Maine Legislation

MOFGA Testimony The following is a list of legislative requests (LRs) and documents (LDs) relating to farming and gardening (grouped by topic or commodity) that were submitted to the first regular session of the 125th Maine Legislature. We will update the list as details on the bills emerge and as MOFGA takes positions on the legislation. Blueberries LR 1421 - An Act To Enhance the Maine Blueberry Industry. Sponsored by Jarrod Crockett (R – Bethel). Compost LD 969 - Resolve, To Adjust Composting Limits for Farms. Sponsored by Representative Aaron Libby (R – Waterboro). This resolve requires the Department of Environmental Protection to amend its rules to increase the maximum cubic yards of Type IB and Type IC residuals that a farm may compost in any 30-day period from 30 to 100 cubic yards. Economy / Taxes LD 363 - An Act To Facilitate Local Food Production. Sponsored by Diane Tilton (R – Harrington). LR 913 - An Act To Reduce Hunger by Providing an Income Tax Deduction for Donations of Food by Maine Farmers. Sponsored by Peter Stuckey (D – Portland). LD 1164 – An Act To Support Maine Farms And Alleviate Hunger. Sponsored by Mark Dion (D – Portland). LD 1142 - An Act To Amend the Farm and Open Space Tax Law. Sponsored by Gary Knight (R – Livermore Falls). LD 490- An Act To Exempt the Value of Family Farms from the Estate Tax. Sponsored by Jeffrey Timberlake (R – Turner). LR 788 - An Act To Clarify the Tax-exempt Status of Ornamental Horticulture. Sponsored by Tom Saviello (R – Wilton). LD 234 - An Act To Provide a Sales Tax Exemption to Commercial Horticulturists. Sponsored by Lance Harvell (R – Farmington). Equipment LD 187 - An Act To Amend the Laws Regulating Dealers of Agricultural, Light Industrial, and Forestry Equipment. Sponsored by Bruce Bickford (R – Auburn). Energy LD 484 - An Act To Allow Farmers To Burn Agricultural Products in Outside Boilers. Sponsored by Jeffrey Timberlake (R – Turner). LD 42 - An Act Regarding the Tax on Fuel Used for Commercial Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry. Sponsored by Peter Edgecomb (R – Caribou). Honey LD 1184 - An Act To Limit Liability of Apiary Owners and Operators. Sponsored by John Patrick (D – Dixfield). Horticulture LD 182 - An Act To Prohibit the Sale of Russian Olive and Other Invasive Terrestrial Plants. Sponsored by Mark Eves (D – N Berwick). Labor LD 1109 - Resolve, To Target Job Creation in the Agriculture Sector To Improve the Stability and Economic Strength of Rural Maine. Sponsored by Jeff McCabe (D – Skowhegan). LR 766 - An Act To Change the Definition of Seasonal Farm Worker for Purposes of Unemployment Benefits. Sponsored by Kenneth Fredette (R – Newport). LD 962 - An Act To Amend the Medicaid Income Requirements To Promote Agricultural Labor. Sponsored by Diane Tilton (R – Harrington). LD 1207 - An Act To Amend the Labor Laws Relating to Certain Agricultural Employees. Sponsored by Dale Crafts (R – Lisbon). LR 1875 - An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Create Jobs from Farms, Forests and Manufacturing through Research and Sustainable Development of Maine's Natural Resources. Sponsored by Robert Hunt (D – Buxton). Land (See LMF bills below) LR 550 - An Act To Streamline the Process for Obtaining a Permit To Clear-cut Land for Agricultural Purposes. Sponsored by Jarrod Crockett (R – Bethel). Livestock LD 922 - An Act To Streamline the Laws Governing Small Slaughterhouses. Sponsored by Jeff McCabe (D – Skowhegan). LD 320 - An Act To Amend Shelter Provisions To Accommodate Rotational Grazing of Livestock. Sponsored by Peter Edgecomb (R – Caribou). Local Foods LR 585 - An Act to Establish the Maine Farm and Fish to School Program. Sponsored by Jeff McCabe (D – Skowhegan). LD 1293 - Resolve, To Establish a Study Group To Promote the Use of Locally Grown Food in Schools. Sponsored by Alex Cornell du Houx (D – Brunswick). LR 844 - An Act To Provide Healthy Food For Children in School. Sponsored by Melissa Walsh-Innes (D – Yarmouth). LD 330 - An Act To Exempt Farm Food Products and Homemade Food Offered for Sale or for Consumption at Certain Events from Certain Licensing Requirements. Sponsored by Walter Kumiega (D – Deer Isle). View MOFGA's testimony on this bill. LD 738 - An Act To Require Disclosure of the Origin of Certain Products Sold at Farm Stands. Sponsored by Tom Saviello (R – Wilton). LD 735 - An Act To Encourage the Use of Electronic Benefit Transfer Funds at Farmer's Markets. Sponsored by Justin Alfond (D – Portland). LD 685 - An Act To Require Vegetable Gardens at State Prisons. Sponsored by Howard McFadden (R – Dennysville). LD 601 - An Act To Set Aside 1% of Committed State Funds for Food Projects. Sponsored by Lawrence Bliss (D – S Portland). LD 763 - An Act To Allow the Sale of Locally Produced Beer and Wine at Farmers' Markets. Sponsored by Representative W. MacDonald. Maple LD 109 - Resolve, To Establish the Commission To Study the Promotion and Expansion of the Maine Maple Sugar Industry. Sponsored by Matthew Peterson (D – Rumford) Marijuana LD 750 – An Act To Decriminalize Possession of 6 or Fewer Marijuana Plants. Sponsored by Benjamin Chipman (U – Portland). LR 131 - An Act To Legalize Marijuana. Sponsored by Diane Russell (D – Portland). Milk LD 718 - An Act To Amend the Milk Handling Fee. Sponsored by Gary Knight (R – Livermore Falls). LD 382 - Resolve, Authorizing Adjustments to Payments under the Dairy Stabilization Program. Sponsored by Representative John Martin. LD 366 - An Act Regarding the Sale of Raw Milk. Sponsored by Walter Kumiega (D – Deer Isle). View MOFGA's testimony on this bill. Nutrition LD 1215 - An Act To Require Health Insurers To Provide Coverage for Nutritional Wellness and Prevention Measures and Products. Sponsored by Andrea Boland (D – Sanford) Pesticides LD 16 - An Act To Revise Notification Requirements for Pesticides Applications Using Aircraft or Air-carrier Equipment. Sponsored by Representative Jeffrey Timberlake (R – Turner) (Member of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry). This bill changes the notification criteria regarding the application of pesticides by aircraft or air-carrier equipment to a person on a notification registry from 1,320 feet to 100 feet. It also changes the distance requiring notification when pesticides are sprayed into the crowns of fruit trees or Christmas trees using air-carrier equipment from 500 feet to 50 feet. MOFGA opposes this bill. This would be a significant rollback to the progress made with Maine’s Aerial and Air-carrier Pesticide Spray Notification Registry, which sets notification distances at 1,320 feet for aerial spraying and 500 feet for air-carrier spraying. LD 228 - An Act To Revise Notification Requirements for Pesticide Application. Sponsored by Representative Peter Edgecomb (R – Caribou) (Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry). This bill repeals the laws that govern the development and maintenance of a registry of the properties of residents, lessees and property owners who request that their properties be placed on a registry in order that they receive advance notification of the outdoor application of pesticides. In the absence of such a registry, the current rules of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Board of Pesticides Control will govern notification requirements in connection with the application of pesticides. MOFGA opposes this bill. This would significantly limit the notification rights Maine citizens, including almost 2,000 registrants on the notification registry. Reportedly, most conventional agriculture groups support this bill. LD 1041 - An Act To Simplify and Enhance Pest Control Notification. Sponsored by Representative Dean Cray (R – Palmyra) (Member of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry). This bill amends the notification process for pesticides applications. The bill directs that the registry established by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Board of Pesticides Control is the only mandatory notification system for outdoor applications. It requires all registrants to update or confirm their contact information annually. The bill amends notification requirements that currently apply to applications made using aircraft or air-carrier equipment to provide that the requirements apply to outdoor applications generally. It requires that the board determine the distances between properties and applications within which a land manager is required to