An Act To Promote Industrial Hemp
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0004
Committee Amendment CA_A_H41 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A- " to H.P. 7, L.D. 4, Bill, "An Act To Promote 
Industrial Hemp" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the title and before the enacting clause the 
following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, farmers need adequate time to prepare for their upcoming growing 
seasons and industrial hemp cultivation involves numerous time-sensitive planning 
considerations; and 
Whereas, cultivation of industrial hemp may provide a valuable economic 
opportunity for farmers that begin cultivating as soon as possible; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §2231 in subsection 1 in the last line (page 1, line 7 in 
L.D.) by inserting after the following: "chapter." the following: 'As used in this chapter, 
unless the context otherwise indicates, "certified seed source" means a source of hemp 
seeds that are certified by a 3rd party as producing hemp having a delta-9-
tetrahydrocannabinol concentration that does not exceed 0.3% on a dry weight basis.' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §2231 in subsection 2 in the 4th and 5th lines (page 1, 
lines 11 and 12 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "an approved Canadian producer of 
hemp seeds" and inserting the following: 'a certified seed source' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §2231 in subsection 2 in the 6th line (page 1, line 13 in 
L.D.) by striking out the following: "producer in Canada" and inserting the following: 
'certified seed source' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to RP. 7, L.D. 4 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §2231 in subsection 2-A in the 2nd to 5th lines (page I, 
lines 16 to 19 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "an approved Canadian producer of 
hemp seeds that ensures that the hemp cultivated by a grower has a concentration of no 
more than 0.3% delta-9~tetrahydrocanna:binol by dry weight." and inserting the following: 
'a certified seed source.' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §2231 in subsection 6 in the 3rd line (page 2, line lOin 
L.D.) by inserting after the following: "a license fee" the following: " per acre fees for 
monitoring, sampling and testing' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §2231 in subsection 6 in the last line (page 2, line 12 in 
L.D.) by striking out the following: "major substantive" and inserting the following: 
'mai~r soostaRtive routine technical' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §2231 by striking out all of subsection 7 (page 2, lines 
to 18 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'7. Fees. The commissioner shall establish through rulemaking under subsection 6 
an application fee, a license fee and per acre fees for monitoring, sampling and testing 
that are reasonable and necessary to cover the costs of the department. The application 
fee must be no less than $50 and no more than $100, the license fee must be no less than 
$100 and no more than $500, and the fees for monitoring, sampling and testing must be 
no less than $1 per acre and no more than $ I 00 per acre. 
All fees received pursuant to this subsection must be paid to the Treasurer of State and 
credited to a separate, nonlapsing account in the department. Money received pursuant to 
this subsection must be used for the expense~s of administering this chapter.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 2 and inserting the following. 
'Sec. 2. Appropriations and allo,cations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Division of Plant Industry 0831 
Initiative: Provides funding to adopt routine technical rules establishing an application 
fee, a license fee, a per acre fee for monitoring, sampling and testing and guidelines for 
monitoring the growth and harvest of industrial hemp. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
Division of Plant Industry 0831 
2015-16 
$2,500 
$2,500 
2016-17 
$0 
$0 
Initiative: Provides funding for one half-time Certified Seed Specialist position and 
related costs to conduct testing, inspection and monitoring related to the production of 
industrial hemp. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A 
"to H.P. 7, L.D. 4 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
Office of the Commissioner 0401 
2015-16 
2016-17 
0.500 
0.500 
$30,032 
$30,032 
$8,197 
$7,911 
$38,229 
$37,943 
Initiative: Provides funds for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, 
Office of Information Technology costs associated with the Certified Seed Specialist 
position. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND 
FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
Amend the bill by adding before the summary the following: 
2015-16 
$1,968 
$1,968 
2015-16 
$42,697 
$42,697 
2016-17 
$1,968 
$1,968 
2016-17 
$39,911 
$39,911 
'Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment adds an emergency preamble and emergency clause to the bill. 
This amendment provides that hemp seeds acquired for cultivation of hemp in the 
State may come from any certified seed source rather than only approved Canadian 
producers of hemp seeds. 
This amendment provides that rules adopted by the Department of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 2231 
are routine technical rules. 
This amendment includes the addition of per acre fees for monitoring, sampling and 
testing and establishes a range and cap for all fees established by the Commissioner of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry related to industrial hemp production. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 7, L.D. 4 
This amendment replaces the appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 03120/15 
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LD4 
LR 136(02) 
An Act To Promote Industrial Hemp 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment -A'(H -If I) 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2015-16 
FY 2016-17 
Projections 
FY 2017-18 
Projections 
FY 2018-19 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$42,697 
$39,911 
$39,911 
$39,911 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$42,697 
$39,911 
$39,911 
$39,911 
Transfers 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This legislation repeals the provision of law that licensure of industrial hemp is contingent upon action by the Federal 
Government. The bill includes an Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of$42,697 in fiscal year 2015-16 and 
$39,911 in fiscal year 2016-17 to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) for one half-time 
Certified Seed Specialist position and related costs to conduct testing, inspection and monitoring, as well as 
rulemaking costs to establish fees. Applicants will pay an application fee between $50 and $100, a license fee between 
$100 and $500 and a fee for monitoring, sampling and testing between $1 per acre and $100 per acre. 
This fiscal note assumes that there will be an adequate amount of revenue to cover the costs of the Other Special 
Revenue Funds allocations. DACF will not be able to cover these costs ifthere are not a sufficient number of fee-
paying applicants. 
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LRO 136(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1