An Act To Support Farms and Address Food Insecurity
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0691
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: PLUECKER, McCREA, O'NEIL, TALBOT ROSS, BRENNER, DILL, MAXMIN
Amends: 7 MRSA §219-A

Legislative Document
No. 691
H.P. 503
House of Representatives, March 4, 2021
An Act To Support Farms and Address Food Insecurity
Received by the Clerk of the House on March 2, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed 
pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PLUECKER of Warren.
Cosponsored by Representatives: McCREA of Fort Fairfield, O'NEIL of Saco, TALBOT 
ROSS of Portland, Senators: BRENNER of Cumberland, DILL of Penobscot, MAXMIN of 
Lincoln.
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 Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition Incentives
1.  Fund established.  The Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition 
Incentives, 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 is established to match contributions from private 
and public sources of up to $50,000 annually to further the purposes of this section.  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 Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition Incentives
Initiative: Provides funding to capitalize the Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide 
Nutrition Incentives to be used to match contributions from private and public sources.
GENERAL FUND
2021-22
2022-23
   All Other
$50,000
$50,000
__________
__________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL
$50,000
$50,000
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Fund To Address Food Insecurity and Provide Nutrition 
Incentives 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.  The fund will match contributions from private and public sources of 
up to $50,000 annually.  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 given 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.