Sec. 1. 7 MRSA c. 8-A, as amended, is further amended by repealing the chapter headnote and enacting the following in its place:

CHAPTER 8-A

FOOD POLICY

Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §211, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 608, §2, is amended by adding at the end a new paragraph to read:

It is the policy of the State to discourage the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in animal agriculture.__State institutions and school districts shall inform suppliers of chicken, turkey, beef or pork products of their preference for purchasing products that have been produced without nontherapeutic use of antibiotics and make purchasing decisions in accordance with this chapter.

Sec. 3. 7 MRSA §212, as amended by PL 1989, c. 443, §18 and PL 2003, c. 20, Pt. OO, §2 and affected by §4, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 7 MRSA §212-A is enacted to read:

§212-A.__Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

1.__Antibiotic.__"Antibiotic" means a substance of natural or synthetic origin that kills or inhibits the growth or multiplication of bacteria.__"Antibiotic" includes, but is not limited to, the following classes: penicillins, tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramins, aminoglycosides and sulfonamides.__"Antibiotic" does not include ionophores or other compounds directed against fungi, parasites or viruses.

2.__Antibiotics used in human medicine.__"Antibiotics used in human medicine" means any antibiotic belonging to the following classes of compounds approved for use in human medicine: penicillins, tetracyclines, macrolides, lincosamides, streptogramins, aminoglycosides and sulfonamides.

3.__Broker or wholesaler.__"Broker or wholesaler" means a person representing an enterprise, either for profit or nonprofit, whose objective is to purchase or collect available supplies of food from food producers for subsequent distribution to state institutions, school districts and other food businesses.