PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill by striking out all of the emergency preamble (page 1, lines 1 to 10 in L.D.)
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §416  is enacted to read:
§ 416. Farm stand
 
1.  Definitions.     As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
A.  "Farm stand" means a roadside stand at which locally grown produce is offered for direct sale to the public and that is operated by a farmer or by a person who purchases the majority of the produce sold at the stand from farmers.
 
B.  "Produce" means fresh fruits or vegetables.
 
2.  Origin of produce.     Produce sold at a farm stand that was not grown by the owner of the farm stand must have the name and location of the farm where the produce was grown affixed to the produce or displayed on a sign in close proximity to the produce.
 
A person operating a farm stand that offers produce for sale that was not grown by a known farmer shall:
 
A.  Display the name of the wholesaler or retailer from whom the produce was obtained on a sign in close proximity to the produce; or
 
B.  For produce originating in another country, comply with section 530.
 
3.  Penalty.    A person who violates this section commits a civil violation for which a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $200 may be adjudged.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. It clarifies that the requirement for farm stands to provide information on the farm of origin applies only to fresh produce. It also adds a penalty for failure to provide required information.