An Act To Ensure Safe School Grounds
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 0961
Committee Amendment CA_A_H285 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 'ft" to H.P. 675, L.D. 961, Bill, "An Act To 
Ensure Safe School Grounds" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the title and before the enacting clause the 
following: 
'Mandate preamble. This measure requires one or more local units of government 
to expand or modify activities so as to necessitate additional expenditures from local 
revenues but does not provide funding for at least 90% of those expenditures. Pursuant to 
the Constitution of Maine, Article IX, Section 21, 2/3 of all of the members elected to 
each House have determined it necessary to enact this measure.' 
Amend the bill in section I in §6305 in subsection 3 by striking out all of paragraphs 
C and D (page I, lines 32 to 35 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'e. On an athletic field if there is a 14-day period before use of the field after 
application of the pesticides; 
D. On an agricultural field in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions for use 
of the pesticides for appropriate pest management; or 
E. Where bare ground of 25 square feet or greater exists as the result of a problem 
with pests.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. Landscaping design. The Commissioner of Education shall collaborate 
with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Board of Pesticides 
Control to develop standards and guidelines related to school grounds construction that 
would minimize or avoid the necessity of the use of pesticides on school grounds for new 
construction. The commissioner and the director of the Board of Pesticides Control shall 
report on their recommendations for school ground construction standards and guidelines 
to the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing 
Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry by March 15,2014. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
\t OF S COMMITIEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 675, L.D. 961 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
School Finance and Operations Z078 
Initiative: 
Provides one-time funds for the costs associated with hiring a landscape 
architect to develop a landscaping design for any newly constructed school facilities that 
will minimize or eliminate the need to use pesticides on school grounds. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2013-14 
$16,250 
$16,250 
2014-15 
$0 
$0 
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The amendment amends the bill to allow the use 
of pesticides on school grounds in areas where bare ground of 25 square feet or greater 
exists as the result of pest problems. The amendment also amends the bill by replacing 
section 2, which directed the Commissioner of Education to adopt rules, with a provision 
that requires the Commissioner of Education to collaborate with the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Board of Pesticides Control in developing school 
ground construction standards and guidelines_aruLrequires_a_repofLto_the JoinLStandin~_ 
Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs and the Joint Standing Committee on 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry by March 15,2014. The amendment also adds a 
mandate preamble and an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
State Mandates 
Required Activity 
Revised: 05/24113 .;t.vac:. 
LD961 
LR907(02) 
An Act To Ensure Safe School Grounds 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'h' [ H -dS5" ) 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
State Mandate - Exempted 
Unit Affected 
Local Cost 
Requires local school administrative units to change from an Integrated Pest 
Management (IPM) approach to pest management to organic techniques. 
School 
Significant 
statewide 
Pursuant to the Mandate Preamble, the two-thirds vote of all members elected to each House exempts the state from 
the constitutional requirement to fund 90% of the additional costs. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
The impact to local school administrative units may include additional costs associated with monitoring for pests and 
disease, training and redevelopment of the annual facility maintenance plan. 
Additional costs to the Department of Education and the Board of Pesticides Control to develop the required standards 
and guidelines to minimize or avoid the necessity of the use of pesticides on school grounds for new construction can 
be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR0907(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of 1