An Act To Encourage the Purchase of Local Produce for Public Schools
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6602, sub-§12, as amended by PL 2015, c. 267, Pt. OOO, §1, is further amended to read:
12. Local Produce Fund. The Local Produce Fund is established within the department. The fund is authorized to receive revenue from public and private sources. The fund must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. The fund must be used to match $1 for every $3 a school administrative unit pays for produce or minimally processed foods purchased directly from a farmer, farmers' cooperative or local food hub in the State, to a maximum state contribution of $1,000 per school administrative unit in fiscal year 2019-20 and $1,500 per school administrative unit in fiscal year 2020-21 and subsequent years or $2,000 per school administrative unit if funding is received and the school administrative unit sends a food service employee to local foods training administered by the department under subsection 13. At the end of the fiscal year, the school administrative unit may provide the department with receipts documenting purchases pursuant to this subsection during that year. For purposes of this subsection, "minimally processed" means only the washing, cleaning, trimming, drying, sorting and packaging of food items or a combination of those activities. Reimbursement or partial reimbursement to school administrative units may only be made up to the amount available in the fund. Failure to reimburse does not constitute an obligation on behalf of the State to a school administrative unit. The department shall apply for federal grant funding to provide state contributions in excess of $1,000 per school administrative unit in fiscal year 2019-20 and $1,500 per school administrative unit in fiscal year 2020-21 and subsequent years pursuant to this subsection if applicable grant funding is available. The department may accept grant funding from hospitals and other sources to provide state contributions in excess of $1,000 per school administrative unit in fiscal year 2019-20 and $1,500 per school administrative unit in fiscal year 2020-21 and subsequent years pursuant to this subsection.
Sec. 2. Effective date. This Act takes effect October 1, 2019.
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 129th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.