129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 454		LR 1563(02)
	An Act To Encourage the Purchase of Local Produce for Public Schools
	Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
	Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			FY 2019-20	FY 2020-21	Projections  FY 2021-22	Projections  FY 2022-23
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$274,025	$420,746	$423,961	$427,289
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$274,025	$420,746	$423,961	$427,289
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill includes ongoing General Fund appropriations totaling $274,025 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $420,746 in fiscal year 2020-21 to the School Finance and Operations program within the Department of Education to support the provision of the Local Produce Fund established pursuant to Title 20-A, section 6602, subsection 12.
	Of these amounts, $59,025 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $98,246 in fiscal year 2020-21 are provided for one Education Specialist II position and related All Other costs to administer the fund as well as to provide training to food staff, outreach to local farmers and to manage a new program to promote seasonally available local products.  This fiscal estimate assumes an October 1, 2019 effective date.  Additionally, $215,000 in fiscal year 2019-20 is appropriated to provide a $1 match for every $3 a school administrative unit (SAU) pays for produce or minimally processed foods purchased directly from eligible providers up to a maximum of $1,000 per SAU and $322,000 per year is appropriated beginning in fiscal year 2020-21 for matching funds up to a maximum of $1,500 per SAU.  This bill also establishes that funds appropriated for this purpose are non-lapsing funds to be carried forward into the next fiscal year to be used only to support the provisions of the Local Produce Fund.
	This initiative is included in LD 1001, the 2020-2021 biennial budget and provides funding for the same provisions that are in this bill, except that the position is funded for a full year in fiscal year 2019-20 and there is no language in the budget initiative to allow for the funds to be carried into the next fiscal year instead of lapsing to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund at the end of each fiscal year.  If this initiative is included in the final budget approved by the Legislature, the fiscal note for this bill will need to be amended.