HP0759
LD 1099
Session - 127th Maine Legislature
C "B", Filing Number H-659, Sponsored by
LR 1303
Item 13
Bill Tracking, Additional Documents Chamber Status

Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:

Sec. 1. 7 MRSA c. 417  is enacted to read:

CHAPTER 417

ANIMAL AND PLANT DISEASE AND TICKS AND OTHER INSECTS MANAGEMENT FUND

§ 2431 Fund established

The Animal and Plant Disease and Ticks and Other Insects Management Fund, referred to in this chapter as "the fund," is established. The fund is administered by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and consists of funds received from any appropriation or allocation from the Legislature and funds transferred pursuant to this section. The fund, to be accounted within the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. Eligible investment earnings credited to the assets of the fund become part of the assets of the fund, and the fund is a nonlapsing fund. The fund may not be used to pay for administrative costs incurred by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Beginning in fiscal year 2017-18, notwithstanding any other provision of law, on October 1st of each year, or the first business day thereafter, the State Controller shall transfer at least $400,000 from available balances in Other Special Revenue Funds accounts within the department or other sources available to the department to the fund. On or before February 1, 2017 and on or before February 1st of each year thereafter, the commissioner shall determine from which accounts or sources the funds must be transferred in October of that year so that the sum equals at least $400,000 and notify the State Controller, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over pest management matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs of the amounts to be transferred from each account or source. After receiving notification from the commissioner, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over pest management matters may report out a bill related to the transfer.

§ 2432 Expenditures from fund

Funds in the fund must be distributed to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and used for the following purposes:

1 Pest management education.   Outreach and education initiatives on pest management and pesticide safety, including community pest management and medical and veterinary pest management, focusing on health-related issues caused by ticks and mosquitoes, and pesticide application and use, focusing on pollinator health and safety; and
2 Laboratory operations.   Testing ticks provided by the public for pathogenic organisms, and general laboratory operations involving pesticide management and management of host ecology and ticks and other insects, including invasive insects as determined by the department.

Sec. 2. Transfer; unexpended funds; Board of Pesticides Control account. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall transfer $400,000 from the Board of Pesticides Control, Other Special Revenue Funds account to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Animal and Plant Disease and Ticks and Other Insects Management Fund, Other Special Revenue Funds account on September 30, 2016.

Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SYSTEM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE

Animal and Plant Disease and Ticks and Other Insects Management Fund N226

Initiative: Allocates funds for pest management and pesticide safety outreach and education and for testing of ticks provided by the public and certain other laboratory operations at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension's animal and plant disease and insect control laboratory.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2015-16 2016-17
All Other
$0 $400,000
inline graphic sline.gif inline graphic sline.gif
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $400,000

SUMMARY

This amendment renames the Animal and Plant Disease and Insect Control Fund in the bill the Animal and Plant Disease and Ticks and Other Insects Management Fund and changes the permitted uses of the fund. It also changes the funding source of the fund from a 20¢ fee on every sale of a container of consumer packaged pesticides to an annual allocation from the Legislature of at least $400,000. In fiscal year 2016-17, this allocation will come from the Other Special Revenue Funds account within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Board of Pesticides Control. Beginning in 2017, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is required to determine by February 1st of each year from which accounts or sources the funds must be transferred so that the sum equals at least $400,000, and must notify the State Controller, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over pest management matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs. The transfer of funds must take place on October 1st of each year or the first business day thereafter. It further provides that, after receiving notification, the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over pest management matters may report out a bill related to the transfer.

FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)


Top of Page