An Act to Support Investment in Agriculture
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 0299
Committee Amendment CA_A_SA_A_S662 (Senate)

SENATE AMENDMENT "/1 " to COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 199,
L.D. 299, "An Act to Support Investment in Agriculture"
Amend the amendment by striking out the substitute title and inserting the following:
'An Act to Capitalize Agricultural Program Funds'
Amend the amendment by striking out all of sections 1 to 5 and inserting the following:
'See. 1. Transfer from Maine Budget Stabilization Fund; Maine
Agriculture, Food and Forest Products Investment Fund. Notwithstanding any
provision of law to the contrary, on or before June 30, 2027, the State Controller shall
transfer $100,000,000 from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund within the Department of
Administrative and Financial Services to the Maine Agriculture, Food and Forest Products
Investment Fund Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to strengthen the State's agricultural, food and
forest products economy and expand infrastruchire investments in the agricultural, food
and forest products economy pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section
320-A.
Sec. 2. Transfer from Maine Budget Stabilization Fund; Farmers Drought
Relief Grant Program. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, on or
before June 30, 2027, the State Controller shall transfer $15,000,000 from the Maine
Budget Stabilization Fund within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services
to the Farmers Drought Relief Grant Program Other Special Revenue Funds account within
the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to support the activities of the
Farmers Drought Relief Grant Program pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7,
section 220-A.
Sec. 3. Transfer from Maine Budget Stabilization Fund; Maine Healthy
Soils Program. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, on or before June
30, 2027, the State Controller shall transfer $15,000,000 from the Maine Budget
Stabilization Fund within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to the
Maine Healthy Soils Program Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department
of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to support the activities of the Maine Healthy
Soils Program pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 352.
SENATE AMENDMENT
RO^ SENATE AMENDMENT ufi " to COMMI'ITEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 199, L.D. 299 lc>"{
See. 4. Transfer from Maine Budget Stabilization Fund; Maine Working
Farmland Access and Protection Program. Notwithstanding any provision of law
to the contrary, on or before June 30, 2027, the State Controller shall transfer $30,000,000
from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund within the Department of Administrative and
Financial Services to the Maine Working Farmland Access and Protection Program Other
Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of Agriculture, Consemtion and
Forestry to support the activities of the Maine Working Farmland Access and Protection
Program pursuant to the Mame Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 164.
See. 5. Transfer from Maine Budget Stabilization Fund; Dairy
Improvement Fund. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, on or before
June 30, 2027, the State Controller shall transfer $25,000,000 from the Maine Budget
Stabilization Fund within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to the
Dairy Improvement Fund Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Finance
Authority of Maine to support the activities of the Dairy Improvement Fund pursuant to
the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 1023-P.
Sec. 6. Transfer from Maine Budget Stabilization Fund; Improvements to
Logging and Fishing Enterprises Loan Fund. Notwithstanding any provision of law
to the contrary, on or before June 30, 2027, the State Controller shall transfer $15,000,000
from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund within the Department of Administrative and
Financial Services to the Improvements to Logging and Fishing Enterprises Loan Fund
Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Finance Authority of Maine to support
the activities of the Improvements to Logging and Fishing Enterprises Loan Fund pursuant
to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 10, section 1023-Q.
Sec. 7. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
Farmers Drought Relief Grant Program Fund Z364
Initiative: Provides funds to support the activities of the Farmers Drought Relief Grant
Program pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 220-A.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
AHOther $0 $15,000,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $15,000,000
Maine Agriculture, Food and Forest Products Investment Fund Z384
Initiative: Provides funds to strengthen die State's agricultural, food and forest products
economy and expand infrastructure investments in the agricultural, food and forest
products economy pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 320-A.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
AHOther $0 $100,000,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $100,000,000
Maine Healthy Soils Fund Z328
SENATE AMENDMENT
SENATE AMENDMENT " ^ " lo COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P, 199. L.D. 299
Initiative: Provides funds to support the activities of the Maine Healthy Soils Program
pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 352.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
AHOther $0 $15,000,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL SO $15,000,000
Maine Working Farmland Access and Protection Fund Z313
Initiative: Provides funds to support the activiries of the Maine Working Farmland Access
and Protection Program pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 164.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
AllOther $0 $30,000,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $30,000,000
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND
FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS $0 $160,000,000
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 $160,000,000
FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE
Dairy Improvement Fund Z143
Initiative: Provides funds to support the activities of the fund pursuant to the Mame Revised
Statutes, Title 10, section 1023-P,
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
AllOther $0 $25,000,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $25,000,000
Improvements to Logging and Fishing Enterprises Loan Fund Z440
Initiative: Provides funds to support the activities of the fund pursuant to the Maine Revised
Statutes, Title 10, section 1023-Q.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
AllOther $0 $15,000,000
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $15,000,000
FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS SO $40,000,000
SENATE AMENDMENT
SENATE AMENDMENT " ^" (o COMMI'ITEE AMENDMENT "A" lo H.P. 199, L.D. 299 f5~l
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS SO $40,000,000
SECTION TOTALS 2025-26 2026-27
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS SO $200,000,000
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 $200,000,000
Amend the amendment by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or
section number to read consecutively.
SUMMARY
This amendment amends Committee Amendment "A" by striking the provisions of the
committee amendment and instead authorizing a one-time transfer of $200,000,000 in
fiscal year 2026-27 from the Maine Budget Stabilization Fund to be distributed to
agricultural programs within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and
the Finance Authorit
SPONSORED BY:
(Senator HIC^AN^^.)
COUNTY: Kennebec
mSCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)
SENATE AMENDMENT
Approved; 04/06/26 1-1<L
LD 299 LR 844(06)
An Act to Build a Viable Future for Maine Agriculture by Transferring a Portion of Real Estate
Transfer Tax Revenue to the Maine Agriculture, Food and Forest Products Investment Fund
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment '^! to Committee Amendment "A"(
Sponsor: Sen. Hickman ofKennebec
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund
Appropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds
Fiscal Note
Projections Projections
FY 2025-26 FY 2026-27 FY 2027-28 FY 2028-29
$0 ($5,000,000) ($5,000,000) ($5,000,000)
$0 $195,000,000 ($5,000,000) ($5,000,000)
Revenue
General Fund
Other Special Revenue Funds
Transfers
General Fund
Other Special Revenue Funds
$0 $5,000,000 $5,000,000 $5,000,000
SO ($5,000,000) ($5,000,000) ($5,000,000)
$0 $0
$0 $200,000,000
$0
$0
$0
$0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This amendment removes the provisions directing the transfer of a portion of the revenue from the real estate transfer
tax. Instead, the amendment authorizes a one-time transfer of $200,000,000 in fiscal year 2026-27 from the Maine
Budget Stabilization Fund to be distributed to the following programs within the Department of Agriculture,
Conservation and Forestry (ACF) and the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME).
ACF
FAME
Maine Agriculture, Food and Forest Products Investment Fund
Farmers Drought Relief Grant Program
Maine Healthy Soils Program
Maine Working Farmland Access and Protection Program
Dairy Improvement Fund
Improvements to Logging and Fishing Enterprises Loan Fund
$100,QpO,000
$15,000,000
$15,000,000
$30,000,000
$25,000,000
$15,000,000
LR0844(06) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1