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An Act To Protect Maine Farms and Nurseries
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA §2211, sub-§2-A  is enacted to read:
 
2-A.  Large-scale retailer.   "Large-scale retailer" means a retail establishment that has 25,000 square feet in gross floor area under common ownership, including, but not limited to, a single facility where related entities share check stands, management and a controlling ownership interest in storage areas, such as a grocery store associated with a general merchandise or home improvement retail establishment.
Sec. 2.  7 MRSA §2215-A  is enacted to read:
§ 2215-A. Prohibition
A large-scale retailer may not sell annual plants on consignment unless both the large-scale retailer and the consignor comply with import and retail criteria to provide phytosanitary safeguards for Maine's farms and nurseries established in department rules. The department shall adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources to adopt rules to regulate the sale of annual plants by large-scale retailers and the producers that supply those retailers with plants on consignment.