Sec. 1. 36 MRSA §6652, sub-§1-D is enacted to read:

1-D.__Additional persons excluded.__Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, in order to qualify for reimbursement under this chapter, a person who owns a business that grosses over $200,000 per month in which at least 75% of the sales are for grocery staples must meet the following requirements for reimbursement of taxes on property used by the business:

A.__The person purchases produce from at least 75 farms in the State;

B.__The person does not charge a farm in the State a fee or rebate to carry the farm's product; and

C.__At the time the tax to be reimbursed under this chapter is paid, the person submits to the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources a list of the names and addresses of the farms required by paragraph A.

For purposes of this subsection, "grocery staples" has the same meaning as in section 1752, subsection 3-B and "person" has the same meaning as in section 1752, subsection 9.

SUMMARY

This bill excludes from the reimbursement for taxes paid on certain business property under the "BETR" program a person who owns a business that grosses over $200,000 per month in which at least 75% of the sales are grocery staples unless the business purchases produce from at least 75 farms in the State each year and does not charge a farm in the State a rebate or fee to carry the farm's product.