancl enforcing this subchapter and subchapter 5-A. 
3. Commissioner's report. The commissioner may publish and distribute annually, 
to each registrant and other interested persons, a report showing the total tons of 
commercial fertilizer and the total tons by grade sold in the State. 
Sec. 3. 7 MRSA §765, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 425, §§ 1 and 3, is 
amended to read: 
2. 
Fees; nonlapsing fund. 
The commissioner shall collect all fees under this 
subchapter and section 743-A and deposit them with the Treasurer of State. These funds 
sfia.l-I-.ee-awropriated for in a separate account to be used for carrying out this subchapter 
and subchapter 5, including the cost of inspection, sampling and analysis of commercial 
fel1ilizers and agricultural liming materials. These funds shal-I- do not lapse, but shal-I-
remain in a carry-over account. 
Sec. 4. 7 MRSA §766, sub-§l, as enacted by PL 1987, c. 425, §§ 1 and 3, is 
amended to read: 
1. By registrants. On or before September I st in each year each registrant shall file 
with the commissioner, on forms prescribed by hlm the commissioner, the number of tons 
Page I - 124LR0456(05)-1 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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I-lOUSE AMENDMENT '"A" to H.P. 874, L.D. 1255 
of each agricultural liming material sold during the 12 months preceding July 1 st of the 
current that year. A fee of $1 per ton or $100 for each brand of agricultural liming. 
material, whichever is more, sold during the 12 months preceding July I st of that year. 
must accompany the form.' 
Amend the bi II by inseliing after section 7 the following: 
'Sec. 8. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Division of Quality Assurance and Regulation 0393 
Initiative: Provides funding for a limited-period Consumer Protection Inspector position 
and related All Other costs to establish andadminister the commercial feliilizer sampling 
program. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
Personal Services 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2009-10 
$65,832 
$56,155 
$121,987 
2010-11 
$67,860 
$56,155 
$124,015 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Pali letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
Th is amendment requires a person registering commercial feliil izers to repoli the 
tonnage sold and pay a fee based on the amount sold. The fee is deposited in a ded icated 
account used for sampling, administration and enforcement of laws pertaining to the 
analysis of commercial feliilizers and agricultural liming materials. The amendment also 
adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
SPONSORED BY: u.Q 9 ~ 
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(Representative PI EI-I) 
TOWN: Bremen 
HOUSE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 06/04/09 frac.. 
LD 1255 
LR456(05) 
An Act To Amend Certain Laws Related to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources 
Fiscal Note for House Amendment" A " 
Sponsor: Rep. Pieh of Bremen 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
2009-10 
2010-11 
Projections 
2011-12 
Projections 
2012-13 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
$121,987 
$124,015 
$0 
$0 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$150,000 
$150,000 
$150,000 
$150,000 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This amendment requires registration of the amount of commercial fertilizer sold, and a fee to be assessed on that 
amount. Other Special Revenue Funds revenue is estimated to increase by $150,000 from these fees. The bill 
includes an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of$121,987 in fiscal year 2009-10 and $124,015 in fiscal year 
2010-11 to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources for a limited-period Consumer Protection 
Inspector and related administrative costs. The Inspector will establish and administer the commercial fertilizer 
program. 
LR0456(05) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1