An Act To Remove the $100 Reporting Fee for Fertilizer and Agricultural Liming Materials Sold
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1602
Committee Amendment CA_A_H854 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1211, L.D. 1602, Bill, "An Act To 
Remove the $100 Reporting Fee for Fertilizer and Agricultural Liming Materials Sold" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following: 
'Sec. 3. Report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over agricultural matters. The Department of Agriculture, Food and 
Rural Resources, referred to in this section as "the department," shall review the types 
and quantities of fertilizers and liming materials required to be registered under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 7, chapter 103, subchapters 5 and 5-A. The department shall 
review definitions of "commercial fertilizer," "agricultural liming materials," "plant 
amendment" and "soil amendment" used in those subchapters and Title 7, chapter 103, 
subchapter 5-B and the term "agronomic benefit" as used in Department of 
Environmental Protection rules pertaining to the agronomic use of residuals. 
The 
department shall determine if additional definitions or statutory provisions are needed to 
regulate liquid fertilizers. 
The department, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection, 
shall review products derived from residuals regulated by the Department of 
Environmental Protection under Title 38, chapter 13 and Rule Chapter 419: Agronomic 
Utilization of Residuals; products derived from solid waste composting facilities 
regulated by the Department of Environmental Protection under Title 38, chapter 13 and 
Rule Chapter 410: Composting Facilities; and products derived from agricultural 
composting operations as defined in Title 7, section 152, subsection 1. The departments 
shall review and consider the development of inspection, sampling and analysis of these 
products and the degree of inspection, sampling and analysis warranted for each type of 
product. The department shall compare the anticipated revenue from fees collected under 
Title 7, section 743-A and section 766 with the cost of maintaining inspection, sampling 
and analysis of these products at a level sufficient for consumer protection. 
The department shall report its findings and recommendations to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction OVer agricultural matters no later than 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
.(Ip' 
.~. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "R "to H.P. 1211, L.D. 1602 
January 15,2013. No later than January 15,2013 the department shall submit legislation, 
including revisions to definitions, needed to implement its recommendations. 
Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
AGRICUL TURE, FOOD AND RURAL RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Division of Quality Assurance and Regulation 0393 
Initiative: Provides allocation for one Consumer Protection Inspector position and related 
All Other costs to administer the commercial fertilizer sampling program. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATNE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2011-12 
0.000 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2012-13 
1.000 
$65,832 
$56,155 
$121,987 
This amendment directs the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources to 
review the types and quantities of fertilizers and liming products for which registration is 
required in the State and to review regulation of residuals for agronomic use. The 
department is directed to review certain definitions and terms. The department is directed 
to report to the legislative committee of jurisdiction with its findings and 
recommendations 
and 
to 
submit 
legislation 
necessary 
to 
implement 
those 
recommendations. This amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section 
to the bill establishing an ongoing Consumer Protection Inspector position funded from 
the dedicated account receiving tonnage fees for fertilizers and liming materials sold in 
the State. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 03/27112 
.1W-c::t:c. 
LD 1602 
LR 2506(02) 
An Act To Remove the $100 Reporting Fee for Fertilizer and Agricultural Liming Materials Sold 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "n" l t/-~s0 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2011-12 
FY 2012-13 
$0 
$121,987 
Projections 
FY 2013-14 
$124,015 
Projections 
FY 2014-15 
$126,105 
The bill includes an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural 
Resources of $121,987 in fiscal year 2012-13 for one Consumer Protection Inspector position and related costs to 
administer the commercial fertilizer sampling program. The bill changes the fertilizer and agriculturallirning material 
reporting fee from $1 per ton or $100 for each brand or grade, whichever is more, to $1 per ton. This change is not 
expected to significantly affect revenue to the department. 
Additional costs to the Departments of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources and Environmental Protection related 
to performing the review described in the legislation and reporting the results can be absorbed within existing 
budgeted resources. 
LR2506(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1