An Act to Create Parity in Poultry Processing and Farming Licenses
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1601
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Sponsors: COLLAMORE
Amends: 7 MRSA §449

Legislative Document
No. 1601
H.P. 1059
House of Representatives, April 10, 2025
An Act to Create Parity in Poultry Processing and Farming Licenses 
and Inspections
Reference to the Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry suggested and 
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative COLLAMORE of Pittsfield.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §449 is enacted to read:
§449.  Stakeholder group to develop uniform interpretation of United States 
Department of Agriculture's regulations and exemptions
The commissioner shall convene a stakeholder group to develop a uniform 
interpretation of the United States Department of Agriculture's regulations and exemptions 
to ensure the uniformity of interpretation of the regulations and exemptions by an employee 
or official of the State or an employee or official of the Federal Government or of any other 
governmental entity of this State authorized by the commissioner to perform inspection 
functions related to agricultural products under an agreement between the commissioner 
and the governmental entity.
1. Membership. The stakeholder group must consist of 16 members, and each county 
must be represented by a member of the stakeholder group. Of the required members, 14 
must be representatives of nonorganic farms and 2 must be representatives of farms 
certified as organic by an organization accredited by the United States Department of 
Agriculture. The stakeholder group must consist of the following members to be appointed 
by the Governor:
A. A representative of a small farm with an annual gross income between $50,000 and 
$250,000;
B. A representative of a medium-sized farm with an annual gross income between 
$250,000 and $1,000,000;
C. A representative of a large farm with an annual gross income greater than 
$1,000,000;
D. A pork or beef livestock farmer;
E. A dairy farmer;
F. A poultry farmer;
G. A farmer of fruits;
H. A farmer of vegetables;
I. A farmer of wild blueberries;
J. A farmer of potatoes; 
K. A livestock processor;
L. A poultry processor; and
M. Four farmers representing the counties in the State not represented by the members 
in paragraphs A to L.
2. Election of chair; vice-chair. At the first meeting of the stakeholder group the 
members shall elect from the membership a chair and a vice-chair and shall determine their 
duties.
3. Existing license holders; application of regulations and exemptions.  A licensed 
processor or producer, as defined in section 423, subsections 10 and 11, respectively, has 
years to comply with any change of interpretation made by the stakeholder group of the 
United States Department of Agriculture's regulations and exemptions pursuant to this 
section.
Sec. 2.  Report.  On or before December 3, 2025, the Commissioner of Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry shall submit to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, 
Conservation and Forestry a report describing the strategies, findings and 
recommendations, including any necessary legislation, of the stakeholder group under the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, section 449. After reviewing the report, the committee 
may report out legislation relating to the report to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd 
Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to 
convene a stakeholder group to develop a uniform interpretation of the United States 
Department of Agriculture's regulations and exemptions to ensure the uniformity of 
interpretation of the regulations and exemptions by the State's agricultural inspectors. On 
or before December 3, 2025, the commissioner is required to submit a report describing the 
strategies, findings and recommendations, including any necessary legislation, of the 
stakeholder group to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry, which may report out legislation relating to the report to the Second Regular 
Session of the 132nd Legislature.