An Act To Clarify the Maine Food Sovereignty Act
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0574
Committee Amendment CA_A_SA_A_S471 (Senate)
Amends: 7 MRSA §282, 7 MRSA §284, 7 MRSA §286, 7 MRSA §415, 30-A MRSA §7051, 30-A MRSA §7505

SENATE AMEND:MENT" A "to COMMITTEE AMEND:MENT "A" to H.P. 419, 
L.D. 574, "An Act To Clarify the Maine Food Sovereignty Act" 
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 1, 2 and 3 and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §282, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 314, § 1, is amended to 
read: 
2. Food or food products. "Food or food products" means food or food products 
iHtended that are grown, produced, processed or prepared for human consumption, 
including, but not limited to, vegetables, fruit, milk or milk products, meat or meat 
products, poultry or poultry products, fish or fish products, seafood or seafood products, 
cider or juice, acidified foods or canned fruits or vegetables. 
Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §282, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 314, §1, is repealed. 
Sec. 3. 7 MRSA §284, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 314, § 1, is amended to read: 
§284. Home rule authority Authority 
Pursuant to the home rule authority granted to municipalities by Title 30-A, section 
3001 and by the Constitution of Maine, Article VIII, Part Second, pursuant to the authority 
granted to plantations by Title 30-A, section 7051, and notwithstanding any provision of 
state food law regulating food in this Title or Title 22 to the contrary, except as contained 
in section 285, a municipality or plantation may adopt ordinances regarding direct 
producer-to-consumer transactions and the State shall recognize such ordinances by not 
enforcing those state food laws or implementing rules with respect to those direct producer-
to-consumer transactions that are governed by the ordinance. 
Pursuant to the authority granted to county commissioners by Title 30-A, section 7505 
and notwithstanding any provision of law regulating food in this Title or Title 22 to the 
contrary, except as contained in section 285, a county may adopt ordinances regarding 
direct producer-to-consumer transactions within one or more unorganized territories within 
that county and the State shall recognize such an ordinance by not enforcing those laws or 
implementing rules with respect to those direct producer-to-consumer transactions that are 
governed by the ordinance. 
Sec. 4. 7 MRSA §286, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 314, § 1, is amended to read: 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT" A "to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 419, L.D. 574 Cs- 117 t) 
§286. Compliance with food safety regulations 
An individual who grows, produces, processes or prepares food or food products for 
purposes other than direct producer-to-consumer transactions in a municipality that adopts 
or afB.ends, plantation or unorganized territory governed by an ordinance authorized 
pursuant to section 284 shall grow, produce, process or prepare the food or food products 
in compliance with all applicable state and federal food safety laws, rules and regulations. 
Sec. 5. 7 MRSA §415, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 138, §1, is amended to 
read: 
4. Relationship to farmers' market rules. This section does not prohibit a market 
farmers' market, including a farmers' market in a municipality or plantation that adopts or 
amends an ordinance pursuant to section 284 or in an unorganized territory governed by an 
ordinance authorized pursuant to section 284, from imposing more stringent requirements 
on its sellers than those imposed by subsection 2, paragraph B. 
Sec. 6. 30-A MRSA §7051, sub-§11, as amended by PL2019, c. 138, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
11. Ordinances. Chapter 141, but only with respect to animal control ordinances, 
subject to Title 7, section 3950, the sale and use of consumer fireworks within the 
plantation, subject to Title 8, section 223-A, aiid the accumulation of garbage, refuse, 
rubbish or trash or unwanted or discarded material of any kind or source on private property 
and ordinances adopted in accordance with Title 7, chapter 8-F. 
Sec. 7. 30-A MRSA §7505 is enacted to read: 
§7505. Ordinances authorized under the Maine Food Sovereignty Act 
The county commissioners of each county may adopt ordinances regarding direct 
producer-to-consumer transactions in accordance with Title 7, chapter 8-F.' 
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces Committee Amendment "A" and makes the following 
changes to the Maine Food Sovereignty Act. 
0 
1. It changes the definition of "food or food products." 
2. It repeals the definition of "state food law" and replaces references to this term with 
references to the laws regulating food in the Maine Revised Statutes, Titles 7 and 22. 
3. It provides that a plantation has the same powers and duties and is subject to the 
same restrictions as a municipality with respect to ordinances directing producer-to-
consumer transactions under the Maine Food Sovereignty Act. 
4. It provides that the county commissioners of each county may adopt ordinances 
regarding direct producer-to-consumer transactions within one or more unorganized 
territories within that county in accordance with the Maine Food Sovereignty Act. 
5. It clarifies that a farmers' market in a municipality or plantation that adopts or 
amends an ordinance pursuant to the Maine Food Sovereignty Act or in an unorganized 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
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SENATE AMENDMENT" ff "to COMMITTEEAMENDMENT"A" to H.P. 419, L.D. 574 [ 5-C{ 71) 
(Senator IDCi~~ 
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COUNTY: Kennebec 
SENATE AMENDMENT