129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 1518 LR 2240(02)
An Act To Establish a Fund for Portions of the Operations and Outreach Activities of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Diagnostic and Research Laboratory and To Increase Statewide Enforcement of Pesticide Use
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Fiscal Note
FY 2019-20 FY 2020-21 Projections  FY 2021-22 Projections  FY 2022-23
Appropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds $110,000 $220,000 $226,600 $233,400
Revenue
Other Special Revenue Funds $110,000 $220,000 $226,600 $233,400
Transfers
Other Special Revenue Funds $0 $0 $0 $0
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The bill establishes a fee of $.15 on sales of containers of pesticide products registered by the Board of Pesticides Control and requires that revenue from the fee be deposited into a newly established Tick Laboratory and Pest Management Fund to be administered by the University of Maine.  Maine Revenue Services estimates this fee will generate $110,000 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $220,000 in fiscal year 2020-21. After distributions are made to the entities as detailed below, the net amount of revenue remaining in the fund is estimated to be $26,662 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $102,485 in fiscal year 2020-21 and the bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations of those amounts to allow expenditures from the fund. 
The bill allows up to $40,000 annually be made available to the State tax Assessor for administrative costs associated with updating the sales tax return to accommodate the pesticide container fee. The bill includes a one-time Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $16,000 in fiscal year 2019-20 to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services for this purpose.
The bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations of $26,838 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $36,515 in fiscal year 2020-21 to the Board of Pesticides Control within the Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry for one half-time Office Associate II position to generate and maintain a list of registered pesticides.
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension will use a portion of the revenue generated for tick laboratory costs and pest management education. This bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds totaling $40,500 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $81,000 in fiscal year 2020-21 to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension within the University of Maine System for the initiatives.