An Act To Encourage the Purchase and Sale of Locally Grown and Raised Crops and Products
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0971
Committee Amendment CA_A_H203 (House)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ·A" to H.P. 726, L.D. 971, Bill, "An Act To 
Encourage the Purchase and Sale of Locally Grown and Raised Crops and Products" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, To Establish a Specialty Crops Certification Cost-share Pilot Program' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inserting 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, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry stands ready 
to establish immediately a specialty crops certification cost-share pilot program for 
qualified farms to certify their crops under the "Good Agricultural Practices" and "Good 
Handling Practices" voluntary audit programs under the United States Department of 
Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service; and 
Whereas, as implementation of the federal Food Safety Modernization Act 
progresses, there is an increasing interest among growers of specialty crops in voluntary 
audit programs; and 
Whereas, these voluntary audit programs are among the best tools available to 
growers and distributors of specialty crops to ensure a base level of sanitation and food 
safety; 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, be it 
Sec. 1. Establishment of a specialty crops certification cost-share pilot 
program. 
Resolved: 
That the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry shall establish a specialty crops certification cost-share pilot program, referred to 
in this resolve as "the pilot program" for a period of 4 years. Under the program, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
R. of s. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 726, L.D. 971 
qualified farms may be entitled to reimbursement ofup to 50% of the cost of certification 
of specialty crops under the "Good Agricultural Practices" and "Good Handling 
Practices" voluntary audit programs under the United States Department of Agriculture, 
Agricultural Marketing Service. 
"Specialty crops" means qualifying fruits and 
vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including 
floriculture; 
Sec. 2. Reimbursement. Resolved: That reimbursement of funds under the pilot 
program is for initial one-time payment and may not be more than $500 per qualified 
farm; 
Sec. 3. Report. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation 
and Forestry shall monitor the pilot program and report findings and recommendations to 
the joint standing committee having jurisdiction over agricultural matters no later than 
December 15, 2023. The joint standing committee having jurisdiction over agricultural 
matters may submit a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 13lst Legislature relating 
to the subject matter of the report. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes and replaces the bill with a resolve and adds an emergency 
preamble and emergency clause. 
The amendment directs the Commissioner of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to establish a specialty crops certification cost-
share pilot program in the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and 
authorizes the department to reimburse qualified farms for up to 50% of the cost of 
certification of specialty crops under the "Good Agricultural Practices" and "Good 
Handling Practices" voluntruy audit programs under the United States Department of 
Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service. 
The amendment provides that 
reimbursement of funds under the program is for initial one-time payment and may not be 
more than $500 per qualified farm. The amendment also directs the commissioner to 
monitor the 4-year pilot program and to report back to the joint standing committee 
having jurisdiction over agricultural matters no later than December 15, 2023 with 
findings and recommendations. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/26/19 feac:.. 
LD971 
LR 732(02) 
An Act To Encourage the Purchase and Sale of Locally Grown and Raised Crops and Products 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment rA-( P-d OJ' 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
/ 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Current biennium cost increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This resolve directs the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (ACF) to establish a Speciality Crops 
Certification Cost-share pilot program beginning in fiscal year 2018-19 and ending in fiscal year 2022-23. The pilot 
program would provide an initial one-time reimbursement to qualified farms of up to $500 for the cost of certification 
of specialty crops under the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, "Good 
Agricultural Practices" and "Good Handling Practices" voluntary audit programs. ACF has indicated that limiting 
reimbursement to initial one-time payments will keep the cost of the pilot program within existing resources and no 
funding is included in the bill. 
LR0732(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1