An Act To Establish the Fund To Support Local Fruits and Vegetables Purchasing
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0920
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: PLUECKER, JACKSON, COREY, DUNPHY, HICKMAN, MAXMIN, O'NEIL, ROBERTS-LOVELL, DILL
Amends: 7 MRSA §219-A

Legislative Document
No. 920
H.P. 675
House of Representatives, February 21, 2019
An Act To Establish the Fund To Support Local Fruits and 
Vegetables Purchasing
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PLUECKER of Warren.
Cosponsored by President JACKSON of Aroostook and
Representatives: COREY of Windham, DUNPHY of Old Town, HICKMAN of Winthrop, 
MAXMIN of Nobleboro, McCREA of Fort Fairfield, O'NEIL of Saco, ROBERTS-LOVELL 
of South Berwick, Senator: DILL of Penobscot.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §219-A is enacted to read:
§219-A.  Fund To Support Local Fruits and Vegetables Purchasing
1.  Fund established.  The Fund To Support Local Fruits and Vegetables Purchasing, 
referred to in this section as "the fund," is established in the department to provide 
incentives to federal food and nutrition assistance program participants for the purchase 
of locally grown fruits and vegetables and to support outreach for and administration of 
programs that offer nutrition incentives to participants of federal food and nutrition 
assistance programs.  The fund consists of money received as appropriations, allocations 
and contributions from private and public sources.  The fund, to be accounted within the 
department, must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts.  
Eligible investment earnings credited to the assets of the fund become part of the assets of 
the fund.  Any unexpended balances remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year do 
not lapse and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. For purposes of this section, 
"local" means within the State.
2.  Fund recipients.  An organization based in the State that supports local food 
producers, local food production or low-income individuals in receiving food and 
nutrition assistance may receive proceeds from the fund upon application with the 
department.  The department shall prioritize an applicant that has a demonstrated history 
of incentivizing the use of federal food and nutrition assistance programs to purchase 
locally grown fruits and vegetables or that demonstrates the ability to leverage the 
proceeds to match or receive additional funds from local, state, federal or private sources.  
The department shall periodically post a request for applications for eligible organizations 
to apply for fund proceeds.
3.  Report; audit.  The department shall require a periodic report from a recipient 
under subsection 2 detailing the use of fund proceeds and the federal food and nutrition 
assistance programs involved and to ensure that the funds are expended appropriately 
pursuant to this section.  The department may audit a recipient to carry out the purposes 
of this subsection.
4.  Rules.  The department may adopt routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of the fund, including application 
criteria and procedures for recipients, disbursement of funds to recipients and for 
outreach and administration purposes and reporting and audit procedures for recipients.
Sec. 2.  Appropriations and allocations.  The following appropriations and 
allocations are made.
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
Fund To Support Local Fruits and Vegetables Purchasing
Initiative:  Provides funding to capitalize the Fund To Support Local Fruits and 
Vegetables Purchasing for use in conjunction with federal food and nutrition assistance 
programs to incentivize the purchase of  locally grown fruits and vegetables.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Fund To Support Local Fruits and Vegetables Purchasing 
within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to provide incentives to 
federal food and nutrition assistance program participants for the purchase of locally 
grown fruits and vegetables and to support outreach for and administration of programs 
that offer nutrition incentives to participants of federal food and nutrition assistance 
programs. Fund recipients must be state-based organizations that support local food 
producers, local food production or low-income individuals in receiving food and 
nutrition assistance, with priority to organizations that have a demonstrated history of 
incentivizing the use of federal food and nutrition assistance programs to purchase locally 
grown fruits and vegetables or that demonstrate the ability to leverage the proceeds to 
match or receive additional funds from local, state, federal or private sources.  The bill 
provides reporting and audit requirements for recipients to ensure proper use of the funds 
and appropriates funds to capitalize the fund.
GENERAL FUND
2019-20
2020-21
All Other
$250,000
$250,000
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$250,000
$250,000