An Act To Establish the Let's Grow Maine Program
Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§6-I is enacted to read:
| Economic Development | Food Security Council | Expenses Only | 10 MRSA §1100-Q |
Sec. 2. 10 MRSA c. 110, sub-c. 7-A is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 7-A
LET'S GROW MAINE PROGRAM
§ 1100-Q. Let's Grow Maine Program
(1) The director of the State's emergency food assistance program, or the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's designee;
(2) A representative of the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention appointed by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services; and
(3) Two private sector professionals with expertise in the State's emergency food network, one appointed by the President of the Senate and one appointed by the Speaker of the House, each appointed to a 2-year term.
Funds may be used for the purchase of fruits and vegetables, cold storage, storage infrastructure, transportation or other purposes as recommended by the council and determined by the authority that will help to establish a more efficient and effective supply chain of emergency food assistance resources. Funds may also be used for culinary and nutrition education and home delivery of resources for homebound individuals.
Beginning July 1, 2019 and every July 1st thereafter, the State Controller shall transfer to the fund an amount, as certified by the State Tax Assessor, that is equivalent to 1/2 of the revenue received from the tax imposed on the sale of noncigarette smoking tobacco products pursuant to Title 36, section 4403, subsection 2 in the prior fiscal year.
The authority may accept and deposit in the fund additional funding from any source, public or private.
Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §4403, sub-§1, as repealed and replaced by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. H, §1 and affected by §3, is amended to read:
Beginning January 1, 2018, the tax rates in this subsection are subject to adjustment pursuant to subsection 5.
Sec. 4. 36 MRSA §4403, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2005, c. 627, §8, is further amended to read:
Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §4403, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
Sec. 6. Effective date. Those sections of this Act that amend the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 36, section 4403, subsections 1 and 2 and that enact Title 36, section 4403, subsection 5 take effect January 1, 2018.
summary
This bill establishes the Let's Grow Maine Program, which will be administered by the Finance Authority of Maine with the purpose of purchasing fruits and vegetables from farm businesses in the State for distribution to schools, senior citizens and individuals with low income through a public and private partnership. The program is funded through a newly created Food and Farm Fund that will receive dedicated revenue, starting in July 2019, based on 1/2 of the tax revenues from noncigarette smoking tobacco products. The bill increases the tax for noncigarette smoking tobacco products from 20% of the wholesale sales price to 47%, effective January 1, 2018. If the tax on cigarettes is increased on or after January 1, 2018, this tax, as well as the taxes on smokeless tobacco, will be adjusted by a rate that is equivalent to the percentage change in the tax rate for one cigarette.