An Act to .Address
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1894
Committee Amendment CA_A_H457 (House)

132ND LEGISLATURE. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P .• 1265, ~.D, 1894, "An Act to .Address 
Consumer Grocery Pricing Fairness" 
• 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'Resolve, to Establish the Commission to Study Consumer Grocery Pricing Fairness' 
• Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and inse1ting the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves. of the Legislature do not . 
become effective until 90 days after adjoumment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, this legislation establishes the Commission to Study Consunier Grocery 
Pricing Fairness; and 
Whereas, the study must be initiated before the 90-day period expires so that the study 
may be completed and a repo1t submitted in time for submission to the next legislative 
session; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, be it 
• 
Sec. 1. Commission established. Resolved: That the Commission' to Study 
Consumer Grocery Pricing Fairness, referred to in this resolve as "the commission," is 
established, 
Sec. 2. Commission membership. Resolved.: That, notwithstanding Joint Rule 
353, the commission consists of 17 voting members and 3 nonvoting members as follows: 
1. Nine voting members, appointed by the President of the Senate as follows: 
A. Two members of the Senate, including one member from each of the 2 parties 
holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature; 
Page I - 132LR2187(02) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1265, L.D, 1894 
B. On~ member who is a small-scale to medium-scale produce farmer in the State with 
gross annual sales of less than $300,000; 
C. One member who is a large-scale produce farmer in the State with gross annual sales 
of more than $1,000,000; 
D. One member who is a wholesaler supplier servicing independent grocers in the 
State; 
E. One member representing specialty food stores in the State; 
F. One member who is a representative of a financial institution supporting agriculture 
and food manufacturing businesses in the State; 
G. One member who is a food distributor based in the State; and 
H. One member who is an economist with expertise in agriculture and policy in the 
State; 
2. Eight voting members, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
as follows: 
A. Two members of the House of Representatives, including one member f(om each 
of the 2 parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature; 
B. One member who is a processor ol' manufacture!' of locally produced, shelf-stable, 
packaged foo.d goods; 
C. One member representing the aquaculture or seafood industry in the State; 
D. One member who is a representative of an association representing retail and food 
manufacturers in the State; 
E. One member representing independent grocers in the Stffi:e; 
F. One member who is a national retailer with local-sourcing initiatives; and 
G. One member representing an economic development organization suppo1iing 
agriculture and food manufacturing in the State; and 
3. Three nonvoting members: 
A. The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development or the 
commissioner's designee; 
B. The C.ommissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry or the commissioner's 
designee; and 
C. The Attorney General or the Attorney General's designee. 
Sec. 3. Chairs. Resolved: That the first-named Senate member is the Senate chair 
and the first-named House of Representatives member is the House chair· of the 
commission. 
Sec. 4. 
Appointments; convening of commission. Resolved: 
That all 
appointments must be made no later than 30 days following the effective date of this 
resolve. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative 
Council once all appointments have been completed. 
After the appointment of all 
members, the chairs shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission within 45 
·COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS· 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1265, L.D. 1894 
days, If 30 days or more after the effective date of this resplve a majority of but tiot all 
appointments have been made, the chairs may request authority and the Legislative Council 
may grant authority for the commission to meet and conduct its business, 
Sec. 5. Duties. Resolved: That the commission snall study the.terms and conditions 
• of sale and other conditions of the groce1y supply chain in the State :that impact product 
availability and price to consumers, the competitiveness and viability of independent 
grocery stores, the volume of locally produced pl'O~Ucts available at retail and market 
access of producers in the State, As part of its work, the· committee may consider the 
following: 
• 
1. The growth . of so-called food dese1ts in the State and measures that may be 
implemented to address or alleviate so-called food dese1ts; 
2. Factors in the groce1y supply chain that influence affordable access to groceries for 
residents of the State, that influence competition or concentration in grocery retail -in the 
State and that influence the retail availability of products in the State that are produced in 
the State; and 
3, Federal and state antitrust laws and how the enforcement of those laws may affect 
the growth of so-called food dese1ts or the groce1y store supply chain factors described in 
subsections 1 and 2. 
Sec. 6. Staff assistance. Resolved: That the Legislative Council shall provide 
necessary staffing services to the commission, except that Legislative Council staff suppo1t 
is not authorized when the Legislature is in regular or special session. 
• • 
Sec. 7. Report. Resolved: That, no later than December 3, 2025, the commission 
shall submit a repott that includes its findings and recommendat'ions, including s~ggested 
legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on Housing and Economic Developnient !illd 
to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculti.1re, Conservation and Forest1y, 
Both 
committees may repo1t out legislation related to the subject matter of the repo1t to the 
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively, 
SUMMARY 
This amendment, which is the majority repo1t of the committee, replaces the bill with 
a resolve, It establishes the Commission to Study Consumer Groce1y Pricing Fairness, 
which is directed to study the terms and conditions of sale and other conditions of the 
grocery supply chain in the State that impact product availability and price to consumers, 
the competitiveness and viability of independent grocery stores, the volume of locally 
produced products available at retai1 and market access of producers in the State, No later 
than December 3, 2025, that commission must submit a report that includes its findings and 
recommendations, ~ncluding suggested legislation, to the Joint Standing Committee on 
Housing and Economic Development and to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A 
"to H.P. 1265, L.D. 1894 
Conservation and Forestry. Both committees may report out legislation related to the 
subject matter of the repott to the Second Regular Session of the 132nd Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Legislative Cost/Study 
Approved: 05/27/25 LRL 
LD 1894 
LR 2187(02) 
An Act to Address Consumer Grocery Pricing Fairness 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment fr { H-1/5 ~) 
Committee: Housing and Economic Development 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
. Fiscal Note 
Legislative Cost/Study 
The general operating expenses of this study are projected to be $3,050 in fiscal year 2025-26. The Legislature's 
proposed budget for the 2026-2027 biennium includes $22,196 in each of fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 for the 
costs of legislative studies, as well as $8,265 in projected balances from fiscal year 2024-25 and $33,073 of balances 
canied over from prior years for this purpose, Whether these amounts are sufficient to fund all studies will depend on 
the number of studies authorized by the Legislative Council and the Legislature. The additional costs of providing 
staffing assistance to the study during the interim can be absorbed utilizing existing budgeted staff resources. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Additional costs to the Depa1iment of Economic and Community Development, the Office of the Attorney General or 
the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry associated with participating on the c01mnission can be 
absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2187(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1