| | 2. Programs. The board may make studies,; undertake | research, development and investment in infrastructure, marketing | and promotional programs,; publish and disseminate information; | and implement other programs as are in furtherance of its | legislative purposes, provided that programs undertaken by the | board shall must be designed to benefit the Maine potato industry | at large or segments of the industry, but shall may not be | designed to benefit exclusively any one person or entity involved | in the industry. The board shall carry out the duties, as set | out in Title 7, article 4 and known as the "Maine Bag Program," | and shall use any funds granted by the department to the board or | obtained by the board from any other source for the Maine Bag | Program to promote the sale of tablestock potatoes, except that | revenues from the potato tax under section 4605 may not be used | to undertake promotional activities of the board.__The board may | use funds derived from sources other than the potato tax to carry | out advertising and promotional programs in support of the | industry. |
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| | Sec. 4. 36 MRSA §4604, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 1985, c. 753, §§14 | and 15, is amended to read: |
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| | 5. Books and records; confidentiality. The board shall keep | books, records and accounts of all its activities, which shall | must be open to inspection and audit by the State at all times. | The State Auditor shall may conduct an annual audit of the | financial records of the board and shall report the results of | the audit to the board, the Commissioner of Agriculture, Food and | Rural Resources, the Treasurer of State and the Legislature. All | books and records of the board shall must be open to public | inspection in accordance with Title 1, chapter 13, provided | except that records and meetings of the board may by vote be | closed to the public where when public disclosure of the subject | matter of the records or meetings would adversely affect the | competitive position of the Maine potato industry or segments of | the industry. |
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| | Sec. 5. 36 MRSA §4606, first ¶, as amended by PL 1995, c. 702, §2 and | affected by §4, is further amended to read: |
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| | Money received by the Treasurer of State under this chapter, | including all receipts of taxes levied under section 4605, must | be transferred to the board in its capacity as an independent | agency on a monthly basis and used for all activities of the | board authorized under this chapter. The board shall pay a sum | to the State Tax Assessor representing the actual cost incurred | by the State in collecting the taxes, except that the sum paid to | the State Tax Assessor for collecting taxes may not be greater | than 5% of the total tax collected annually. Notwithstanding | section 4603, subsection 1, money received by the Treasurer of |
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