An Act To Establish the Maine Food System Investment Program To Create Quality Jobs and Support Farms, Fisheries and Food-related Businesses”
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1531
Committee Amendment CA_A_H789 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1114, L.D. 1531, Bill, “An Act To 
Establish the Maine Food System Investment Program To Create Quality Jobs and 
Support Farms, Fisheries and Food-related Businesses”
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
'An Act Relating to Maine's Agriculture, Food System and Forestry Infrastructure 
Investment To Strengthen Maine's Agriculture, Food and Forestry Economy' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following:
'Sec. 1.  7 MRSA c. 10-C is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 10-C
MAINE'S AGRICULTURE, FOOD SYSTEM AND FORESTRY 
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
§320-A.  Maine's agriculture, food system and forestry infrastructure investment
1.  Definitions.  As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Producer" means a person in the State who grows, manufactures, harvests or 
otherwise creates food, fiber or forest products and value-added products, including a 
person engaged in farming, fishing, logging, harvesting or other agricultural and 
forestry-related activities.
2.  Goals; duties.  The commissioner shall:
A.  Strengthen the State's agriculture, food and forestry economy with a priority of 
making resulting efforts more inclusive of and increasing investments in historically 
marginalized, underrepresented and underserved communities; and
B.  Improve investments in agriculture, food and forestry in the State to increase 
access to new markets and opportunities for producers, processors, small businesses 
Date: 
(Filing No. H-          )
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1114, L.D. 1531
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
and consumers in the State in the producing, processing, packaging, distribution, 
marketing, sale and consumption of food, fiber or forest products and value-added 
products.
3.  Powers.  In carrying out the purposes of this chapter, the commissioner may:
A.  Hire or assign staff or contractors;
B.  Seek and accept funds from public and private sources;
C.  Use technical assistance, loans, grants or other means or resources; and
D.  Administer funds, grants or programs.
Sec. 2.  Maine agriculture, food system and forestry infrastructure 
investment; assessment.  The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry shall undertake a Maine agriculture, food system and forestry infrastructure 
investment assessment either directly or with a suitable contractor.  The purpose of the 
assessment is to support the duties of the commissioner under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 7, chapter 10-C.  The commissioner shall conduct a comprehensive review 
of current state and external partners' efforts to achieve the duties under Title 7, chapter 
10-C.
1. Definitions.  For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following 
meanings.
A.  "Food system" means all processes, infrastructure and persons involved in feeding 
a population, including growing, harvesting, collecting, processing, packaging, 
transporting, marketing, selling, consuming and disposing of food and food-related 
items in the State.
B.  "Supply chain" means the chain of distribution by which agricultural, food and 
forest products in the State are moved from the producer to the consumer and may 
include intermediate entities such as processors, packagers, warehouse operators, 
distributors, wholesalers and retailers.
C.  "Value chain coordination" means an approach to product development that 
connects the existing elements within the supply chain and identifies key gaps in the 
supply chain in existing infrastructure or services and opportunities for effective 
investment.
2.  Assessment outcomes. The commissioner may:
A.  Recommend necessary improvements or changes to current state grant and loan 
programs that support the agriculture, food and forestry sectors of the State, including 
any recommendations for the creation of new financing programs based on other 
successful state models;
B.  Review and organize existing recommendations from trade groups and others that 
pertain to Maine's agriculture, food and forestry economy infrastructure, including 
but not limited to processing, transportation, storage and warehousing, distribution 
and wholesale and retail sales; and
C.  Identify gaps, undertake additional data collection and outline short-term and 
long-term actions that can be taken by the Legislature, the Department of Agriculture, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1114, L.D. 1531
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Conservation and Forestry, other state government agencies or external partners to 
productively meet and resolve infrastructure needs.
3.  Assessment duties.  In conducting the assessment, the commissioner shall:
A.  Undertake strategic analysis to inform short-term and long-term benchmarks to 
carry out the duties under Title 7, chapter 10-C and achieve the outcomes under this 
section as they pertain to agriculture, food system and forestry infrastructure needs, 
including:
(1) Identifying the highest priority areas for policy interventions, including 
legislation, capital investments, technical assistance and value chain coordination 
in the agriculture, food and forestry-related systems;
(2) Recommending how State Government may collaborate with other entities to 
minimize duplication in efforts and programs and bridge gaps in technical 
assistance, services, education, research and development; and
(3) Recommending initiatives that improve regulation, marketing, transportation 
or distribution systems that enhance market opportunities for Maine agriculture, 
food and forestry businesses; and
B.  Consult and collaborate with community development corporations and financial 
institutions in the development of agriculture, food system and forestry investment 
infrastructure to support the outcomes in this section.
Sec. 3.  Assessment report.  The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry shall submit an interim report relating to the assessment under section 2, no later 
than November 30, 2020, and a final report, no later than September 1, 2021, with 
findings and recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over agriculture, conservation and 
forestry matters. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
agriculture, conservation and forestry matters may submit a bill during the Second 
Regular Session of the 130th Legislature relating to the subject matter of the report.
1. At a minimum, the report must:
A. Include an update on any measurable outcomes or actions deriving from the 
assessment and an accounting of any funds expended by the commissioner due to the 
assessment; and
B.  Include a summary of the commissioner's efforts, recommendations and 
developments relating to the assessment toward the statutory duties under the Maine 
Revised Statutes, Title 7, chapter 10-C and expenditures for the previous year and 
any planned focus or activities for the next year or following years.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment, which strikes and replaces the bill, requires the Commissioner of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to carry out the following duties:
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT “      ” to H.P. 1114, L.D. 1531
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
1.  Strengthen the State's agriculture, food and forestry economy with a priority of 
making resulting efforts more inclusive of and increasing investments in historically 
marginalized, underrepresented and underserved communities; and
2.  Improve investments in agriculture, food and forestry in the State to increase 
access to new markets and opportunities for producers, processors, small businesses and 
consumers in the State in the producing, processing, packaging, distribution, marketing, 
sale and consumption of food, fiber or forest products and value-added products.
The amendment also directs the commissioner to undertake a Maine agriculture, food 
system and forestry infrastructure investment assessment either directly or with a suitable 
contractor to support the goals of strengthening the State's agriculture, food and forestry 
economy and improving investments in agriculture, food and forestry.  The commissioner 
is required to conduct a comprehensive review of current state and external partners’ 
efforts to achieve the stated goals.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
Approved: 07/15/20
LD 1531
LR 2124(02)
Fiscal Detail and Notes
Any additional costs to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry as a result of conducting a Maine 
agriculture, food system and forestry infrastructure investment assessment and reporting on the findings are 
anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources.   
Minor cost increase - General Fund
An Act To Establish the Maine Food System Investment Program To Create Quality Jobs and 
Support Farms, Fisheries and Food-related Businesses
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
LR2124(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1