An Act To Provide Funding to Municipalities Severely Affected by Pest Infestations
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0643
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: TEPLER, BREEN, BERRY, DAUGHTRY, HEPLER, O'NEIL, PIERCE, TUCKER

Legislative Document
No. 643
H.P. 464
House of Representatives, February 7, 2019
An Act To Provide Funding to Municipalities Severely Affected by 
Pest Infestations
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative TEPLER of Topsham.
Cosponsored by Senator BREEN of Cumberland and
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, DAUGHTRY of Brunswick, HEPLER of 
Woolwich, McCREIGHT of Harpswell, O'NEIL of Saco, PIERCE of Falmouth, TUCKER of 
Brunswick.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA c. 6-B is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 6-B
MANAGEMENT OF HARMFUL PESTS
§181.  Harmful pest management; identification
1.   Harmful pest identification.  The commissioner, in consultation with the State 
Entomologist, shall identify pests, such as insects and arachnids, including, but not 
limited to, browntail moths and ticks, that are prevalent in this State and pose a risk of 
significant harm to human health, referred to in this chapter as "harmful pests."
2.  Harmful pest management.  The commissioner, in consultation with the State 
Entomologist, may undertake measures determined appropriate by the commissioner to 
manage harmful pests, including the prevention of breeding of harmful pests.  In 
undertaking management of harmful pests pursuant to this section, the commissioner may 
contract with an entity outside the department for these services but any activities must be 
conducted using a combination of the lowest-risk, most effective, science-based 
management techniques and technology.
§182.  Maine Harmful Pest Management Fund
1.  Fund established.  The Maine Harmful Pest Management Fund, referred to in this 
section as "the fund," is established to carry out the purposes of this chapter.  The fund 
consists of any money received as contributions, grants or appropriations from private 
and public sources.
2.  Purposes.  The department may expend the money available in the fund to 
municipalities designated by the State Entomologist as being severely infested with 
harmful pests.  A municipality may not receive more than $50,000 from the fund.  A 
municipality provided funds under this subsection shall use:
A.  Seventy-five percent of the funding to mitigate infestation of residential 
properties in the municipality where persons with health conditions that can be 
exacerbated by the infestation reside and who are unable to pay for treatment of the 
infestation; and 
B.  Twenty-five percent of the funding to mitigate infestation of publicly owned 
properties in the municipality.
3.  Administration.  The fund, to be accounted for within the department, must be 
held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts.  Any balance 
remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year does not lapse but must be carried 
forward to the next fiscal year.  The State Entomologist shall administer the fund 
allocations.
§183.  Rules
The department shall adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A necessary to administer and enforce this chapter.
Sec. 2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
Maine Harmful Pest Management Fund N236
Initiative:  Provides one-time funding to the Maine Harmful Pest Management Fund 
within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to be used in mitigating 
infestations of harmful pests, such as browntail moth caterpillars and ticks.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Commissioner of Health and Human Services, in consultation 
with the State Entomologist, to identify pests, such as browntail moths and ticks, in this 
State that pose a risk of significant harm to human health, and to undertake measures to 
manage those pests.
The bill also establishes the Maine Harmful Pest Management Fund to provide funds 
to municipalities severely infested with harmful pests, to be used in mitigating the 
infestations.  It also provides $500,000 to the fund.
GENERAL FUND
2018-19
2019-20
All Other
$500,000
$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$500,000
$0