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Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §13062-B  is enacted to read:
§ 13062-B.  Maine Craft Brewers Marketing Promotion Fund
The Maine Craft Brewers Marketing Promotion Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established within the Office of Business Development to provide marketing grants to Maine-based brewers of malt liquor.
 
1.  Eligibility.     A brewer is eligible for applying for a grant from the fund if the brewer is licensed to and does manufacture malt liquor in this State.
 
2.  Grants provided.     The fund must provide competitive grants to brewers eligible under subsection 1. Grants must be awarded to brewers who agree to include the department's approved marketing insignia on all of their marketed products.
 
3.  Rulemaking.     The department shall adopt rules to implement this section including forms to be made available for brewers, formulas for calculating grant awards and a schedule for distribution of awards. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
4.  Condition for continuation of grants.    Grants from the fund may not be made after March 1, 2011 unless the commissioner certifies to the Legislature under Title 36, section 6762 that the total number of new qualified employees of qualified brewers statewide for which reimbursement was made under Title 36, chapter 917 for calendar year 2010 exceeds the number of full-time equivalent employees of qualified brewers statewide for calendar year 2007 by 10%.’
Amend the bill by inserting after section 12 the following:
‘Sec. 13. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Business Development 0585
 
Initiative: Provides ongoing funding to be used by the Department of Economic and Community Development to fund the Maine Craft Brewers Marketing Promotion Fund as established by the Maine Revised Statutes.

GENERAL FUND	2007-08	2008-09	
All Other	$100,000	$100,000	
 	  	  	
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$100,000	$100,000	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment deletes provisions of the bill creating an export tax credit and adds provisions establishing the Maine Craft Brewers Marketing Promotion Fund to provide grants to qualified brewers who agree to include the Department of Economic and Community Development's approved marketing insignia on all their marketed products.
This amendment also makes an ongoing general fund appropriation of $100,000 to fund the Maine Craft Brewers Marketing Promotion Fund.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)