notify a person whose property is on the registry of an application based on the type of equipment used to make the application; currently, these distances are set out in statute. MOFGA supports this bill. LD 837 - An Act To Protect Children's Health and Promote Safe Schools and Child Care Centers by Limiting the Use of Pesticides. Sponsored by Representative Mary Nelson (D – Falmouth). This bill requires that the use of pesticides on school grounds is restricted to situations that pose a health threat to a student or staff member and when the presence of animals or insects have been identified as a public health nuisance. It requires the Commissioner of Health and Human Services to adopt rules to provide similar restrictions on the use of pesticides on the grounds of child care facilities and nursery schools. MOFGA supports this bill. LD 975 - An Act To Require Certification of Private Applicators of General Use Pesticides. Sponsored by Representative Jim Dill (D – Old Town) (Member of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry). This bill requires certification of private applicators using general use pesticides in the commercial production of food intended for human consumption beginning April 1, 2012. It directs the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, Board of Pesticides Control to establish certification requirements by rule no later than January 1, 2012. MOFGA supports this bill. LD 591 - An Act To Prohibit the Use of Pesticides in Certain Circumstances. Sponsored by Representative Howard McFadden (R – Dennysville). This bill has been withdrawn. LD 321 - An Act To Change the Qualifications of Certain Members of the Board of Pesticides Control. Sponsored by Representative Peter Edgecomb (R – Caribou). MOFGA opposes this bill. View MOFGA's testimony on this bill. Potatoes LD 41 - An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Maine Potato Board. Sponsored by Peter Edgecomb (R – Caribou) Toxics LD 1185 - An Act Concerning Toxic Chemicals in Children's Products. Sponsored by Seth Goodall (D – Richmond). This is to strengthen the Kid Safe Products Act, which has been the major focus of the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine. MOFGA supports this bill. View MOFGA's testimony on this bill. LD 412 - Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 882: Designation of Bisphenol A as a Priority Chemical and Regulation of Bisphenol A in Children's Products, a Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Environmental Protection. Emergency bill from the Department of Environmental Protection. MOFGA supports this bill. View MOFGA's testimony on this bill. LD 1129 - An Act To Provide the Department of Environmental Protection with Regulatory Flexibility Regarding the Listing of Priority Chemicals. Sponsored by Senator Jim Hamper (R - Oxford). LR 1329 - An Act To Make Minor Changes to Maine's Product Stewardship Program. Sponsored by Melissa Walsh Innes (D – Yarmouth). LD 492 - An Act To Ensure That Children's Products Are Free of Cadmium. Sponsored by John Hinck (D – Portland). Other Key Bills For Maine’s Environmental Priorities Coalition (of which MOFGA is a member) LD 553 - An Act To Reduce Maine's Dependence on Oil. Sponsored by Stacey Allen Fitts (R – Pittsfield). MOFGA supports this bill. LD 852 - An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue To Support Maine's Natural Resource-based Economy. Sponsored by David Trahan (R – Waldoboro). This would support the Land for Maine’s Future Program. MOFGA supports this bill. Other Land for Maine’s Future Board LD 1120 - An Act To Move the Land for Maine's Future Program to the Department of Agriculture. Sponsored by Bradley Moulton (R – York). LD 548 - An Act To Provide Regular Funding for the Land for Maine's Future Fund. Sponsored by Bradley Moulton (R – York). LD 1249 - An Act To Require the Land for Maine's Future Fund To Expend Funds for Deer Wintering Areas. Sponsored by Doug Thomas (R – Piscataquis County) LD 599 - An Act To Move the Land for Maine's Future Board to the Department of Conservation. Sponsored by Jeff McCabe (D – Skowhegan) LR 710 - An Act To Ensure Maintenance Costs for Land for Maine's Future Purchases. Sponsored by Jeff Gifford (R – Lincoln)