Sec. 1. 7 MRSA c. 101, sub-c. II-B is amended by repealing the subchapter headnote and enacting the following in its place:

SUBCHAPTER II-B

MAINE FARM FOODS PROGRAM

Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §472 is enacted to read:

§472.__Nutrition education

1.__Development of educational materials.__The commissioner, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, shall develop educational materials to teach consumers the nutritional value of fresh, locally produced foods and how to prepare these foods and provide related information to encourage the use of farm products of the State.

2. Fund established.__A nutrition education fund is established within the department and may be used to develop educational materials in accordance with this subsection, to distribute these materials to nutrition educators working with low-income persons and to facilitate cooperation between the department and these educators.

Sec. 3. Maine Food Products Coupon Program. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources and the Commissioner of Human Services shall develop a Maine Food Products Coupon Program, referred to in this section as the "program," to issue coupons to low-income consumers redeemable for fresh locally grown foods. The commissioners shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services no later than January 15, 2002. The report must include a recommendation for each agency's role in implementing the program. The program must be developed to ensure that 20% or less of the funds available for this program cover the cost of issuing the coupons and other administrative costs of the program.

The report must include preliminary guidelines for participation in the program. These guidelines must include income guidelines to determine eligibility of consumers, the criteria for foods that may be purchased with the coupons and a process for farmers and food producers to apply for and be accepted as food providers in the program. The report must include any legislation to implement the program, a timetable for the adoption of rules to implement the program and a proposed budget for the program.